How Long Can You Drive With A Bad Transmission?

June 10, 2020 | By Mister Transmission

How Long Can You Drive With A Bad Transmission?

Procrastination: it’s something we’re all guilty of. Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right? But what about your transmission? How long can you drive with a bad transmission?

Car problems always seem to strike at the most inopportune times. If your transmission is acting up, how long can you get by before taking your vehicle into a transmission shop?

You know the feeling. You’ve got a big presentation at work, a big exam coming up, or you’re about to attend your best friend’s wedding where in the ceremony you’ll be the best man. And then your car decides it won’t work. If it’s your transmission that’s the problem, maybe you’ll keep slipping out of gear and into neutral. Maybe you’ll have a struggle just to shift gears at all. Or maybe it will make such a noise that you are afraid to keep driving it. Just your luck, huh?

Except, in many cases, luck had little to do with it. Usually, you had a chance to repair your transmission before, but for one reason or another, you did not. Maybe you were just procrastinating or maybe you did have a good excuse, but that does not change your current situation. Now you have a bad transmission. What will you do?

Very few transmission problems come out of nowhere and instantly render your vehicle inoperable. Usually you have a bad transmission before you have a completely broken transmission.

Can you still drive your transmission if it changes gears roughly? Can you still drive your transmission if you see that it is leaking a little transmission fluid? Can you still drive your transmission if it is making funny noises? Can you still drive your transmission if it keeps slipping out of gear and into neutral?

The answer to all these questions is, usually, yes, though in this last scenario that can be quite dangerous. The truth is you almost always can drive on bad transmission. But for how long? Well, that is up to you.

Driving with a bad transmission is a simple matter of risk analysis. How much are you willing to risk having to get major transmission repairs or even a transmission replacement?

It’s always best to nip small problems in the bud before they become big ones. If you absolutely must drive with a bad transmission, check your transmission fluid first. Topping that up may ease (or even solve) the problem. If you’re really not sure, contact us at Mister Transmission and we might be able to give you an idea of how bad your transmission is. In any event, you want to drive with a bad transmission for as short a time as possible.

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Customer Reviews
I'm Paul's neighbor and a...
Darryl Dalkeith
I'm Paul's neighbor and a review written about him washing the absorbant down the sewage drain is completely false. I saw him do the clean up of his driveway that got soaked with oil from working on his truck, after he soaked up the oil he shoveled the excess absorbant into the back of his truck then washed the remainder down to the end of this driveway and shoveled that into the back of his truck the only bit that went down the sewer was the dust that could not be shoveled up. It was a completely good professional job he did cleaning up the mess made..I enclosed a picture of the absorbant both wet and dry in the back of his truck to prove this point... read less
Date: September 2, 2024
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Best place in town to...
Gushue's Landscaping
Best place in town to have any vehicle serviced and repaired. Honest, dependable and reliable service. Highly recommended.
Date: September 1, 2024
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Brought my Honda Fit in...
Matthew Noonan
Brought my Honda Fit in for a clutch replacement, and they got it done quickly. Brian and Allen were both super helpful in the process.
Date: September 1, 2024
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Mr. Transmission took my vehicle...
Larry Tetreault
Mr. Transmission took my vehicle in. Had a small leak. New exactly what they were doing. Did the job and did it well?
Date: September 1, 2024
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Extremely kind and accommodating service...
Daniel Reichert
Extremely kind and accommodating service Always great experience at this Mr. Transmission
Date: August 31, 2024
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This is one of the...
Natasha “Natasha”
This is one of the few repair shops I feel comfortable going to as a person who understands very little about cars. The people at the shop are friendly, they clearly explain your options, they do not charge you simply because they can, and are very fair. They also have a cute dog that is super friendly and helps to relieve stress.
Date: August 31, 2024
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Giving a 4 for their...
Dazzler
Giving a 4 for their pleasant service. Nice people to deal with. Was surprised with an appointment it took 9 days to get my car back with 14 hours labour noted, but runs well so happy I'm running well again. $4850 bill hurt huge! Relieved for 1 year warranty.
Date: August 30, 2024
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Darren and crew did an...
Gord Beilner
Darren and crew did an excellent job. Very informative and respectful of our concerns. We will not hesitate to recommend their services to others. Job well done.
Date: August 30, 2024
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Excellent service and very thorough....
Lisa LoStracco
Excellent service and very thorough. Great job! Cory and Casey absolutely awesome to work with!
Date: August 30, 2024
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Giving a 4 for their...
Dazzler
Giving a 4 for their pleasant service. Nice people to deal with. Was surprised with an appointment it took 9 days to get my car back with 14 hours labour noted, but runs well so happy I'm running well again. $4850 bill hurt huge! Relieved for 1 year warranty.
Date: August 30, 2024
Website: Google
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