Whining and Other Noises When Shifting Gears

The roar of your vehicle’s engine as you rev it is a beautiful automotive sound. It’s music to every driver’s ears, like a stirring symphony of harmonized audio frequencies all singing in perfect unison. It’s the sound of automotive health. And then there are other noises that are decidedly unpleasant and unnerving to hear. For instance, when a transmission is making a whining noise.

Clunking, buzzing, growling, grinding, or humming sounds and vibrations coming from your transmission are not good signs. Far from a finely tuned mechanical musical instrument, if you hear these types of noises under your hood when your car is shifting gears, you need a certified, experienced technician to inspect your transmission.

Common Transmission Warning Signs
When you shift your car into drive, neutral, or reverse, if you’re hearing loud clunking noises, it’s possible the torque converter is the root of the trouble. The torque converter turns while the transmission is in park and neutral, therefore, any noise from the torque converter will occur while the vehicle is in gear. If the torque converter has damaged needle bearings, noises will be heard from the transmission while you’re driving.

In general, it’s important for every driver to know what a faulty transmission warning signs are.

Other potential causes of troubling sounds coming from your car’s transmission may include:

• Fluid clutches that are worn or damaged can indicate broken holds on the mounting or a misalignment between the torque converter and the flywheel
• The transmission fluid level may be too low, or it’s old and dirty and therefore needs replacing, along with a transmission flush
• Your transmission lines may have sprung a leak
• Your vehicle’s transmission range switch may have failed
• If you hear a whining noise that increases with the engine speed when your vehicle is in park or neutral may indicate a problem with the transmission pump

Minor transmission problems can escalate over time and could result in an expensive repair if left unchecked. Don’t let this happen to you.

Are you tired of listening to your transmission’s whining noises? Come talk to the experts at Mister Transmission. Make an appointment for a free inspection.