What Are The Symptoms Of Low Transmission Fluid?

May 27, 2020 | By Mister Transmission

What Are The Symptoms Of Low Transmission Fluid?

Keeping a sufficient level of transmission fluid is crucial. If you drive with insufficient transmission fluid, you run the risk of compromising road safety, destroying critical system components, and having to pay exorbitant repair and part replacement costs.

Fortunately, transmission fluid is relatively cheap, and keeping yours at the optimal level is easy, especially if you know how to spot the signs of fluid shortages.

Read on to learn some transmission fluid fundamentals, and find how to spot the signs of low transmission fluid before it costs you an arm-and-a-leg and contact a Mister Transmission technician to book a free inspection and same-day quote at a shop near you.

Transmission fluid fundamentals: 6 reasons to stay on the level

Automatic transmission fluid is the life blood of the automatic transmission. It is also used in continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) and occasionally in manual transmissions, though the latter more commonly uses transmission oil. In all cases, transmission fluids play a similar role, keeping your system running as intended and increasing the service life of critical components by:

  • Lubricating your vehicle’s mechanical parts
  • Maintaining fluid pressure
  • Cooling your transmission system
  • Preventing aeration
  • Conditioning the gasket
  • Preventing rust formation

Given this wide range of benefits, it should come as no surprise that low levels of transmission fluid can cause all sorts of problems. And the more you know about these problems and their warning signs, the greater your odds of preventing minor issues from snowballing into major expenses and safety concerns.

Read on to learn more, or contact your local Mister Transmission to speak directly with a certified transmission specialist near you.

Save on transmission service: 7 signs of low transmission fluid

Insufficient transmission fluid can cause or contribute to a whole host of problems, some of which can be detected without any special training or equipment. To save on transmission service, watch out for the following low-fluid warning signs:

  • Slow Gear Engagement
    With a low level of transmission fluid comes low levels of pressure. This can mean that your transmission is slow to engage when you shift gears. If you find that your transmission takes a second to engage into drive or reverse, it’s time to check your transmission fluid level.
  • Problems Shifting Gears
    Slow gear engagement isn’t the only problem you might encounter when you try to gear up or down. If you feel any resistance, grinding, or friction when you try to shift, something’s awry, and there’s a good chance that low transmission fluid is to blame.
  • Transmission Overheating
    As the old saying goes, where there’s smoke, there’s fire! While your transmission system may not burst into flames, low fluid can create excess friction and heat that causes varnish to form on metal parts, seals to harden, and clutches/transmission bands to slip.
  • Warning Light Turns On
    If your “Check Engine” light turns on, there’s a chance that your transmission system is acting up. Of course, there could be many other causes, so we recommend looking for symptom clusters (i.e. two or more symptoms of insufficient transmission fluid) to confirm, or booking a free road test and multicheckto pinpoint the problem.
  • Slipping Gears
    Sometimes, instead of making it too hard to shift gears, low transmission fluid causes the opposite problem, making it so shift-sensitive that it slips out of gear on its own, without any input from the driver. As you might have guessed, this is a serious problem, one that can jeopardize road safety for you and nearby drivers. This usually occurs shortly after you have switched gears and it usually slips into neutral, but not always. Again, low transmission fluid can cause this because of low hydraulic pressure.
  • Funny Noises
    Your transmission will often tell you if something is wrong, as long as you know how to listen. Fortunately, even a transmission tyro will have no problem determining when something’s awry—it just sounds wrong, even to an inexperienced ear. Manual transmissions tend to clunk and grind, whereas automatic transmissions whine, whir, and hum. If you hear any of these odd noises while you’re behind the wheel, you could have a faulty transmission on your hands, and low transmission fluid may be at the root of the problem. But you’ll need to contact a transmission professional to know for sure.
  • Transmission Fluid Where It’s Not Supposed to Be
    Another way you can tell if you have low transmission fluid is if the fluid is not where it’s supposed to be, e.g., on your driveway. If you see patches of reddish liquid leaking out of your vehicle and pooling under your car, you could be low on transmission fluid, and additional repairs may be needed.

Where to fill up on transmission fluid near me: Call Mister Transmission

With Mister Transmission on your team, maintaining the correct transmission fluid levels is easy.

For your convenience, we offer:

To book a free transmission road test and multicheck, and get a same-day quote on any service, you can:

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Customer Reviews
Had been chasing a problem...
Shawn Morley
Had been chasing a problem on my car for weeks, long story short I found out my transmission had leaked most of the fluid out. I showed up here and they instantly brought my car in and topped it up, diagnosed what was wrong n where it was leaking and then replaced the cooling lines the next day (before my transmission destroyed itself). He even drove me to work the next morning after I dropped off my car. They absolutely saved me in a pinch. Would definitely recommend.
Date: October 3, 2024
Website: Google
These guys are awesome! Very...
Julian Kaczmarzyk
These guys are awesome! Very trustworthy and honest, and they won't try to make unnecessary fixes to keep the shop working. The free diagnostic is absolutely that, FREE! I would recommend them to anyone with transmission issues.
Date: October 2, 2024
Website: Google
Jim Collins puts the Service...
Al Heard
Jim Collins puts the Service back into Customer Service, his patience in listening to the customer, resolving the issue is second to none. I would recommend Mr. transmission in Lindsay to anyone that has a transmission issue. Mine was a Motorhome and Jim took on the issue and gave me the confidence in his expertise that my issue is solved. I Cannot Thank him enough.
Date: October 1, 2024
Website: Google
Excellent service!!! Very good attention!!!...
Juan Carlos
Excellent service!!! Very good attention!!! Thank you!!!
Date: October 1, 2024
Website: Google
I was so pleased with...
Darla Nurse
I was so pleased with the service I received Dan he went above n beyond help solve the problem Dan is the man Thank you
Date: October 1, 2024
Website: Google
Ken was a huge help....
Christopher Rigby
Ken was a huge help. He really saved me. Great price, then called to let me know the price has changed a bit. It was cheaper then quoted. 10/10
Date: September 30, 2024
Website: Google
Wonderful experience dealing with Kris...
John Paulo110
Wonderful experience dealing with Kris and Dawn and their team. They repaired a fluid leak in the transmission of my fairly old vehicle (early '90s model) and were very clear on what they would be doing and what it would cost. Final bill came in a little under the estimate, so the honesty was definitely appreciated. I would recommend Mister Transmission all day, every day!
Date: September 28, 2024
Website: Google
I am so glad I...
David Truong
I am so glad I took my car here instead of another shop. The guys here are honest and professional. What more could you want as a customer. Thought I was going to need a new transmission, but turns out, it just needed a new radiator. I would not hesitate at all going back if I have any transmission issue in the future. Cheers!
Date: September 28, 2024
Website: Google
I had excellent service at...
Kelly K
I had excellent service at mister Transmission. BOB kept me informed every step of the way. He and his team worked tirelessly to get my car back to me. Accurate information about cost, length of repair and pick up. I will add that the website states they have rentals vehicles (which they did at once point) but they do not anymore which was fine, I had picked one up Monday morning before my car was dropped off. I would just change that on the website. Otherwise I still rate them at a 5 star. Thank you so much again Bob and team. I'm happy to have my car back.. Runs great so far.
Date: September 28, 2024
Website: Google
Great service that went above...
Josee Richard
Great service that went above and beyond what I could only have imagined possible. I highly recommend Transmission in Goulds, NL for their amazing customer service!
Date: September 28, 2024
Website: Google
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