Has your transmission been slipping? It’s important to get it looked at right away. But what even causes transmission slipping and how can you avoid it?
Transmission slipping has nothing to do with your vehicle slipping. If your vehicle is slipping on ice or cold or wet roads, that’s probably an issue with your tires or anti-lock brake system (ABS). “Transmission slipping” refers to when your transmission “slips” out of gear. This essentially means that it changes out of one gear to another without you shifting gears yourself.
This most often happens right after you switch gears, and usually it slips into neutral. For example, you might reverse out of your driveway, then shift into drive, and then a second or two later, your transmission slips into neutral. In this case, the slip is more annoying than anything. But it’s easy to imagine scenarios in which a transmission slip is a serious safety hazard. That’s why you should bring your vehicle into a transmission shop for an inspection as soon as you can after a slip.
Knowing what causes transmission slips might help you to avoid them. If you drive a manual transmission, keep an eye on how your clutch feels. This is because, in a manual transmission, slipping is often caused by a worn-out clutch. Be careful not to misuse or burn out your clutch, and you’ll reduce the likelihood that your transmission will slip. If your manual transmission does start slipping, having the clutch replaced often solves the problem.
In an automatic transmission, slipping can be caused by wear and tear on numerous different parts. These include damaged or worn clutch plates, transmission bands, and solenoid packs. If your automatic transmission has been slipping, it’s likely a technician will replace some or all of these parts to fix the problem.
Last, it’s worth checking your automatic transmission fluid. It’s possable that slipping can be cause by an insufficient level or quality of transmission fluid alone, but transmission fluid problems can cause or worsen just about any transmission problem. If your transmission slips, check your fluid—as you should do monthly—and top it up if necessary. Afterwards, test your vehicle with a slow and measured drive. If you experience no slips, and you see no transmission fluid leaks, and the fluid that was left in your vehicle didn’t smell burnt or look opaque, then you might be all right.
At Mister Transmission, we can fix a slipping transmission, as well as myriad other transmission problems. To learn more about transmission slipping, or our other available services, please get in touch with us.
The evolution of transmissions has made these machines and systems increasingly complex. When transmission repairs are required, determining the cause and cure for what ails can be tricky.
Read More
At Mister Transmission we have access to leading-edge diagnostic equipment, enabling us to offer you the fastest and most accurate findings about what’s going on inside your vehicle’s transmission.
Read More
Just as you have other parts of your car serviced, your transmission needs maintenance to ensure a long life and avoid transmission problems.
Read More