What Causes Transmission Slipping?

February 22, 2022 | By Mister Transmission

What Causes Transmission Slipping?

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?

What Is Transmission Slipping?

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.

What Causes Transmission Slipping?

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.

Contact Mister Transmission If Your Transmission Has Been Slipping.

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.

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Date: May 28, 2025
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Robin
Other shops were unwilling to assist with my transmission rebuild due to parts availability ('04 Mitsu Lancer Ralliart). Mister Transmission allowed me to purchase the parts kit needed (from the USA) and used it to complete the rebuild. The cost was fair and turnaround was very quick.
Date: May 27, 2025
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Kolya Berg
Good service, everything was done on time.
Date: May 27, 2025
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Other shops were unwilling to...
Robin
Other shops were unwilling to assist with my transmission rebuild due to parts availability ('04 Mitsu Lancer Ralliart). Mister Transmission allowed me to purchase the parts kit needed (from the USA) and used it to complete the rebuild. The cost was fair and turnaround was very quick.
Date: May 27, 2025
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Very kind employees, great service! A lot of work done on my vehicle and I got it back in a short amount of time! Will come back again !
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Just Me
I’m happy to have found this shop. Not only were they able to find the problem but were honest enough to let me know it wasn’t in fact my transmission!!
Date: May 27, 2025
Website: Google
Other shops were unwilling to...
Robin
Other shops were unwilling to assist with my transmission rebuild due to parts availability ('04 Mitsu Lancer Ralliart). Mister Transmission allowed me to purchase the parts kit needed (from the USA) and used it to complete the rebuild. The cost was fair and turnaround was very quick.
Date: May 27, 2025
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Good service, the mechanic explain...
Diana Adames
Good service, the mechanic explain where was the problem. Change the filter and tramsmition oil very fast 2 hours for a BMW. Thank you, The only issue was they give me 2 different quotes with$200 differences.
Date: May 27, 2025
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Mohan Cappuccino
A huge thank you to Denise and Shawn for their honesty and integrity. Went to their shop expecting to need a torque converter, after the dealership "diagnosed" the problem. Shawn ran his own tests and found that the problem was something else entirely, unrelated to the transmission. Didn't charge a dime and saved me big $$$ on a repair that wasn't needed. Wouldn't hesitate to go back if I ever DO need transmission work.
Date: May 26, 2025
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Very good experience.
Gp Bezaire
Very good experience.
Date: May 26, 2025
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