Super dark, thick, non-viscous fluid can lead to overheating and cause excessive wear on the moving components in your transmission and lead to failure later down the road.Įxcessive heat buildup in your transmission stems from a lack of or the wrong type of transmission fluid. If it’s been a long time since your transmission fluid was replaced, have your transmission specialist check the fluid’s viscosity and coloration.
Depending on the vehicle, transmission fluid can be good for up to 60,000 miles (consult your service manual for when you should replace transmission fluid). Over time, transmission fluid (like engine oil) will become thicker and darker – this is normal, but you want to keep an eye on this. All Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) is bright red and has an unmistakable sweet odor. Regardless, you want to make sure your transmission has enough fluid at all times. They’ll be able to tell you if you simply need a new seal or if it’s something more serious.
If you spot transmission fluid leaking, take your vehicle to transmission shops in your area for a diagnosis. This is where having enough fluid in your transmission is critical. These warnings can be cryptic, meaning it’s time to take your car to a transmission specialist for diagnosis.īecause your transmission contains many moving parts and gears, they require lubrication to prevent from overheating and seizing up. In most cases, a warning light will appear in your dash when it senses something is wrong with the transmission. Many modern vehicles have a vast array of sensors and electronic devices that monitor all aspects of a vehicle. Typically, when one part begins to fail, your entire transmission suffers and the unit as a whole develops problems. A transmission contains many moving parts and gears that all function to work as one unit.
Without going into too much detail, the transmission in your vehicle is what allows your car to transfer horsepower and torque produced by the engine through a clutch and a series of gears, down a drive shaft, to a differential and then to the wheels. This can save you a lot of money in the long-run and keep you from spending cash on unnecessary repairs. Blown Transmission Look for odd sounds, leaking transmission fluid or a slipping clutch.īefore we get into our transmission failure warning signs, we need to reiterate that it’s always important that you take your car to an expert transmission technician who’s capable of running diagnostics.