How to Troubleshoot Your Transmission
Listen for grinding., Pay close attention to vehicle vibrations., Tie the vibration to engine speed or wheel speed., Pay attention to jerky shifts., Watch the tachometer.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Listen for grinding.
Any time you hear grinding while driving your vehicle means trouble.
Grinding while trying to put a manual transmission into or out of gear can be indicative of your clutch failing to engage or disengage completely or it may be a result of worn synchro gears in the transmission itself.
If you hear grinding while in gear, it means there is metal caught in the gears of the transmission and it will likely fail very soon.Pull the vehicle over immediately if you hear grinding while moving.
You will need to have your vehicle towed home or to a repair facility.
If the transmission grinds going into or out of certain gears, you can try double clutch shifting to get it through the gears without causing more damage. -
Step 2: Pay close attention to vehicle vibrations.
There are many things that can cause vibrations as you drive.
While some may be as benign as a rock stuck in your tire or ice on your rims, others can indicate a serious issue with your transmission.
If you hear or feel a new vibration as you drive, pull over and check your wheels and tires first.
If they appear not to have any issues to speak of, the vibration is likely due to a problem with the drivetrain.The drivetrain in your vehicle includes the engine, transmission, transfer cases and drive shafts.
Try to get a sense of wear in the vehicle the vibration is coming from. , While driving and diagnosing a vibration, accelerate by pressing on the gas and assess whether or not the vibration speeds up, slows down or goes away.
Now take the vehicle out of gear (in neutral) and press on the gas again.
Determine if there is a difference between how the vibration acts in each instance.
If the vibration only occurs at certain speeds, it may be an unbalanced wheel.
If the vibration goes away or stays constant while the vehicle is not in gear, it may be an issue with the wheels or drive shafts going to them.
If the vibration increases with the RPMs of the engine, the issue is likely in the engine or transmission. , When driving a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission, pay attention to the way it shifts from gear to gear.
Automatic transmissions should shift fairly smoothly.
If shifting feels abrupt or causes you to lurch forward, the transmission is struggling to shift into the next gear.Hard shifting could indicate low or over worn transmission fluid.
Pull over at a safe location and ensure the transmission fluid is not too low before driving the vehicle home. , Automatic transmissions are designed to shift at different RPMs based on the amount of throttle you input.
If you are accelerating quickly (with the pedal to the floor) the transmission will shift at a higher RPM than under normal driving.
That said, the transmission should not allow the vehicle to sit at a high RPM for long before shifting to the next gear.
If it is, there is an issue.You can usually hear when your car plateau’s at an RPM it should be shifting from.
Listen for the sound of the engine working harder than it normally would as it stays in a lower gear for too long. -
Step 3: Tie the vibration to engine speed or wheel speed.
-
Step 4: Pay attention to jerky shifts.
-
Step 5: Watch the tachometer.
Detailed Guide
Any time you hear grinding while driving your vehicle means trouble.
Grinding while trying to put a manual transmission into or out of gear can be indicative of your clutch failing to engage or disengage completely or it may be a result of worn synchro gears in the transmission itself.
If you hear grinding while in gear, it means there is metal caught in the gears of the transmission and it will likely fail very soon.Pull the vehicle over immediately if you hear grinding while moving.
You will need to have your vehicle towed home or to a repair facility.
If the transmission grinds going into or out of certain gears, you can try double clutch shifting to get it through the gears without causing more damage.
There are many things that can cause vibrations as you drive.
While some may be as benign as a rock stuck in your tire or ice on your rims, others can indicate a serious issue with your transmission.
If you hear or feel a new vibration as you drive, pull over and check your wheels and tires first.
If they appear not to have any issues to speak of, the vibration is likely due to a problem with the drivetrain.The drivetrain in your vehicle includes the engine, transmission, transfer cases and drive shafts.
Try to get a sense of wear in the vehicle the vibration is coming from. , While driving and diagnosing a vibration, accelerate by pressing on the gas and assess whether or not the vibration speeds up, slows down or goes away.
Now take the vehicle out of gear (in neutral) and press on the gas again.
Determine if there is a difference between how the vibration acts in each instance.
If the vibration only occurs at certain speeds, it may be an unbalanced wheel.
If the vibration goes away or stays constant while the vehicle is not in gear, it may be an issue with the wheels or drive shafts going to them.
If the vibration increases with the RPMs of the engine, the issue is likely in the engine or transmission. , When driving a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission, pay attention to the way it shifts from gear to gear.
Automatic transmissions should shift fairly smoothly.
If shifting feels abrupt or causes you to lurch forward, the transmission is struggling to shift into the next gear.Hard shifting could indicate low or over worn transmission fluid.
Pull over at a safe location and ensure the transmission fluid is not too low before driving the vehicle home. , Automatic transmissions are designed to shift at different RPMs based on the amount of throttle you input.
If you are accelerating quickly (with the pedal to the floor) the transmission will shift at a higher RPM than under normal driving.
That said, the transmission should not allow the vehicle to sit at a high RPM for long before shifting to the next gear.
If it is, there is an issue.You can usually hear when your car plateau’s at an RPM it should be shifting from.
Listen for the sound of the engine working harder than it normally would as it stays in a lower gear for too long.
About the Author
Susan Webb
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow lifestyle tutorials.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: