In many ways, a car’s transmission is just as important as the engine and also as costly to repair if a very serious problem is allowed to develop. Any budding issues in a modern transmission need to be found and fixed quickly before the situation worsens. Here are some of the most common early warning signs of transmission trouble. If you notice any of these issues, it’s best to visit your local Ford dealer for transmission repair promptly.
You Hear Humming or Whining Sounds
The first sign of a problem in an automatic transmission may be strange humming or whining sounds. If you hear this kind of sound while shifting gears, some of the gears may be worn down and struggling to grip each other.
Whining or humming while in gear may point to a bad torque converter. And hearing these sounds when you reverse may mean a transmission line has become clogged. There are other potential causes for whining or humming; you’re likely to need a technician to work it out.
You Hear Grinding Noises
Grinding sounds usually mean some mechanical parts inside your planetary gear system are struggling to operate smoothly. With luck, you’ll only have to top up or flush your transmission fluid to resolve this problem, but grinding may also mean there’s a problem with the gears, linkage, binding, or clutch.
You’re Struggling to Shift Gears
More serious transmission problems will start making it difficult to shift gears. You may find gears sticking or delaying a few seconds as they struggle to move into the new configuration. Struggling gears will often be accompanied by loud engine revving as your car attempts to send power to the wheels through an unresponsive transmission.
Your Gears Shift on Their Own
When worn-down gears start to slip, which can sometimes result in your gears shifting all on their own. Most commonly, this would be first or second gear popping into neutral. Slipping gears can hinder the control of your car, so it’s important to have the issue repaired without delay.
Your Fluid’s Degrading or Leaking
Most gearbox problems result from the transmission fluid running low, degrading, or leaking. Transmission fluid serves many vital functions, including lubricating the gears, maintaining hydraulic pressure, cleaning out debris from the moving parts, and combating corrosion.
At the first sign of any transmission trouble, always check the level and condition of your fluid first. If it’s low, you’ll need to top it up. If it’s thickened and degraded, you’ll need to have it flushed. And if it’s leaking, you’ll need to have the leak repaired as soon as possible.
Your Ford Dealer Finds a Problem
For the sake of your driving safety, it’s important to have your car serviced regularly. This includes periodical transmission servicing. The pros are trained to identify problems quickly, so a technician is likely to notice a potential transmission issue before most drivers will.
Visit Whites Ford today to have your transmission inspected and repaired. We’re a local full-service dealership, offering excellent new and pre-owned vehicles and top-notch customer service.
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