- 1/29/2025
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Automatic transmission failures are known to be very expensive, especially if the car is modern, luxury, or a rare classic, because its mechanism is more complex than a manual transmission, which is much less expensive to repair.
If the automatic transmission is exposed to a certain issue, it will affect the functioning of the car in general and the performance and efficiency of the engine in particular, and when any issue occurs, it will be accompanied by some noticeable symptoms that will tell you that you should know before a bigger issue occurs, and the transmission is completely damaged.
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Read more: Automatic transmission warning light
What are the symptoms of failing automatic transmission?
The symptoms of a failing automatic transmission or the symptoms that appear when there is something wrong with it are many, and we will show them to you below:
The check engine light will come on
Although the orange check engine light that appears in the dashboard indicates many issues in the car, especially the engine, it may also mean issues with the transmission, since the check engine light is connected to a network of electronic units and monitoring sensors, any issue that may occur in it will be recognized by the computer directly and will send a signal to display the check engine light to alert you.
Transmission warning light appearance
There are many cars that have a warning light for the transmission, where the transmission is connected to the computer that can detect issues before you feel or hear them, and the reason for its appearance may be normal and not cause for concern, and sometimes it indicates a very large issue that threatens the integrity of the transmission and may damage it to the point where it cannot be repaired.
Oil leakage
One of the most important symptoms that indicate an issue with your car is the leakage of oil on the ground, and the oil is usually red and has a somewhat sweet smell, and you may notice the leakage when your car is parked if you look at it from a distance, or when you move it and discover an oil stain under the engine, and the leak indicates an issue somewhere such as wear of seals and gaskets, damage to the coolant hose, or cracked and damaged lower oil pan, and the leak indicates an issue somewhere.
Read more: Automatic transmission malfunctions
Smell of something burning
One of the symptoms of a damaged or faulty gear is the appearance of the smell of something burning, and this smell may be due to the high temperature of the transmission oil or its low level than the permissible limit, as in the normal situation the oil smells sweet, but with frequent use, especially its high temperature, this smell turns into a burning smell, and here the gear will not perform its function properly and the friction of its internal parts will increase if it is not changed quickly.
Difficulty changing gears
If you have difficulty changing gears or choosing the right gear, this may indicate an issue with the transmission oil, as its level may be low, or it may be very old and contaminated and needs to be changed, with frequent use, dirt and metal filings may accumulate in the oil, which leads to transmission issues, so you must change the oil completely and choose the right quality to keep it for a longer period of time.
Gear slippage
Modern transmissions work to determine the times of shifting gears based on many conditions such as driver input, engine revolutions, and the pressure generated on the transmission, and when exposed to the issue of changing gears at the correct time, you will notice an increase in engine speed when shifting from one gear to another or the shifting process will be delayed between the gears, and here you will notice what is called gear slip when shifting up or down gears.
Read more: Low transmission oil symptoms
Vibrations
When you feel any kind of vibration while shifting gears, it is usually a sign of an issue with the transmission, and this is because the process of shifting between gears becomes harder, heavier and less efficient, and although these vibrations may indicate several issues, most of the time they are bad, and you should check the transmission immediately when you feel them to avoid later issues that may be more costly.
Noise when selecting a neutral gear
When you are parked with your car in neutral, and you notice different noises coming from it, this is an important symptom of an issue, the cause could be as simple as a low oil level, or it could be as big as a damaged solenoid or perhaps another important reason, as the transmission should be quiet and smooth all the time, and any noise or sounds coming out of it means an issue that should get your immediate attention.
Overheating
Overheating can have many causes, including all the issues mentioned above, and the cause of overheating is either damage to the cooling fan responsible for cooling the engine, lack of oil or leakage, and overloading the engine when towing heavy loads for example is also a possible cause of overheating.
