We will talk below about what will happen if your automatic transmission starts to leak. Let’s talk right now about leak prevention. The best way to prevent your automatic transmission from leaking is to have it serviced regularly. The general recommendation is every 30,000 miles, but you can check your owner’s manual for the specific recommendation for your automobile.
The Fluid Will Leak Onto the Garage Floor
Preventative maintenance helps us find parts that are wearing out that might cause the transmission to leak. Specifically, transmission fluid can leak out of the transmission hoses, the seals, and the gaskets, including the pan gasket. Unfortunately, the lack of maintenance does not allow us to replace these parts before they start to leak, so plan to have your transmission serviced regularly.
If something goes wrong in the transmission does start to leak, you will see fluid on your garage floor. For your information, transmission fluid is red. This being said, it will turn brown if it is too old. One way that you can tell that your automobile is leaking transmission fluid is the location of the leak. In other words, you will see the fluid spots or puddles underneath the center of your automobile.
The Transmission Will Start to Malfunction
The fluid leak can cause the transmission to malfunction and overheat. Your vehicle’s transmission needs plenty of fluid to protect the moving parts and help it shift gears. Consequently, low fluid levels will cause the transmission to struggle to shift the gears. In severe cases, the transmission may seize up and not shift into gear or shift the gears at all. As you can imagine, this is a serious problem.
You may receive a warning before this happens. Once the transmission fluid is too low, the gears will start to grind when they shift. In addition, you may hear a humming noise if the transmission is in neutral. Low transmission fluid causes each gear shift to be rough rather than smooth. As such, your automobile will shake or vibrate every time the transmission shifts gears.
Finally, the transmission will overheat if there is not enough fluid in it. You will start to smell burning odors wafting from underneath your car, truck, or utility vehicle. This is an indication that the transmission is too hot. This can be caused by low transmission fluid.
Call us today if you have noticed any of the problems discussed above. We will inspect your automatic transmission to find the location of the leak. Once we find it, we will fix it.
