More than any other mechanical part of your vehicle, the transmission will take the biggest hit. It works incredibly hard to make your driving experience seamless, and it will have more wear and tear over the life of your vehicle than any other component. It’s easily ignored because it’s easy to forget it exists when it does its job properly. Fortunately, there are signs your vehicle will communicate when it’s time for transmission service at our dealership in Columbus, OH.
1. Fluid Leak
More obvious than other signs, a big puddle of liquid under your parked car is bound to get your attention. Different from motor oil or coolant, transmission fluid has a distinctive sweet smell and bright red color, which is hard to miss. If the puddled liquid is dark red or brown with a burnt odor, that is also transmission fluid, but it has been contaminated.
2. Smell of Burnt Rubber
If you smell a burning odor but don’t have a leak, your transmission fluid is likely overheating. Debris from the clutch or a breakdown of other mechanical parts can contaminate the fluid and cause it to burn. Luckily, that burning rubber smell alerts us to where the issue is located. To verify it is the transmission fluid, use a dipstick to check the fluid level. If its level is low, color is brown or smells like burning rubber, head in for service immediately.
3. Unresponsive to Gear Changes
A transmission’s job is to send power to the wheels to spin. When a transmission isn’t healthy, it can’t do its job. If your vehicle either won’t switch gears or just completely won’t respond to any gear changes, this creates a very dangerous situation, especially if it happens while you are on the road. The cause can simply be the wrong transmission fluid type, malfunctioning sensors or computer system, or something more serious, like a series of mechanical failures.
4. Service Lights
Toyota installs check engine lights for a very specific reason: to alert you to a problem. Ideally, this light will alert you so you can have your vehicle serviced before anything drastic can happen due to the problem. If this light is ignored, the problem will definitely persist and will likely get worse, causing a bigger headache and more costly repairs.
5. Noisy
In general, your transmission should give you a smooth, silent ride. Any unfamiliar sounds while driving, switching gears, or even just idling in neutral, could be an indicator of transmission trouble. Keep an ear out for clunking, humming, whining, or buzzing.
If any of these signs sound familiar to what you are experiencing, or if you recognize any of these happening in the future, come visit us right away. Call or stop by Tansky Sawmill Toyota today to let us service your vehicle. If your transmission is showing any signs of trouble, it needs to be fixed as soon as possible to minimize the damage.
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