Fixing your car depends on a lot of knowledge, including knowing how to diagnose automatic transmission problems. How can you know something is up? Read on…
Automatic Transmission Repair: What Makes Up a Transmission
Even though an automatic transmission is a complex assortment of gears and parts, all automatic transmissions can be broken down into the following components: the bell housing, the gears, the transmission fluid, and the filter. Let’s start with the bell housing. The bell housing is essentially your transmission case. It is cone shaped, and when you take a look under your car, you can see it. Want to know if your car is a front-wheel drive or an all-wheel drive? If your bell housing is on the side of y our engine, right under your hood, then you have a front-wheel drive vehicle. If the bell housing is located behind the engine, you have all wheel drive. Next up is the gears.
What would a transmission be without gears. Even though you let your transmission shift them for you, an automatic transmission has a lot of gears which are divided into two types: main gears and planetary gears. Without them, your car won’t even move. And what keeps all these gears working together? Why, the lifeblood of your transmission, your transmission fluid. It’s ironic that we refer to transmission fluid as lifeblood. When it is new, your transmission fluid is usually blood red. Your transmission fluid lubricates your gears and keeps them from grinding together and breaking apart.
Transmission Fluid and Filters
A good 80% of transmission problems are tied to your transmission fluid. If you don’t have the correct level of transmission fluid for example, your gears will start to wear, particularly if your transmission fluid is dirty. Your transmission fluid should stay at the same level because your transmission is a sealed system. If the transmission fluid is low, you most likely have a leak somewhere, most likely around a deal. And what keeps your transmission fluid free of particles and dirt? Your transmission filter.
So remember, that even though your automatic transmission seems complicated it is easier than you might think. Just remember this short verse to diagnose automatic transmission problems:
Fluid, filter, case, and gears
Know all your transmission’s parts
And transmission problems are clear
Trail Transmission
11240 East Apache Trail
Apache Junction, AZ 85120-3529
(480) 986-7367
https://trailtransmission.com/