Is Your Automatic Transmission Working?

If your transmission doesn't respond whenever you shift gears or place your car in park, consult an auto service technician soon. Your transmission may experience a number of problems, including unresponsiveness. An unresponsive transmission can be harmful to your car and dangerous on the road. Learn more about unresponsive transmissions and how a technician can service your car's transmission below.

What's an Unresponsive Transmission?

Transmissions give vehicles the power they need to move from one speed to another. Without the right automatic transmission in your car, you couldn't shift your car into different gears or control how fast or slow it goes on the road. When automatic transmissions stop responding to commands, they become unresponsive. An unresponsive transmission can make it nearly impossible to drive or operate your vehicle properly.

Transmissions can become unresponsive for a number of reasons, including age-related wear and tear. Transmissions create a great deal of energy to operate your vehicle. If the part becomes too old, it may struggle to create the energy needed to change gears or control your car's speed.

Transmissions can also stop receiving commands if they become too dry. Transmission fluid keeps the part functional during the year. If the part doesn't have enough fluid running through it, it may seize up and stop working. 

You can try to repair your transmission yourself. However, you must be able to locate or diagnose the problem with your transmission properly. You can make the process easier by taking your car to an automatic transmission repair technician instead.

How Do You Repair an Unresponsive Transmission?

A technician can test your transmission to see why it won't shift gears. A technician will most likely check to see if your transmission has enough fluid in it before they do anything else. Even if the transmission reservoir seems full, it may actually be low. If there isn't enough fluid in the transmission, a technician can fill it up for you.

If your transmission has enough fluid circulating through it, a technician will test drive your car. The test drive will allow a technician to see how well your transmission shifts gears and when. If the transmission in your car doesn't shift gears on time or at all, a technician may need to check the vehicle's hydraulic control system and planetary gears. The planetary gears in your car may not be communicating properly with the transmission.

If a technician doesn't find any of the car problems above during the inspection, they may recommend you install a new transmission in your vehicle. Your transmission's age may be too advanced to operate your vehicle properly.

Learn more about unresponsive transmissions by contacting an automotive repair company like Summit Transmission Inc.


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