The last few times while driving your car, you may have noticed that the automatic transmission would reach a certain gear and take too long to shift out of it. While it may have eventually shifted, you may now find that it refuses to shift at all and remains stuck in that one gear.
When your car's transmission gets stuck in a gear and you continue to drive it, it puts an extreme amount of strain on both the transmission and the engine if the problem is not fixed. Below are a couple of reasons why your car's automatic transmission keeps getting stuck in one gear, both of which need to be fixed by a qualified technician as soon as possible to avoid further damage.
1. The Car's Computer Is Stuck in Limp Mode and Interfering with the Signal Between the Solenoid and Transmission
One possible reason why your car's automatic transmission is stuck in one gear and refuses to shift is that the computer's limp mode has been triggered. This can happen when the computer detects a problem and wants to prevent damage to the system or there is a misfire in the computer's signals.
When the engine goes into limp mode, the signal between the solenoid and transmission is disrupted, which will prevent the shifting of gears in case there is a problem. While limp mode can be cleared with a code reader, you need to have a technician find out why it was triggered as well as check the transmission for damage sustained while driving with this mode activated.
2. The Torque Converter That Allows the Transmission to Receive Power from the Engine Has Been Damaged
Another possible reason why your car's transmission refuses to shift out of a particular gear is that the torque converter has been damaged. After receiving power from the engine, the torque converter sends it to the transmission so that it can adjust the gears accordingly.
However, if the torque converter has a broken gasket or is worn out, it will not be able to do its job, which will leave the transmission in one gear. A technician will need to replace the transmission's torque converter in this case.
When your car gets stuck in one gear and refuses to shift, you should not continue driving the vehicle until you have the cause taken care of. If you continue trying to drive the car if it is stuck in limp mode or has a damaged torque converter, you can cause serious, irreparable damage to the transmission. As soon as possible, take your car to an auto transmission service shop to have a technician find the cause of the stuck gear so they can take action to fix it and check the transmission for any residual damage.
For more information, contact a local company like Denville Transmission.
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