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The transmission of an SUV serves the vital function of transmitting the energy of your V-6 or V-8 engine to the wheels, powering your car. Over the years, this continual pressure can lead to various transmission problems. But when caught early on, most of these issues can be easily repaired and won’t develop into something more serious or costly to fix. Let’s take a look at four clear indicators that your SUV might need transmission repair.
Your Gears Are Slipping
Various issues can lead to gears slipping inside your gearbox. This is an urgent problem that puts you at risk on the road and requires the immediate attention of a technician. Slipping gears might result from gears rounding out or low transmission fluid levels. It might also be caused by a faulty transmission band, solenoid, or torque converter.
You’ll experience slipping gears in various ways. Your engine might start revving with high RPMs as your gears change. You might lose acceleration and responsiveness or hear strange sounds when you try to change gears. Needless to say, slipping gears is a rather scary problem that shouldn’t be ignored.
Your Transmission Fluid Is Aging
With so many moving mechanical parts, the freshness and quality of your transmission fluid play an essential role in keeping it all well lubricated. The fluid also disperses heat, maintains hydraulic pressure, and prevents oxidization and rust. If left too long without a change, transmission fluid inevitably starts to break down and fill with contaminants such as metal shavings from the gears. When this happens, you’ll experience slipping gears and also hear odd grinding sounds.
With a manual transmission, your fluid will need to be changed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. With an automatic transmission, it’s every 60,000 to 100,000 miles. You’ll rarely run into serious gearbox trouble if you never forget to keep your fluid fresh.
Your Transmission Fluid Is Leaking
Most modern fluids are dyed for easy identification. Transmission fluid is usually dyed a reddish color, which further darkens with age. And it also smells sweet. So if you ever pull away from parking and notice a pool of red, sweet-smelling liquid on the ground, you most likely have a transmission fluid leak.
You should also suspect a leak if you check your transmission fluid dipstick and find your fluid levels surprisingly low. Such a leak might originate from the transmission pan, pump, or hose, and will usually require a technician to find and fix it.
Your Clutch Is Slipping
While driving up a steep stretch of road, if you ever find your gears refusing to change or changing all on their own, then you might have a worn-out clutch. In this case, your clutch has somehow lost its ability to grip with full traction and is no longer engaging and disengaging properly when you try to use it. A slipping clutch is dangerous and should be examined and repaired promptly by a trusted technician.
If you’d like to have your transmission inspected by experienced professionals today, visit Santa Monica SUVs. We’re a trusted local dealership serving as a one-stop shop for all the region’s SUV drivers, whatever your purchasing or servicing needs might be.
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