How do you know if you need transmission fluid?

How do you know if you need transmission fluid? When the fluid in the transmission is too low, many problems can occur. This is because the fluid in the transmission is responsible for lubricating the transmission, providing power to the transmission, and cooling the transmission.

Many people ask if there are any indicators that your vehicle needs transmission fluid. In this article, I will discuss transmission fluid, what it does, why it is needed, and how to tell if your vehicle is running low on transmission fluid.

What does transmission fluid do?

What does transmission fluid do? Transmission fluid circulates throughout the transmission, providing essential lubrication to moving parts, preventing overheating of the transmission by absorbing heat from moving parts, maintaining fluid pressure, and preventing oxidation and rusting.

The transmission fluid runs in what mechanics call a duty cycle. In a duty cycle, transmission fluid flows from the oil pan through a filter and then into the fluid pump. The fluid pump then forces the transmission fluid in the mechatronic valve body under high pressure.

The mechatronics regulates the pressure and distributes the fluid to the torque converter and transmission sections. After that, the fluid passes through the cooling system and re-enters the transmission for the next duty cycle.

If there is not enough transmission fluid, the transmission will overheat and the vehicle will not move because there is not enough fluid to push it. In most cases, the transmission will begin to experience internal failures, such as bearing and gear set failures.

Signs Your Car Needs Transmission Fluid

If your vehicle is running low on transmission fluid, you will notice some unusual symptoms. The intensity of symptoms displayed by vehicles with low transmission fluid levels will depend on how much fluid your vehicle is missing.

The following are the most common signs that you need to add transmission fluid to your vehicle

1. Stiff/hard shifts

Hard/hard shifts usually occur when the transmission fluid is low. There are many moving parts around the shafts in the transmission that are attached to rubber seals, and if there is not enough transmission fluid to lubricate them, these seals can wear, shrink or become brittle over time, resulting in difficult shifts.

Hard shifting is not what you want to experience. When an automatic transmission shifts from one gear to another, it feels like bumps. It's like someone is pushing you forward or backward.

The most common symptom of hard shifting is low transmission fluid. This is exactly where you should start. Check the transmission fluid gauge dipstick and add more fluid if needed.

However, if you find yourself adding transmission fluid regularly to restore smooth shifts, you should probably take your vehicle to a mechanic to see why your transmission is losing fluid.

2. Delayed shifting/engagement

Delayed shifting is the delayed engagement of gears. This problem occurs when the automatic transmission fluid is low. What happens is that there is not enough fluid to lubricate the gears. Therefore, when you put the car in Drive or Reverse, the shift engagement is delayed because there is not enough fluid to move the parts.

Delayed shifting is when you put the car in drive or reverse and the car does not move immediately, even when you press the gas pedal. It may take one second, two seconds or even five seconds before the gears engage. The engagement time will depend on how much fluid you have left in the automatic transmission.

To solve this problem, you will have to add more transmission fluid. However, if adding more transmission fluid does not solve the problem, some other transmission component (such as a seal or belt) may be damaged.

3. Transmission Slippage

When the transmission fluid level in an automatic transmission is low, the fluid pump will spin dry, which causes the torque converter, which generates the pressure, to spin dry as well. At this point, there is no hydraulic pressure to the solenoid and the transmission will begin to slip.

Not only will low transmission fluid cause the automatic transmission to start slipping, but it will also cause premature wear of the friction discs and clutch bands.

Simply put, when you put your car in drive and the actual gear becomes drive but the car doesn't move but just revs, your transmission is slipping.

The damage that low transmission fluid can do to an automatic transmission can be seen by dropping the pan and checking the transmission fluid. Look for any gritty or fibrous material.

This means that the friction pads are damaged or completely damaged.

4. Transmission Overheating

The transmission fluid is responsible for absorbing heat from the transmission components and therefore keeping the transmission temperature around 175 degrees Fahrenheit. If your vehicle is low on transmission fluid, the temperature of the automatic transmission will rise above 200 degrees Fahrenheit, causing it to overheat.

Transmission fluid is responsible for many things. One of them is cooling the automatic transmission. So when transmission fluid starts its cycle from the oil pan, it goes to the oil filter and pump, and then is pumped to all transmission components.

By doing this, the fluid absorbs heat from the moving parts of the automatic transmission and then goes to the fluid pan where it is cooled down before starting another duty cycle.

Inadequate transmission fluid levels can cause the transmission to overheat. Without enough fluid to absorb heat from the components, the temperature inside the transmission can rise and components such as seals can be damaged.

You can try refilling the transmission fluid to see if that solves your problem. However, if you drive too far without enough transmission fluid, some of the internal components of the transmission will likely be damaged and simply filling it up won't help. 5.

5. Burning smell under the hood

When your automatic transmission starts to lose fluid, you will feel a burning odor under the hood. The smell of transmission fluid is very similar to toast. It is a very distinctive odor and very different from burnt oil or burnt coolant.

Transmission fluid usually starts to leak when some of the seals wear out. It is important to notice this problem early because driving a vehicle with low transmission fluid can cause serious damage to the internal components of the transmission.

So, if you notice a toasted smell under the hood, be sure to check your transmission fluid. If the fluid is leaking badly, you will notice a puddle under your vehicle. In most cases, however, the transmission fluid leak is too small to form a puddle, but you can smell it from under the hood.

6. A whining sound from the transmission

The clutch assembly and other components of an automatic transmission wear out over time, and they begin to clog the screen where the transmission fluid pump draws in fluid and forms bubbles. At this point, there is not enough transmission fluid circulating through the transmission, so you can hear a whining sound coming from the transmission.

The whining noise from the transmission may be very similar to the noise from a bad power steering pump. Therefore, the best way to check and confirm if the noise is coming from the transmission is to turn the steering wheel from side to side while sitting in the car. If the noise gets louder when you turn the steering wheel, it's the pump.

However, if the noise continues at the same intensity, your transmission will whine due to insufficient lubrication. At this point, you can add more transmission fluid and see if that makes the sound go away.

However, if the whining noise persists, you should take your car to a mechanic. Overall, transmissions are very expensive and you need to make sure there is always enough transmission fluid in the transmission.

How long can I go without transmission fluid?

How long can I go without transmission fluid? Depending on the model and make of your vehicle, you may be able to drive about 25 to 30 miles without transmission fluid before your transmission completely fails. However, if you miss only 30 to 40 percent of your transmission fluid, you will be able to drive farther, but there is a good chance you will damage the transmission.

Many owners who are not in the habit of checking their transmission fluid are even driving around with low fluid without realizing it. If your vehicle loses transmission fluid due to a leak or some other reason, you will not be able to feel or see the damage immediately. That is of course unless the leak is very severe and the entire transmission fluid drains within a few minutes.

If you are missing about 30-40% of the transmission fluid, you will be able to drive without realizing it. However, once the transmission fluid is low, you will start to feel hard shifts, slipping gears, and even a whining noise from the transmission.

However, if your vehicle has no transmission fluid in the transmission, you will be able to drive it for about 25 to 30 miles. During this drive, you will notice the car shaking, it will be almost impossible to shift gears, and the car will get hot at the bottom where the transmission sits because there is no fluid to cool it.

Can I just add transmission fluid?

Can I just add transmission fluid? Yes, if your vehicle is running low on transmission fluid, you can add more transmission fluid to the tube where the dipstick is installed. However, depending on what the problem is and why your transmission is leaking fluid, you should have it investigated.

The transmission is a closed system. This means that the transmission fluid should circulate through the transmission and cool the components. Once the transmission fluid has completed a full cycle, it drops down to the oil pan where it is cooled and ready for the next cycle.

Therefore, if your vehicle is running low on transmission fluid, there must be a leak somewhere. This is something you should investigate. However, you can add more transmission fluid at the same time so that your vehicle cannot run without this vital component.

When adding transmission fluid, be careful not to add too much or too little. There are markings on the transmission fluid dipstick that will tell you exactly how much is enough. In any case, make sure you always have enough transmission fluid in your vehicle.