As your Ford's transmission is responsible for sending power to the drive wheels, it's one of the vehicle's most important components. Thankfully, there are some obvious telltale signs that indicate when there's a problem. Here are some ways to tell when you need to bring your car or truck to your local Ford dealer for a transmission repair.
4 Signs You Need a Transmission Repair at Your Ford Dealer
Fluid Leaks
A sufficient amount of transmission fluid is crucial because it keeps important parts lubricated, provides cooling, and performs the hydraulic action when engaging gears. Without it, the transmission will overheat and begin to fail. Transmission fluid smells sweet and has a bright red color that darkens to a reddish-brown as it ages, so it should be easy to diagnose if you see a pool of the stuff leaking from your vehicle.
You can also check for leaks by using the transmission dipstick, which marks the proper fluid level.
Burning Smell
A strong burning scent coming from your car is especially alarming because it could mean that your transmission is no longer being protected by the special additives in its fluid. If these additives have burned away, you should stop driving the car immediately because continued operation could lead to severe damage from a buildup of sludge within the transmission. Caught early enough, it's possible to fix the issue with a transmission flush.
Gear Slipping
Transmissions are meant to deliver power promptly and smoothly, so you might want to think about heading to the repair shop when you begin to notice that acceleration isn't there when you need it. For example, as you're trying to reach highway speeds, you might see your engine staying at high revs much longer than normal before it shifts up to the next gear.
While this is happening, you're also likely to see the RPMs suddenly rising or dropping even while maintaining vehicle speed. These are major signs that your transmission is slipping gears. Low transmission fluid is the usual culprit, but gear slippage can also be due to damaged transmission bands or a faulty torque converter.
Jerking and Strange Noises
A phenomenon that's commonly associated with manual transmission cars, jerking or shaking of the vehicle when changing gears can be unsettling and almost always means there's a major issue with the transmission. It's often accompanied by loud grinding or shuddering noises. These symptoms could also be due to low transmission fluid, but they can also be caused by worn transmission parts, a clogged transmission filter, or mounts that have loosened.
Transmission rebuilds and replacements can be quite costly, so you definitely won't want to let these issues persist. Get in touch with our servicing department at Ganley Ford West today and we'll make sure that your Ford is running at its best!