The automatic ‘box is designed to shift gears – leave the brakes to do the stopping. The same can be said about crunching the gears in a manual car too, so it’s advisable to come to a complete stop before switching in to reverse gear (although most modern cars won’t allow you to switch without stopping anyway).

With ABS, all you have to do is “brake and steer”. With four-wheel ABS, push the brake pedal while steering normally and keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal until the car comes to a complete stop. Don’t take your foot off the brake pedal or pump the brakes, because that will disengage the anti-lock system.

Shifting into gear before the vehicle is fully stopped Shifting too quickly while your car is still in motion can cause significant damage in the transmission because there is a spinning coupling mechanism that can prematurely fail if it becomes worn from the harsh gear change.

It’s always a safe strategy to come to a complete stop before changing directions using your automatic transmission. Generally speaking, at low speeds (under 5 mph or so), occasional shifting from Drive to Reverse, or vice versa, will not normally cause any transmission damage.

Low levels of transmission fluid can cause all sorts of problems. Being able to notice these symptoms early could save you a lot of money and headaches in the long run. With a low level of transmission fluid comes low levels of pressure. This can mean that your transmission is slow to engage when you shift gears.

motor oil

Your trans should have a modulator, remove the vacuum line going to it and see if it is wet inside or any fluid is leaking out of the modulator. The only other place it could be going is in the radiator from a ruptured cooler.

One of the main causes of a transmission fluid leak is a gap in your transmission. This is hard to narrow down as it could be a space in a pan gasket, torque converter, fluid lines, the transmission pan, or the seals. A car leaking transmission fluid can be caused by a leak in the pan.

Low levels of transmission fluid are usually caused by leaks in the transmission system itself. The seals in the transmission or driveshaft may become faulty and leak fluid. Generally speaking, symptoms of low fluid levels or fluid leaks will include gear slippage or slow shifting.

If you’re like many drivers, you often forget to check the fluid levels in your vehicle, and if the fluid level in your transmission is too low, you will notice a gurgling noise. This noise is caused by the excess air in your transmission line.

Erratic Shifting: When you overfill your transmission with fluid, the gears become submerged in transmission fluid. This can cause wear and tear on your transmission and damage the system in the long run. Oil Starvation: Again because the foam will occur, this will cause the gears to start sticking.

The cost to have your fluid changed by a dealer, service center or independent mechanic ranges from $80 to $250. The average cost is around $100 for both automatic and manual transmissions. We recommend getting the filter replaced and pan cleaned every time the fluid is changed.

every 30,000 to 60,000 miles

Fresh fluid will not cause a failure and a pan drop is the safest way to change it out. I would take a white cloth and use it to wipe the dipstick and really scrutinize the condition of the fluid. It should be nice and pink with a healthy smell.