Does Your Toyota Need a Transmission Repair?

Without a fully functioning transmission, the power of your car’s engine cannot reach the wheels. It’s important to pay attention to the health of your gearbox to ensure it keeps doing a good job. If your ordinarily quiet, smooth transmission ever starts acting out of character in the following ways, visit your local Toyota dealership for transmission repair without delay. 

Jerking When Shifting

Any bucking or jerking when you’re shifting gears may mean you have a problem with the transmission fluid, a malfunctioning sensor, or the vacuum modulator valve in older models. Have a technician take a look before it causes worse problems.

Hesitating Gear Shifts

If your transmission ever responds with hesitation when you try to shift into reverse or drive, you may have a problematic solenoid or low fluid. Hesitant gear shifts can also be caused by worn-out gears.

Excessively Noisy Gears

A faltering transmission might make all kinds of unusual noises. Whining sounds may point to a faulty torque converter or clogged transmission lines. Gurgling sounds may indicate leaking or low transmission fluid. Grinding is often the worst noise to hear, as grinding indicates problems inside the planetary gear system. 

Sticking Gears

When gears stick and refuse to shift easily, a clogged transmission filter may be causing problems with the hydraulic pressure. Incorrect or degraded fluid can also lead to sticking gears. 

Slipping Gears 

If a transmission ever starts to slip into different gears or into neutral on its own, it’s likely that some of the gears are worn down and are having trouble properly engaging. Slipping gears is a serious problem that needs to be repaired as soon as possible.

Dragging Clutch

A dragging clutch means the clutch is not disengaging fully, and it’s dragging on the assembly. This could be due to an overly tight clutch release mechanism or a worn-out clutch hub or basket. 

Burned Fluid Smell

When transmission fluid grows too old and starts to degrade, the heat inside the transmission can start to burn it. You may catch a burning smell in the cabin, coming from the air vents. 

Flush Transmission Fluid Often at Your Toyota Dealer

A majority of gearbox problems stem from degraded, low, or leaking transmission fluid. You can keep your transmission healthy and avert most of the above problems with periodic visits to your local dealership to have your transmission fluid checked and flushed. It’s usually recommended to have transmission fluid flushed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles, but check your owner’s manual to see the appropriate interval for your model. 

Have your transmission inspected and repaired today by qualified professionals at Michael’s Toyota of Bellevue. We’ve been helping the region’s drivers enjoy a better driving experience for over 40 years.

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