Your car’s automatic transmission is made up of a bunch of different parts. This includes everything from a planetary gearset and a torque converter to a pump and bands. It’s important for all of these parts to work together to ensure that your transmission is able to do its job. But it won’t be possible for this to happen if you have transmission solenoids that have gone bad. It’s why you should be prepared to pay the transmission solenoid cost to have them repaired or replaced when the time comes. Check out some more information about transmission solenoids below and learn about what the transmission solenoid cost will be when you need new ones for your vehicle.
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What Is a Transmission Solenoid?
To start, we’re going to talk a little bit more about what exactly transmission solenoids are and how they work to keep your car’s transmission functioning the way that it’s supposed to. There are typically at least a few of these transmission solenoids in your transmission. They are electro-hydraulic valves that are responsible for controlling how much transmission fluid is able to flow into the different parts of your transmission while you’re driving down the road.
The transmission solenoids in your transmission are always in either an open or closed position when they’re working in the right way. They’re operated through the use of a current that comes directly from your transmission’s computer, and they play a vital role in moving the transmission fluid in your transmission around accordingly. When your transmission solenoids give out on you, it can put your entire transmission at risk and prevent you from driving your car, which is why it’s essential for you to be familiar with what they are and how they’re used in the context of your transmission.
How Long Should a Transmission Solenoid Last?
The good news when it comes to transmission solenoids is that they’re not known to break down on car owners very often. They will, for the most part, stand strong and stick around for at least a few years before they’ll need to be replaced with new transmission solenoids. You shouldn’t have to devote too much time to thinking about the transmission solenoid cost as a result of this.
But it’s worth noting that transmission solenoids are often submerged in transmission fluid, and that can leave them susceptible to being exposed to very hot and very cold temperatures. Because of this, your car’s transmission solenoids are eventually going to start to break down on you at some point. You’re going to need to have your car’s transmission serviced from time to time to stop them from wearing down on you completely before you catch onto the problem.
Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to tell when your transmission solenoids and other aspects of your transmission are starting to die on you. You’ll often experience a wide range of symptoms that’ll suggest it’s time to fix a faulty transmission solenoid. We’re going to speak on some of these symptoms next so that you know what you should look out for as far as faulty transmission solenoids are concerned.
What Are the Symptoms of a Bad Transmission Solenoid?
You’re not going to come into contact with your car’s transmission solenoids—or any of the other parts in your car’s transmission for that matter—all that often. Unless you go out of your way to inspect your transmission, it’s going to be impossible for you to see what kind of condition your transmission solenoids might be in. But as we just alluded to, there are many symptoms of a bad transmission solenoid that’ll rear their ugly head when you have a problem on your hands. Here are just a few of them.
1. Your Car’s Check Engine Light Pops On
One of the first things that might happen when you have a bad transmission solenoid is that your car’s check engine light will pop on. At first, you might not have any idea why the check engine light has come on out of nowhere. But upon further investigation, you’ll find that it’s because your car’s computer has detected an issue with one of your transmission solenoids. It’ll spring into action to let you know that you need to take a look at the situation and consider paying the transmission solenoid cost to replace a solenoid.
2. Your Car’s Gears Seem to Slip When You’re Driving
As we talked about a few moments ago, one of the main jobs of your transmission solenoids is to regulate the flow of transmission fluid so that you’re able to shift your car from one gear to the next seamlessly. But when there is a problem with one or more of your transmission solenoid, there won’t be anything seamless about your shifting. Those with bad transmission solenoids tend to experience what is known as transmission slippage. This occurs when your engine revs up but your car continues driving at the same speed it was going before. You could put yourself and others into danger if you drive like this since you won’t know what to expect when you step on the gas.
3. Your Car’s Transmission Won’t Shift Gears at All
If a transmission solenoid in your car’s transmission is really on its last legs, you’re going to find that you have to deal with more than just transmission slippage. You’ll also have to deal with a transmission that won’t shift gears at all. Since a transmission solenoid that has gone bad can’t regulate the pressure of your transmission fluid effectively, your transmission will have trouble going from one gear to the next and it’ll get stuck in neutral many times.
4. Your Car’s Computer Decides to Put It Into “Limp-Home Mode”
In a worst-case scenario, your car’s computer will realize that you have a bad transmission solenoid that is unable to do its job and put your car as a whole into so-called “limp-home mode.” This will place your transmission into second or third gear in most cases and make it impossible for you to drive fast. Your only option will be to head back home or to crawl to the closest auto repair shop and face the transmission solenoid cost.
Can You Drive With a Bad Transmission Solenoid?
If you have a bad transmission solenoid in your car, you may wonder if it’s OK to continue driving it. There are, after all, many instances in which you can continue to drive a car even though you’re having problems with a particular part. But in the case of a bad transmission solenoid, it’s pretty much never a good idea to continue driving any longer than you absolutely have to.
If you push a car with a bad transmission solenoid too far, you could end up doing some serious damage to your transmission. It’s why your car will limit your ability to push your transmission past a certain gear when it recognizes the fact that you have a bad transmission solenoid. Your only option will be to take your car into the shop to have the transmission solenoid repaired or replaced altogether.
Should You Repair or Replace a Transmission Solenoid?
When you bring your car to a mechanic to have them work on your car’s transmission solenoids, you might be concerned about what the transmission solenoid cost is going to be. You might want to try and have them repair your faulty transmission solenoid as opposed to replacing it altogether. In some rare instances, it might be possible for them to salvage a transmission solenoid if the wiring for it is the issue. But most of the time, this isn’t going to be an option.
After a transmission solenoid has gone bad, there is often no bringing it back. It’s going to need to be taken out of your transmission and replaced. In fact, a mechanic might even recommend that you replace all of your car’s transmission solenoids at once since they’re likely to all break down on you at right around the same time. This will, of course, drive your total transmission solenoid cost up, but it’s well worth the investment on your part if it means not having to bring your car back into the shop to have a mechanic work on your transmission solenoids again in the near future.
Who Should You Trust to Work On a Bad Transmission Solenoid?
Although transmission solenoids are pretty smaller compared to many of the other parts found in your transmission and in your car as a whole, replacing them can be a time-consuming process. Most mechanics will take anywhere from two to four hours to replace bad transmission solenoids. This is because they have to figure out the right way in which to get to your transmission solenoids and remove them. It’s not necessarily as easy as it might seem to do this.
With this in mind, you should make sure that the mechanic you bring your car to has plenty of experience with working on transmissions. Not all mechanics are cut out to do transmission solenoid replacement. You don’t want to pay the transmission solenoid cost only to realize that the job wasn’t done correctly. You want your new transmission solenoids to function properly from the moment that they’re put into your car so that your transmission is able to get back to business.
How Much Does a Transmission Solenoid Cost?
When people think about having work done to their car’s transmission, they often fear the worst. They think that they’re going to have to spend a small fortune to fix the problem. The transmission solenoid cost isn’t super inexpensive, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s also not an auto repair job that’s going to break the bank.
On average, people usually spend somewhere between $150 and $400 to replace a single transmission solenoid in their car. That includes the price of parts, which is often between $15 and $100, and the cost of labor, which accounts for the majority of the transmission solenoid cost. You might also have to pay more than that if you need to have several or even all of your transmission solenoids replaced.
It’s a good idea to work with a mechanic who can help lay out your options with regards to transmission solenoid replacement. It might make a lot of sense for you to replace more than one transmission solenoid since it could save you money in the long run even though the transmission solenoid cost will be a little higher in the short term.
Is the Transmission Solenoid Cost Worth It?
If your plan is to keep on driving your car for the foreseeable future, then you’re going to need to have functioning transmission solenoids in it. Driving with a bad transmission solenoid is just not an option. This means that the transmission solenoid cost is going to be 100 percent worth it to you. You should give your mechanic whatever they ask you for to get new transmission solenoids installed in your vehicle.
But if you don’t think you’re going to be driving your car for much longer or if your car isn’t worth a whole lot of money and has other problems, paying the transmission solenoid cost might not be the right choice for you. You could be better off parking your car in your driveway for the time being and trying to get rid of it rather than spending a few hundred dollars to fix your faulty transmission solenoid.
Is It Possible to Sell a Car With a Bad Transmission Solenoid?
Have a car with one or more bad transmission solenoids in it? If you don’t have any plans to fix it, selling it might be a better option for you. And as long as you take the right approach to unloading it, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting someone to take it off your hands.
Junk car buyers would be happy to give you cash for your car. Cash Cars Buyers will pay you top dollar for your car in spite of your transmission solenoid issues and prevent you from having to shoulder the transmission solenoid cost. Working with us is hands down one of the easiest ways to get rid of a car with a bad transmission solenoid in it without a problem. Contact us now to find out how it works.