If you're looking for “how to know if a transmission fluid is low,” look for one or more of the following signs:
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- Warning lights on the dashboard
- Rough gear shifting
- Strange noises
- Slipping issues
- Vehicle surging
- Transmission overheating
- Fluid leak
- Additional error codes
- Different fluid color
- Troubles with your engagement
- High RPM
- Car lurching
The transmission fluid is one of the very important fluids in your car. It's responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of your transmission by preventing overheating, lubricating internal components, and helping gear switches.
As a car owner, you must keep your transmission fluid in the right quantity and quality. Your vehicle owner's manuals would have the right details, but one thing you could do is monitor for any symptoms indicating issues with your transmission fluid.
This article is a detailed guide to help you identify the most common symptoms of transmission fluid leaks or low transmission fluids. It also highlights some recommendations about what needs to be done when dealing with such problems and how much it will cost to fix them.
What is the transmission fluid, and what does it do?
Before we dive into the details about how to know if a transmission fluid is low, it is essential for you to understand the purpose of this transmission fluid in your vehicle so you know how important it is to keep it at the right quantity and quality.
In general, the transmission fluid is responsible for the following tasks:
- Lubricating the internal components and preventing friction
- Cooling down the transmission and preventing transmission overheating
- Providing the required hydraulic pressure so your transmission operates smoothly
- Depending on the transmission fluid type, it might serve as a sealant for minor cracks
- Cleaning the transition as it moves around it and collects the debris
- Protects your transmission from any signs of corrosion for short-term
How do we know if a transmission fluid is low?
As you noticed from the previous section, the transmission fluid is very critical in your car, and if it's not provided in the right quantity, it can not perform its tasks and might lead to transmission troubles. Therefore, you must monitor for any symptoms that could help you detect low transmission fluid.
The following list provides 12 important signs to help answer the question, how to know if a transmission fluid is low?
1- Warning lights on the dashboard
Your vehicle's dashboard contains a lot of warning lights that are put specifically to grab your attention to internal car problems. Some warning lights might be very specific and indicate certain problems, while others are very general and need certain tools to investigate what's going on internally.
Some warning lights might illuminate when the transmission fluid is low. Depending on your vehicle type, you might see a warning indicating a transmission problem. In other vehicles, you might see general check engine lights indicating that there's something wrong internally, and by using an OBD scanner, you can determine whether it's related to the low fluid level.
2- Rough gear shifting
Another thing you might notice when there are low fluids in your transmission is some rough gear shifting. Typically, when your vehicle shifts gears, it should be very smooth, and you shouldn't feel it. However, if the transition does not receive the right lubrication with sufficient fluids, it will make some rough shifts and be very obvious to you.
3- Strange noises
In general, when your vehicle makes any weird noises, it indicates something is wrong internally. Therefore, it is critical that whenever you deal with any noise, take it seriously and never ignore it.
And that transmission with low fluid level will make strange whining or potentially buzzing noises; sometimes, people describe it as clunking. This is potentially a clear indication of a problem with the transmission, but you have to look for other symptoms to confirm.
4- Slipping issues
Another thing you might experience when the transmission is not in good shape because of low transmission fluid is slipping issues. Your transmission might try to shift gears to a certain position but realize that it slips from its location and returns to the old position.
While this is a very annoying symptom, it can lead to many problems that could damage the entire transmission. In some cases, it might even impact their safety, and that's something you have to put as a high priority.
5- Vehicle surging
If you've ever realized that your vehicle is surging suddenly without any clear reason, the problem might be related to a bad transmission because of a low transmission fluid. Because this problem is very general, you cannot immediately assume that the transmission fluid is low just because the vehicle surges. You must confirm with your mechanic or use certain tools to confirm the problem.
6- Transmission overheating
As we mentioned before, the transmission fluid is responsible for lubricating your transmission's internal components and preventing overheating. Therefore, when the transition does not receive this enough level of lubrication, it will get hot over time, and the more you ignore the problem, the harder it gets and the more severe the problems could be.
7- Fluid leak
If you think about it, why does the transmission fluid go low in the first place? There might be some transmission fluid leak, which you should look for at the beginning when checking for potential transmission fluid reduction issues.
You can look underneath the vehicle at a location where the transmission is sitting. If you feel that there are some drops of fluid or a puddle of fluid underneath the car, it might be a transmission fluid dropping, which you have to fix immediately.
8- Additional error codes
We mentioned earlier that you might notice warning lights on the dashboard indicating transmission fluid level reductions. However, the codes might differ depending on your vehicle type and how sensitive your engine error codes are to respond to these problems.
9- Different fluid color
The transmission fluid should be pinkish; if you feel it's getting darker, it might be a problem internally related to many issues. Sometimes, if the transmission fluid is low for a long time, it might mean that this fluid will be consumed over time and might have a lower quality translated in the form of this darkened color.
10- Troubles with your engagement
Gear engagement is a continuous problem with any issue related to the transmission. Whether this issue is because of a mechanical problem or a low fluid leak, you'll see it translated into how your transmission engages different gears.
11- High RPM
There's another common symptom indicated by many owners when the transmission fluid is low, which has to do with the high round per minute. This problem is very general but could be linked to fluid leaks in your transmission, which means you have to check on the transmission before making a final decision about repair.
12- Car lurching
Finally, if you feel that your car is lurching suddenly, in the future, or backward as you change gears, it might be a problem related to the low transmission fluid. Therefore, you need to top it off immediately before it gets more complicated and safety-related things get serious.
How much does it cost to fix the low transmission fluids?
Luckily, fixing a low transmission fluid shouldn't cost you much money. It's typically ranging from $80 to $250. However, you have to be careful that this repair cost does not involve addressing any internal cracks in the transmission or additional severe leaks.
Sometimes, the transmission leaks and the low transmission fluid might be because of a severe problem your vehicle suffers from. These problems might need thousands of dollars in repair because they might require replacing the entire transmission.
That's why, before you make the repair decision, you must do the right analysis and confirm whether it's worth it. For example, if you find that fixing the transmission will cost you close to 75% or more of your vehicle's value, it might not be worth it, and you should sell this vehicle instead.
How do we know if transmission fluid is low? Final Thoughts
The transmission fluid is responsible for lubricating the internal components, preventing overheating, and other tests that maintain your transition's operation. When it goes low, it leads to severe problems you must address immediately.
This article highlighted 12 important symptoms indicating a low transmission fluid that could help answer the question of knowing if transmission fluid is low without needing to go to a professional.
Whenever you notice any of these symptoms, you must address them immediately to avoid dealing with costly repairs. However, if you feel that repair costs are piling up and getting close to 75% or more of your vehicle value, that's when you might want to decide on selling this vehicle instead.
If you've ever got to the point where you have to sell your car, Cash Cars Buyer is always willing to buy this car regardless of its size and condition. Contact our team at 773-791-4363.
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