Are you finding that your car has sticky gears? Here are the top five possible causes. Click on each one to learn more:
If your car has sticky gears, then get it checked out before it becomes a bigger problem. If you live in the Kitchener region, you can trust Hansma to look at it for you. Learn more.
Car Has Sticky Gears - What Is Causing that to Happen?
Car has sticky gears - learn the possible Causes
If you notice your car struggling to change gears, if you have a stiff gear stick, or if you find that it is shifting erratically, then this could be caused by a number of things including:
1. Bad sensor or shift solenoid:
Because most automatic transmissions today are controlled by computers, it could be shifting erratically because of a bad sensor or shift solenoid.
Your transmission decides when to shift based on inputs it receives from sensors about your vehicle's speed, your engine's RPM, and your throttle position.
The sensor, along with your car's computer, make the decision about when to shift. If your sensor has failed, then your car will shift funny.
Car has sticky gears: Your transmission decides when to shift based on inputs it receives from sensors
Your mechanic can usually discover if this is the problem by plugging a transmission or factory scan into your vehicle to check pressures and solenoid operation. Replacing a shift solenoid is expensive, so you want to make sure that it is really defective before you do so.
2. Low Transmission Fluid Level:
If your car has sticky gears, it could also be the result of low transmission fluid levels.
How to fix stiff gears in this case?
You can tell if you fluid levels are low by checking the dipstick for your transmission. If you have a transmission leak, you will notice transmission fluid drips under your car.
The following video will show you how you can check your automatic transmission fluid.
If your car has sticky gears, your fluid levels might be low
What causes transmission leaks?
Many transmissions today have a closed system so they can't burn fluid like your engine burns oil. The only way for your fluid levels to be low is if you have a leak somewhere.
You can develop leaks in the input shaft seal, output shaft seal or your pan gasket. All of these seals can be difficult to replace because of where they are located in your transmission.
Because of this, the repair is often quite expensive. Another alternative to repairing these seals is to add transmission sealer to your automatic transmission fluid.
3. Dirty Transmission Fluid:
If your transmission fluid is dirty, it could also cause your vehicle to shift erratically. Transmission fluid that is in good condition will be a bright pink colour when wiped on a white paper towel.
Sign that it’s time to change your transmission fluid:
When the fluid begins to wear out it will be a darker colour (almost brown), but will still have a slight pink tint to it. At this stage, your fluid needs to be replaced.
Image Source: ChrisFix
Car has sticky gears: Your transmission fluid may need to be changed
If your transmission fluid is very dark and smells burnt then it has probably already caused damage to your transmission.
How often should you change your transmission fluid?
Your vehicle's owner's manual will let you know how often you should change your transmission fluid. If your manual doesn't suggest a time-frame, then we recommend doing it about every 48,000 kms or 30,000 miles.
4. Clogged Transmission Filter:
If your car has sticky gears, it could also be due to a clogged filter. On most vehicles your transmission filter is located just before your transmission fluid pump. If the filter gets clogged there will be extra strain placed on the pump as it will become more difficult for it to pull fluid out of the pan.
If your car has sticky gears, it could be due to a clogged transmission filter
If you allow this to go on too long, then your pump could wear out. A clogged filter can also allow air to be incorporated into the fluid. This will cause problems with your hydraulic pressure in your system.
A badly clogged filter can even "lower the operating pressure of your transmission" and can cause it to shift poorly or even cause damage to other components.
If you have a serviceable filter, then it's a good idea to replace it each time you change your transmission fluid.
5. High Pressure and Sticking Valves:
Another possible cause of your car jerking when shifting gears is high transmission line pressure and sticking valves. If the control surfaces in your transmission are gummed up or if you have gunk in your transmission, it can result in high pressures or sticking valves.
Transmission fluid is very important for keeping your car running properly
This problem can often be solve by getting your transmission fluid flushed or replacing your old transmission filter.
6. Transmission is starting to fail
What your transmission does:
Your transmission consists of two main parts: the shaft and the gears. The shaft takes the energy that your engine produces and applies that power to make your vehicle move forward and backwards.
The gears determine what range of speed you will travel at. So in essence, the job of your transmission is to control the power that goes to your wheels and determine what speed you are moving at.
Watch how a manual transmission works
Sign that your transmission is failing:
If your car has sticky gears or it is shifting erratically, it could be an early warning sign that your transmission is going.
What we mean by shifting erratically is that your car is having a hard time shifting gears, or it jerks while it’s shifting gears. In other words, it's shifting in ways that you don't normally expect it to.
Discover how an automatic transmission works
Manual vs automatic transmissions:
There are two different types of transmissions: automatic and manual. With a manual transmission, the driver shifts the gears and with an automatic transmission, the car does the shifting for you.
If you have an automatic transmission that fails, the repair costs are much higher than if your manual transmission fails.
You Can Trust Hansma Automotive When Your Car Has Sticky Gears
If you live in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region and your car has sticky gears, Hansma Automotive can help. You can trust Hansma with all of your car repairs, including transmissions.
At Hansma Automotive, we believe that preventative maintenance is the key to avoiding expensive vehicle repairs, so contact us to avoid nasty surprises on the highway!
Most repairs can be done in a few hours, and we have a shuttle service to keep you living your life even when your car is in the shop.
As a Tech-Net professional auto repair facility, Hansma Automotive is committed to serving you, our customer, with professional auto service repair at a reasonable cost.
We use quality CARQUEST auto parts, guaranteed coast to coast. We stand on sound business principles and uphold high ethical standards. Our goal is to make your automotive repair experience friendly and successful.
By providing good, old-fashioned customer service over the years, Hansma Automotive has gained a loyal following in the community.
Many hundreds of area residents have come to depend on our team, rely on the technical expertise of our friendly staff to keep their family vehicles in peak running condition. Book an appointment now.
The success of our neighbourhood business has been built on a foundation of customer satisfaction. Indeed, satisfied existing clients are our best advertising. Our 'word-of-mouth referrals' continue to be our largest source of new customers.
"Great place, friendly staff and the only place I trust my car with now. I highly recommend this place. Trustworthy"
- Arash Tehrani
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