Troubling Sounds From Your Car's Transmission

Proper maintenance is essential when it comes to ensuring that your personal vehicle will be able to safely transport you from one place to another. Since the transmission plays a key role in determining how well your car runs, paying attention to this mechanical component is important. In addition to performing visual inspections of fluid levels and condition, you can use your ears to help determine the health of your transmission.

Here are three troubling sounds that shouldn't be coming from your transmission, and will need professional attention to prevent serious damage.

1. High-Pitched Whining

Your transmission has a filter that is designed to remove contaminants from transmission fluid. When this filter becomes clogged, you may notice a high-pitched whining sound coming from your car's transmission. The sound is the result of restricted fluid flow as it moves through the filter.

You may notice that the sound becomes more pronounced when your car is in reverse. A clogged filter could be indicative of more troubling transmission problems, so having a mechanic investigate any high-pitched whining noises coming from your transmission as quickly as possible is advised.

2. Grinding 

If you begin to hear grinding noises when your vehicle shifts from one gear to another, this could be an indication that your car's planetary gear set has sustained some damage. The planetary gear set is responsible for allowing easy shifting through a variety of gear ratios, and features one large center gear with several smaller gears situated around its exterior.

The grinding noise associated with a failing planetary gear set is caused by the gears failing to move in unison with one another, and serious damage could occur if the problem is not corrected immediately. Be sure to have a mechanic evaluate the condition of your planetary gear set if you hear a grinding noise coming from your vehicle's transmission.

3. Gurgling

Another troubling sound you may hear coming from your car's transmission is a gurgling noise. Gurgling can typically be attributed to low levels of transmission fluid. As the transmission struggles to circulate limited fluid throughout its various components air pockets are created. These air pockets interact with the fluid to create the gurgling noise you may hear.

Adding transmission fluid to your vehicle will typically resolve a gurgling noise, but it can be beneficial to have a mechanic check to ensure that your low fluid level hasn't caused any further damage.

Listening for troubling sounds can be a simple way to maintain the health of your vehicle's transmission in the future. Contact a business, such as B G & S Transmissions, for more information.