Many people in Australia love cars with automatic transmissions because they are generally considered easier to drive as compared to manuals. But one thing both automatics and manuals demand to ensure a smooth drive is proper maintenance. Routine inspections will ensure potential problems that may easily go unnoticed are identified and ironed out early before they can exacerbate and lead to costly repairs. Here is a look at some common problems most car technicians encounter during routine automatic transmission inspections.

Low transmission fluid

Low or ineffective transmission fluid is a source of problems in a majority of situations. You could be running low on transmission fluid because it is leaking or simply because the amount you put in is no longer sufficient. This will seriously undermine the performance of your transmission. One of the things that will be checked during routine maintenance service is your transmission levels. Your auto technician will check the fluid level by looking at the markings on the transmission dipstick. They may also check for fluid leak by looking under your car hood typically found at the front side of your vehicle. Fluid spills under your vehicle is a sign your car is leaky. Then again, a visual check of your transmission fluid may only indicate that it is dirty. If that is the case, your technician will perform a transmission flush to remove the badly contaminated fluid. Simply draining the fluid may not take out all the old fluid and the residue will contaminate any new fluid almost immediately. A transmission flush will involve uncoupling the cooling pipe located between the transmission and the radiator and adding new fluid while the engine is running. This pushes all the old fluid out, flushing out any residual grime.

Solenoid problems

The pressure inside automatic transmissions is regulated by pressure solenoid valves. If the solenoid valves are broken or faulty, it won't be able to efficiently pump transmission fluid within the system. Your technician will perform a diagnostic process that involves connecting pressure gauges to the transmission. With the engine not running, the technician will take pressure readings with the transmission in different gear positions. Below normal readings in any gear position will indicate what circuits are not working correctly. The solution to the problem may be to replace the pressure solenoid valve or sensor. This may save you the high costs of rebuilding or replacing the transmission.

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