Transmission Slipping Causes

Automatic transmissions are difficult to deal with. Now, this is a quite well-known fact! Yet, many people tend to ignore its time to time maintenance and repair and then repent when their car breaks down, somewhere amidst a black highway! Transmission slipping is probably the most troublesome problem your vehicle will ever encounter. The bad news is that, due to its complex working and built, the repair of transmission slipping is almost impossible for anyone, except a professional car mechanic! Okay... agreed that we won't be able to repair them sitting at home.

Causes of Transmission Slipping Problems

Transmission slipping is not a result of just a single factor. Rather, there are many that contribute to it. Sometimes, all of them might lead to the transmission slipping, or on some occasions, any one cause could suffice.

Broken Transmission Gears
Most of the vehicles suffer from a transmission slipping due to either non functioning or broken transmission gears. Breaking of transmission gears affects their coordination. Such an in- coordination further accounts to slipping of the transmission, when the vehicle is running.

Inadequate Levels of Transmission Fluid
Another very commonly observed reason for transmission slippage is the incorrect or inadequate level of the transmission fluid. Low levels of fluid adversely affects the gear coordination and working and in turn leads to transmission slipping. Read more on automatic transmission fluid change.

Malfunctioning in the Torque Converter
Now, you may ask, what is a torque converter or what is the main duty of the torque converter? Well, supplying sufficient power to the transmission for gear shifting and maintaining proper pressure in the transmission fluids are the main duties of the torque converter! A malfunctioning torque converter is not able to maintain right pressure and is unable to supply sufficient hydraulic forces, that are necessary for the working of the transmission gears.

Broken Transmission Bands
As I have said earlier, broken or non working transmission gears are among the factors responsible for a transmission slip. However, apart from broken gears, broken transmission bands are also a prominent cause of transmission slippage. But, what are transmission bands anyway? Transmission bands act as linking agents for the transmission gears. Therefore, broken transmission bands disable the shifting and proper working of transmission gears.

User Concerns Over Transmission Slipping

Besides the causes mentioned above, there are some more transmission slipping causes. Many vehicles encounter transmission slipping when cold. The actual reason behind this is that, when the transmission is cold or when the weather is too cold, the transmission parts tend to contract. Therefore the fluid starts leaking through seals, contributing to low line pressures. Certainly, low pressures are inadequate and affect the working of transmission gears, which therefore cause the transmission to slip. Now here's another concern. Many people complain of automatic transmission slipping when hot. Again, it is the transmission fluid and the pressure levels that are responsible! When the transmission fluid turns hot, it starts becoming thin. Such an action disturbs the pressure levels of the fluid.

A very few vehicle owners are concerned about transmission slipping when warm. Let me tell you that transmission slipping normally does not occur when the transmission is warm, as warm temperatures favor proper working of the automatic transmission systems. Nonetheless, if problems such as, broken transmission bands, gears or torque conversion already exist, then the transmission might slip even in warm temperatures. Another situation may arise, if the fluid suffers from contraction in cold weather and gradually the weather warms up sufficiently, to expand the internal parts and fluids. Then due to cold weather, a small transmission problem might occur. However, the problem may be too small to affect the vehicle. However, warm weather cannot be directly linked to transmission slipping.

The slightest of transmission problems can grow into a huge one, yielding further complications in your vehicle. So better get it repaired promptly and enjoy a trouble free drive all the time!!!