One day you get into your car, start the engine and move the gear shift from (P) Park to (D) Drive and………nothing happens! The engine speed does not drop off, but there is no movement forward at all.
“Oh No! My Transmission is gone!”
But wait! There are a few simple checks that can be made and symptoms you can evaluate to see whether the Transmission is dead or (fingers crossed), you may be able to get away with a simple service.
- Try:
- Putting the car in gear and the car won’t move in any range, forward or backward.
- Look at:
- Check the Transmission Fluid level. It could be that low. If the fluid level is OK and it still won’t move in any range, you are probably looking at major transmission repairs. But there’s always a possibility that the linkage has become disconnected.
- Try:
- Put the car into (R) Reverse. If the car moves fine in reverse, but not forward:
- Look at:
- Try putting the shifter in manual low. If it moves forward now, you probably have a bad one-way clutch in the transmission. That means the transmission has to come apart- that is the bad news. The good news is you may be able to drive the car to the shop by shifting it manually, from manual low, to second and then into drive or overdrive. That’s because the one-way clutch usually only affects transmission operation in first gear, and only when the shifter is in drive. Once you get past first, the rest of the transmission will work OK.
If at this point, the car is dead, you will be looking at some expenses to get the car back into operation.
Suggestions:
- Have a good Road-Side Service Plan. I recommend AAA Plus Program.
- If you do not have a reliable service technician, ask around or go on-line to check for reviews and recommendations.
- Always get a bid from the technician before they complete any work on the car. You should only pay for work YOU have approved beforehand
