{"id":94193,"date":"2023-12-28T12:23:52","date_gmt":"2023-12-28T20:23:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=94193"},"modified":"2023-12-28T12:23:52","modified_gmt":"2023-12-28T20:23:52","slug":"slip-and-slide-with-a-faulty-automatic-the-basics-of-automatic-transmission-troubleshooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/slip-and-slide-with-a-faulty-automatic-the-basics-of-automatic-transmission-troubleshooting\/","title":{"rendered":"Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"jetpack-slideshow-noscript robots-nocontent\">This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p><div id=\"gallery-94193-1-slideshow\" class=\"jetpack-slideshow-window jetpack-slideshow jetpack-slideshow-black\" data-trans=\"fade\" data-autostart=\"1\" data-gallery=\"[{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/1-min-2-scaled-e1703795002199.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;94195&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Click Here to Begin Slideshow\\n\\nRight up front, this is a back-to-basics article.\\u00a0 Advanced readers can take note and if you chose, skip right on by! But if you\\u2019re having automatic transmission grief, this just might be a good place to begin:\\n\\nThe automatic transmission found in most of today\\u2019s vehicles (and that includes hot rods, race cars and tow trucks) is a complex device \\u0026#8212; in fact, much more complicated than a manual gearbox.\\u00a0 Essentially, all of the operations a driver handles in a vehicle with a manual transmission is handled by the transmission automatic application.\\u00a0 No matter what brand, automatic transmissions essentially have the same features: They include one or more sets of planetary gears, a fluid coupling or torque converter and a valve body, which has control valves to direct hydraulic fluid inside the transmission to operate different parts of the equipment.\\n\\nWhile most automatics function similarly, the various control systems used by the respective vehicle manufacturers tend to differ considerably.\\u00a0 An automatic transmission can be controlled hydraulically by throttle movements, by engine vacuum, speed sensitive governors or by some electrical device (or more and more often today, some form or electronic device).\\u00a0 Any or all of these types of controls can be included on any one manufacturer\\u2019s transmission\\n\\nWhen looking at transmissions, the biggest difference between an automatic transmission and a manual gearbox is the way in which they transfer the engine torque to the transmission.\\u00a0 Here\\u2019s the bare-bone basics:\\u00a0 A stick shift transmission uses a clutch to disconnect the engine from the transmission when shifting gears or when the car is stopped with the engine running and the transmission in gear.\\u00a0 Meanwhile, an automatic makes use of a fluid coupling (known as a torque converter).\\u00a0 Internally, the torque converter has finned wheels, which are similar to turbine blades. One of these \\u201cturbines\\u201d is attached to the engine and the other is attached to the transmission.\\u00a0 Both turbine wheels are sealed in a housing within the converter cover.\\u00a0 Automatic transmission fluid is pumped into the housing (through the rotating input shaft). When engine speed is low, the engine-driven turbine wheel simply cuts through the fluid without passing on much torque to the transmission.\\u00a0 As the rpm rises, the pressure of the fluid against the driven wheel increases until at normal engine speeds it becomes a near-solid physical connection between the engine and the transmission.\\u00a0 In the big picture, this creates the same effect as the clutch does in a manual transmission-equipped vehicle.\\n\\nAnother important component located inside the torque converter housing is a set of fixed blades called stators. They direct the fluid against the driven wheel in a manner where torque output of the engine is multiplied several times at low speeds. Obviously, this is a considerable boost when the time comes to get the weight of the car or a loaded truck rolling from a dead standstill.\\n\\nEngine power from the torque converter is transferred by way of a shaft to a clutch or drum assembly within the automatic transmission housing.\\u00a0 Think of the operation as similar to a clutch used on the front of a standard transmission.\\u00a0 The reason is, it engages and disengages using pressure and friction to operate parts of the transmission as it changes gears.\\u00a0 These gears are connected to the clutch or drum assembly and intermesh like the gears in a standard transmission to produce the final drive ratio of the transmission.\\u00a0 The entire operation of the clutch or drums and gears is controlled by hydraulic pressure, provided by a pump, which is an integral piece of the automatic transmission.\\n\\nAs you can well understand from the above, the physical repair of the automatic transmission or extensive internal troubleshooting is well beyond the scope of this article, but basic automatic transmission troubleshooting can be accomplished externally.\\u00a0 Here\\u2019s how:\\n\\nAutomatic Transmission Fluid\\u2026\\n\\nAutomatic transmissions are essentially based upon hydraulics. And because of that, the specialized fluid that runs through them is a form of hydraulic fluid.\\u00a0 It should be no surprise it can be checked by removing a dipstick just like that used to check engine oil level.\\u00a0 In all cases, the transmission fluid level must be checked with the engine running and the transmission shift selector in the park (\\u201cP\\u201d) position in order to obtain an accurate reading.\\u00a0 Before checking the fluid level, be sure the engine (and consequently, the transmission) has reached operating temperature.\\u00a0 The dipstick is clearly marked, just like the engine oil level dipstick.\\u00a0\\n\\nWhere the automatic differs from an engine is the point where fluid is added.\\u00a0 In an automatic, its poured directly into the dipstick tube, using a funnel featuring a long flexible tube on one end.\\u00a0 If you\\u2019re adding fluid, care must be taken. The marks on the dipstick are often quite closely spaced and it is not difficult to overfill the transmission. Too much fluid can damage the transmission as easily as too little fluid.\\u00a0 Typically, fresh automatic fluid is light in color and maybe red tinted, blue-tinted or otherwise.\\u00a0 But if there\\u2019s an internal transmission problem, the fluid color changes.\\u00a0 If it is dark brown and it smells burned, it\\u2019s a very good indication the transmission has been damaged.\\u00a0 It also means the transmission will need servicing (which can include changing the fluid, servicing internal filters, band adjustment and so on \\u2013 again, well beyond the scope of this article.).\\n\\nOverheating \\u0026#038; Leaks\\u2026\\n\\nFluid that\\u2019s low or smells burned can be an indication there is a leak somewhere in the system (low fluid level) or it may show that the transmission has been overheated.\\u00a0 Leaks are relatively easy to track, simply because the fluid is specific and the path it takes within the vehicle is often simple to trace.\\u00a0 But on the other hand, coolers are a slightly different story: Most experts will tell you it is impossible to over-cool an automatic transmission.\\u00a0 The vast majority of automatic transmissions have some form of cooler.\\u00a0 The most common in non-towing applications is simply located adjacent to the reservoir tank of the engine radiator.\\u00a0 Cars and light trucks equipped with heavy duty towing packages, or hot rods and race cars will often have an external cooler attached somewhere to the radiator or inline with the air stream that passes through the radiator. No matter what type, fluid from the transmission is circulated through the cooler by way of a pump within the transmission. As a result, the fluid is effectively air-cooled.\\u00a0 Leaks in the lines or a blockage of a cooler lines or the tubing inside the cooler can cause the transmission to overheat. Factor in heavy loads (trailer towing without a proper cooler or with a cooler that is malfunctioning) or continuous operation on very long; slow uphill grades can cause fluid to burn.\\n\\nOther Ailing Automatic Symptoms\\u2026\\n\\nSome symptoms of an ailing automatic transmission are actually rather similar to those of a clutch problems found in cars equipped with manual transmissions. One of the most common problems is transmission slipping, in which the effect is much like that of a slipping clutch.\\u00a0 Here, engine speed will be high in comparison to vehicle speed.\\u00a0 This is obviously an indication of major transmission problems.\\u00a0 Other signs of ailment include sticking in one gear or in drive, loss of transmission kick down capability (commonly called \\u201cpassing gear\\u201d), slipping in one gear but not another.\\u00a0 All of these symptoms can lead to major transmission problems, but believe it or not, each of them might be eliminated by a simple linkage adjustment.\\u00a0 While we can\\u2019t show this is done (because each setup is different) it\\u2019s good to know it could be causing the troubles in your automatic transmission. More on troubleshooting in the accompanying photos:\\n\\nClick Here to Begin Slideshow&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/2-min-1.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;94196&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Automatic transmission fluid level must be checked with the engine running and the transmission shift selector in the park (\\u201cP\\u201d) position. It\\u2019s the only way to obtain an accurate reading.  Prior to checking the fluid level, be sure the engine (and consequently, the transmission) has reached operating temperature.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/3-min-1.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;94197&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;You\\u2019ll note the dipstick and tube are marked so you don\\u2019t get them mixed up with the engine oil dipstick.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/4-min-1.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;94198&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;:  Believe it or not, you should test the oil \\u201csmell\\u201d.  Pull the dipstick and simply smell the fluid. If it smells burned, it almost always a sign of burned internal transmission friction components.  Burned oil will also be very dark (almost black) in color. Normal automatic transmission fluid is almost translucent.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/5-min-1.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;94199&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;:  If the automatic transmission fluid level is down, fill while using the proper funnel.  As you can see here, the funnel is a special affair complete with a small flexible extension on the lower end. It\\u2019s designed to fit directly into the dipstick tube.  Take caution when adding oil \\u2013 it\\u2019s easy to overfill an automatic transmission, and that can do more harm than good.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/6-min-scaled.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;94200&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Two different types of automatic transmission coolers are commonly found on passenger cars and light trucks.  One is integral with the radiator tanks. The other is external (as shown here). Many vehicles with trailer towing packages (or in the case of this hot rod) have large external transmission coolers. Examine them closely for leaks. We\\u2019ve also examined them and found coolers partially blocked by debris (which can effectively stop the cooling capability).&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/7-min.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;94201&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Cooler lines should be checked carefully for leaks.  The most common spot for a cooler line leak is the fitting.  If the leak has been present for some time, expect a good bit of dirt buildup.  You might have to pressure wash the area near the lines before proceeding with leak detection.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/8-min.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;94202&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;:  Shifter linkage adjustment is critical.  A shifter assembly that is improperly adjusted can cause any number of issues inside an automatic transmission.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/9-min-scaled.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;94203&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;:  A transmission can experience leaks at joints. While this initially appears to be a leak at the speedometer cable, it\\u2019s actually a leak at the tail shaft housing. The fix usually involves resealing the housing gasket.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/10-min-scaled.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;94194&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Slip and Slide with a Faulty Automatic: The Basics Of Automatic Transmission Troubleshooting&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;:  Shifter adjustments are often relatively simple, however each transmission and often each type of shifter mandates a different approach.  Look for the adjustment procedure in a factory manual before proceeding.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;}]\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Right up front, this is a back-to-basics article.\u00a0 Advanced readers can take note and if you chose, skip right on by! But if you\u2019re having automatic transmission grief, this just might be a good place to begin<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":94195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3697,5008,17,11,3470,4879,3698,5012],"tags":[1760,4008,281,41,461,1121,321],"class_list":["post-94193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-galleries","category-engine","category-guest-column","category-how-tos","category-news","category-slideshow","category-tech","category-transmission-clutch","tag-automatic-transmission","tag-guest-column","tag-how-to","tag-news","tag-tech-tips-2","tag-transmission","tag-wayne-scraba"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1-min-2-scaled-e1703795002199.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42YSK-ovf","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94193"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94204,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94193\/revisions\/94204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}