Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

Do I Have a Blown Transmission?

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What does the transmission do on your car?

The transmission has a very important job – it ensures there is enough power moving to the wheels to drive at the speeds you desire. The transmission is your car’s gear shifter, moving energy as you navigate your daily drive.

The best way to understand it is to think about your ten-speed bicycle. When you power up, add speed, or start climbing a hill, you shift to different gears. The chain moves from gear to gear, giving you the power to accomplish every need and desire.

The same applies to your vehicle. Different gear ratios allow you to do different things while driving your car. Want to go faster? Want to climb into the Rocky Mountains? Want to slow down for the changing stoplight? The gear ratios help control speed and RPMs for a smoother ride.

A manual transmission

There are two kinds of transmission systems: manual and automatic. With a manual transmission, you take charge of the gear changing process. Using a third foot pedal, the clutch pedal, you manually disengage the transmission from the flywheel and change gears. It works similarly to the bicycle chain process, without the chain. It temporarily disconnects the engine and the transmission, adjusts by moving the gear shift, and reengaging into the new gear you desire. Release the clutch pedal and drive.

An automatic transmissionDo I Have a Blown Transmission?

An automatic transmission automates the gear shifting process. Instead of having to push in a clutch pedal and manually moving the gear shift to the appropriate gear, the automatic transmission does everything for you through a combination of fluid pressure and electronics. You put the car in drive and go; the automatic transmission ensures you are in the right gear.

Next to the engine, your transmission is one of the most complicated systems within your vehicle. Keeping it in good working condition is a must. Even one small problem can wreak havoc on your vehicle and turn into a very expensive repair.

How do you know if you blow a transmission?

Like all the major systems used to create your vehicle, your transmission will give you clues it’s not operating the way it should. The sooner you act, the greater the chance of lower repair bills.

Are there ways you can tell if you have a blown transmission?

The dashboard lights up with a transmission error – today’s vehicles are sensitive enough to notice basic problems. Don’t ignore warning lights as they may cost you a lot more when you finally drive it into the shop.

Your car won’t move in drive or reverse – you might have trouble moving the gear shift at all, it simply won’t move into drive or reverse. In some cases, you have the ability to move the gear shift, but your car won’t operate. No matter what you do, it just sits there.

You’ll notice vibrations or sounds as you’re driving – pay attention to what you feel and hear. You might notice strange vibrations while you drive, or hear a grinding or whining noise especially while your car is attempting to change gears.

The gears can slip – it creates a definite clunking noise. When you try and speed up, your car won’t accelerate because it can’t shift into the right gear. There might be a hesitation as it tries to react. You might even notice a sudden surge as it clicks and connects with the new gear. As you can imagine, both of these are of concern for safe driving; you should bring your car in for an inspection as quickly as you can.

Extreme heat – if you drive a rear wheel drive car, the transmission transfers energy from front to back to give the rear wheels their necessary power. If the transmission starts to overheat, you’ll feel it in the passenger compartment. It might impact the temperature gauge on your dashboard as well. Because the transmission fluid continues to heat up, you might notice a burning odor, some say it resembles burnt toast. If your transmission is overheating, it still might be a simple repair. The key is getting it into a mechanic to be checked immediately.

Some cars have poor design – not every make or model is built the same. If you do a search on Google, you’ll often find one make or model that stands out from the rest. Maybe they decided to use cheaper parts, or they simply didn’t pay attention to quality assurance during a certain production cycle. Whatever the case, if you chose to buy during that year, you’ll pay the price by having to repair or replace more frequently.

Poor maintenance – it doesn’t matter how poorly or how well a make or model is built if you don’t take care of it from the moment you drive it home. Your car needs regular maintenance to ensure it stays in good working condition. That means adding fluids when it’s necessary. It means having a mechanic check out how well your car is operating and making the necessary changes as needed. It means upgrading parts for normal wear and tear – from oil changes to adding new belts.

What about transmission fluid?

While your transmission fluid doesn’t need to be changed out regularly like motor oil, it is important to pay attention to it. Start by checking your owner’s manual; how often does it say it should be changed? Some manufacturers may suggest every 30,000 miles or so while others push it back to 100,000 miles or more. In most cases, you’ll need to follow guidelines to ensure your warranty remains valid.

You can check to ensure you have enough transmission fluid and that it’s still in good condition. It’s similar to checking your motor oil, but each vehicle has its own recommendations for how to check it. How you drive determines frequency too. Someone who drives up and down the mountain each day will have different needs than someone who drives urban conditions just a few miles.

Are there different kinds of transmission fluid?

Each make and model has its own requirements; it’s important to check your owner’s manual for guidance and to ensure best performance. Don’t forget that the wrong fluid can void your warranty.

If you have any questions about how your vehicle operates, or if you think you might have a blown transmission, give us a call today.

Answers About Transmission Service

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Question:  My friend just had a very expensive transmission repair, how can drivers like myself avoid transmission trouble?

Express Car Care Answer:  Next to your engine, your transmission is the most important component in your vehicle – so you and your fellow drivers want to do all you can to avoid transmission repairs.

Drivers may have noticed a recent trend of engines becoming more and more powerful.  At the same time, fuel economy has been improving in nearly every motor vehicle.  More power and better economy have always been a high priority.  Some of the improvement in fuel economy has been due to engine design, but more of the increases can be credited to advances in transmission technology.

Every engine has a sweet spot in which it most efficiently makes power.  This is often referred to by technicians as the power band – the optimal engine speed ( measured in revolutions per minute, or RPM).  The computers that control what gear your automatic transmission is in also try to keep it in the right gear in order to maintain optimal engine speed – whatever your driving conditions.  Modern automatic transmissions have anywhere between four and ten speeds.  The more “speeds” your transmission has, the more time your engine can operate at peak efficiency.  Needless to say, transmissions have become more sophisticated.

Transmissions are cooled and lubricated by transmission fluid.  This pressurized fluid is directed through small passages to effect gear changes.  When transmission fluid gets old and contaminated, the small passages can become plugged, which adversely affects shifting.  The dirty fluid circulating in the transmission can eat away at gaskets and seals, causing internal leaks that also hurt shifting.  This is why it is recommended that transmissions be serviced from time to time.  The interval varies by vehicle, so check your owner’s manual or speak with your friendly and knowledgeable Express Car Care service adviser about your transmission service recommendations.

Old, contaminated fluid is removed and new fluid is installed.  Keeping up with the manufacturer’s recommended service schedule helps prevent internal damage that may result in a transmission rebuild.  Let us help you extend the life of your vehicle and prevent repairs with recommended preventative maintenance service.

Understanding the Automatic Transmission

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In order to drive a car, you need a transmission. And while cars come either with a manual or an automatic transmission, in today’s world (at least here in America), you’re far more likely to buy an automatic transmission than a manual.

What’s the difference? In simplest terms, with a manual, you control the movement of the gears. You shift from first to second to third and so on based on your needs and desires.

An automatic transmission handles everything for you.

In reality, it’s a little more complicated than that.

Why a vehicle needs a transmission

In order to understand why a vehicle needs a transmission, it’s important to discuss how a car engine works first. The engine is designed to create power. To move the car, the power generated by the engine must be transferred to the wheels. That’s what a drivetrain does, of which the transmission is a part of.

An engine only spins at a certain level of speed. If it spins too low, you won’t be able to get the car moving. Too quickly and the engine could self-destruct.Understanding the Automatic Transmission

That’s why you need something to further the control of the power produced within the engine. That’s the transmission’s job.

The transmission makes sure your engine spins at the optimal rate while sending power to your wheels at the right amount to move your car. It sits between the engine and powertrain, and operates as a control box for moving your car.

With a manual transmission, you accomplish this by moving the gears yourself into place. You connect different sized gears with one another depending on how fast you want to go, and how fast the engine needs to perform. You control the engagement of the gears by pressing in the clutch and shifting the gears into place.

With an automatic transmission, this process is done for you. Through engineering, the gears are engaged at the appropriate time to make your car go no matter what speed you desire.

The parts of an automatic transmission

In order to fully understand the automatic transmission, you’ll have to start with the casing. It resembles a bell, which is why you’ll sometimes hear it referred to as a bell casing. It’s typically made of aluminum, and is designed to protect all of the moving parts of the transmission.

Torque converter

When you start your car, it doesn’t suddenly take off in a forward or backward lurch. That’s because of the torque converter. The power from the engine to the transmission remains disconnected until you tell it to engage. With a manual, you engage the clutch and put it into gear. With an automatic, you use a torque converter. With hydraulic fluid, it varies the vehicle’s ability to go and stop by producing the exact amount of power necessary to accomplish the goal. It spins independently from the transmission and engages as needed. If you ever feel erratic behavior while driving at different speeds, it’s a torque converter malfunction.

Planetary gears

As your vehicle picks up speed, it needs additional gears to move to in order to accomplish its goal. With a manual transmission, the gear shift changes the gear ratios. With an automatic transmission, it uses a planetary gear designed to do the process for you. In includes:

  • A sun gear – it sits in the center of the gear set
  • Planet gears – three or four smaller gears that surround the sun gear. They are mounted to their own shaft and are designed to orbit the sun gear
  • Ring gear – this is the outer gear and contains teeth to mesh with each of the planetary gears

A planetary gear set can contain a reverse drive and up to five levels of forward drive.

Pump

A pump is located between the torque converter and planetary gear set. It’s what draws transmission fluid in and creates pressure for the torque converter and transmission. Automatic transmissions rely heavily on this fluid for the process to work. Think of it as the heart of the transmission system.

Bands and clutches

Bands and clutches are used to help the gears rotate, engage, or disengage. They are made from metal lined with organic friction material, used to hold the rings and gears stationary or tight, depending on what is called for.

Sensors

With today’s modern technology, more of this process is computerized than ever before. Sensors control the different functions in the transmission to help control the speed of the engine and wheels in order to decide what gear to use.

Valve body

The valve body is the control center of the transmission system. It’s the part that regulates incoming transmission fluid and uses it to run the valves and pistons. It determines what gear ratio by sending fluid in the proper quantities to the appropriate places within the transmission.

Transmission fluid

Transmission fluid is crucial to the overall process. It has both lubricating and cooling properties so that your transmission stays in good working condition and won’t overheat. It’s made from a variety of synthetic liquids and oils, and includes things like detergents, rust preventatives, and lubricants necessary to keep your automatic transmission working the way it should.

How the automatic transmission works

That’s a lot of working parts to ensure your automatic transmission works the way it should. It takes a special combination of mechanical, electrical engineering to give you a car safe enough to drive in all kinds of conditions.

In an easy-to-understand way, the automatic transmission works like this.

The engine starts and sends power to the torque converter, and into the pump.

The pump engages and begins sending transmission fluid into the system. A vortex of power is created inside the torque converter.

This engages the central shaft within the transmission, starts the spinning of the shaft and turbine, sending power to the first gear in the planetary gear set.

Depending on which part of the gear system is engaged, it will allow the gear to move or remain stationary. It sets the gear ratio and powers the transmission into action.

That, in a nutshell, is how the automatic transmission system works. Knowing how it works gives you a better understanding of how your vehicle works. And that makes you better at watching for things to go wrong, as well as a better understanding of the work that needs to be done when you bring your car in for service.

Our goal isn’t just to repair your car. We want to ensure you understand the mechanics of how your vehicle works too. It will make you a better driver, and a better owner.

How can we help you maintain your car?

Signs Your Car Needs A New Transmission

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Every day as you drive, dozens of parts come together to ensure your car gets you where you’re going. When everything is working, it’s a smooth ride, one you can depend on.

But over time, things change. You notice bumps in the road. You hear squeaks and squeals. You may even see things slowly starting to fail.

Your car doesn’t fall apart overnight. It never fails without warning signs. If you watch and listen carefully, you’ll notice when things start to break.Signs Your Car Needs A New Transmission

Are there signs your car needs a new transmission? Can you tell before your car fails?

In most cases, the answer is yes. Your car gives off warning signs, and the sooner you bring it into a qualified transmission specialist, the higher your chance of catching it early and lowering the overall costs of the repair.

The key is in not ignoring the warning signs. They are there for a reason. Catch it early, and you might only have a small repair. Wait, and the costs can build as time goes by.

Warning signs your car needs a new transmission include:

Problems shifting gears

It doesn’t matter if your car is manual or automatic, it still shifts into several gears as it takes you from resting up to speed, and back down again. Every time it shifts, it should be a smooth transition. When you start noticing changes, a roughness in the process, that’s a sign your transmission might be in need of repair.

Pay attention to the process. Do you notice:

  • Hesitation as you try and put the car into gear
  • Jerking action as the car shifts between gears
  • A sudden shift in gears for no reason
  • Trouble with reverse
  • Falling out of gear while you’re driving

All of these can be signs your car needs a new transmission. It’s time to bring your vehicle in for servicing right away.

Grinding between gears

With a manual transmission, you can feel when there’s a problem with the gears. As you press down on the clutch, and try to shift from one gear to the next, you hear a grinding sound. The process is anything but smooth. It’s difficult to move from gear to gear.

But it’s not just manual transmissions that have problems. Instead of a grinding noise, automatic transmissions may start to shake or shimmy between shifts as it starts to fail.

It may be the clutch failing. It might be a simple repair. But the longer you ignore it, the more it persists, the more problems you’ll face when you do bring it in for repair.

Whining noises

Have you ever stood next to a vehicle that has a whining, buzzing, or clicking sound while standing in neutral? That can be a sign of transmission failure.

As parts fail, they impact the transmission in different ways. Transmissions are made up of lots of parts: pumps, clutches, bands, sensors, valves, even transmission fluid to keep everything running smoothly. Every part has a purpose. And if one part starts to fail, it can cause a host of other problems.

That’s when noises start to occur. Let’s say your transmission fluid is low. That can cause a ripple effect throughout the vehicle, making bands weaken, clutches tighten up, gears not able to work properly. If you correct the problem quickly, you stop the action from deteriorating the parts any further. The longer you wait, the more damage occurs. When you hear a new noise and it persists, it’s time to quickly find out the root cause.

Cloudy transmission fluid

When transmission fluid is brand new, it has a bright red color and a distinctive sweet smell. If you’ve never seen it before, ask your mechanic about it the next time you visit. Over time, transmission fluid goes through a lot as it keeps the action in your transmission operating as it should.

When you start to see changes in looks, it could be the transmission fluid. If you look at it and it appears dark, or has a milky, cloudy look, it’s a sign the transmission fluid can no longer do what it’s supposed to do.

Burning odor

Not only does transmission fluid change color over time, but it also creates a distinctive smell. When the gears overheat because of excessive friction, it starts to produce a burning smell. You’ll notice it when you turn your car off and open the door. If the transmission has reached this point, it’s time to bring it in for repair, and it’s probably time for a new transmission.

Leaking transmission fluid

As your transmission continues to fail, it starts to develop leaks. Whether you park it regularly in a garage, your driveway, or in a parking spot at work, pay attention to what’s left behind when you drive away. Do you see the red fluid leaving spots? It doesn’t matter if it looks red and clean, or has already taken on a cloudy appearance, a leak isn’t something you should tolerate. Instead, a leak is a sign of a very big problem.

It doesn’t mean your transmission is going bad, but there is a problem with the flow of transmission fluid. The quicker you get it in, the faster you repair the problem, the greater chance you have of saving your transmission.

That can mean the difference between a small repair and adding new transmission fluid, or a costly investment in a new transmission.

Have questions about your transmission? Is your car showing warning signs it might be in need of repair? Schedule an appointment today, and we’ll get to the root cause, and get you on your way.

Question on Your Transmission

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Express Car Care Tech Question:
My name is Suzanne.  We were taking a camping trip at our favorite state park over a three day weekend.  About halfway to our campsite, the transmission went out on our vehicle.  It took all weekend to get it towed out and to get back home.  What can I do to prevent transmission problems in the future?

Express Car Care Answer:  Transmission repairs can be expensive at auto service centers.  On top of that, Suzanne was in the back country, her vacation weekend turned into three days of car repairs.

First of all, vehicle transmissions are tough and durable.  All that needs to be done to maintain them is to replace the transmission fluid on schedule.  The fluid gets contaminated with bits of clutch plates and metal.  Dirty transmission fluid under pressure acts like liquid sandpaper, eating away at important gaskets and seals.  Then your transmission doesn’t shift as well.  It can start to leak and overheat, and then you could end up in a situation like Suzanne.

Another thing to consider:  if you carry heavy loads, or are towing a trailer on the highway or up mountain passes, your transmission is working much harder and running hotter than under normal conditions.  Your transmission fluid may need to be changed sooner.  Check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for your severe service schedule or talk with your helpful and knowledgeable pros about when you should have your transmission serviced.  If you’re planning a trip that you know you will be doing some towing or other severe driving, make sure to have your transmission fluid checked before you head out.  It’s always better to be safe, rather than sorry.

Viva la Differential

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Viva la DifferentialWith front-wheel drive being so common these days, the differential is also being taken care of during a transmission service at Express Car Care, so most Denver drivers don’t even have to think about it.  And most rear-wheel drive differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable why it’s not something on the top of drivers minds.  Because of this, it’s not uncommon for people not to know they have a differential, let alone know that it needs service.

To understand better what a differential does, think about a high school track.  There are lanes marked on the track.  For the long distance races, the starting lines are staggered.  The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes.  That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes.  Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts, and those parts need protection.  The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool.  The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down.  Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time.  So follow recommended intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your helpful and knowledgeable pro at Express Car Care will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears.  He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Four wheel drive vehicles need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at different intervals.  Your service adviser can look up the recommended service interval or you can check your owner’s manual.

 

Transmission Service

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Transmission ServiceAutomatic Transmissions have gotten more sophisticated in recent years for car owners.  Take the number of gears for starters:  The base is four speeds, five is very common.  Many manufacturers are using six speeds and several have seven or even eight speeds.  As you can imagine, this means more parts in your vehicle’s transmission.

Today’s transmissions are computer controlled.  Some high end transmissions have two or three computers.  Car owners are trusting that transmissions are engineered to last, but motorists need to understand that they are also engineered to tighter tolerances.  If a portion of the transmission is starved for lubrication, it can lead to failure.

This can happen if there isn’t enough fluid and also if the transmission fluid gets dirty or sludgy.  Small passages in the transmission can get clogged, then the lubricant is blocked and can’t get to all the parts to protect them, so they wear out prematurely.

Most newer vehicles require special transmission fluids and at Express Car Care we can make sure you get the type of fluid your manufacturer recommends.

As you can imagine, repairing one of these new transmissions can be quite costly at most auto repair shops.  That’s why manufacturers have a transmission service schedule for how often drivers should change the fluid and what type of fluid to use.  Come in and see us and let us help you with this or any other of your car’s service needs.

Transmission Service: Smooth Shifting in Denver

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Transmission Service: Smooth Shifting in DenverLet’s suppose you’re going to take some friends out on the boat for some water skiing on a beautiful lake for your last summer fling.  Of course, you get the boat ready, but what about your tow vehicle?

Think about it… heavy Denver traffic, hilly Colorado terrain.  Maybe some dirt roads-and it could be pretty hot.  And all the time you’ll be towing several thousand extra pounds around the Denver and surrounding areas.  That all adds up to a lot of severe strain on your transmission.  It’s going to be working overtime, spending more time in lower gears.  The internal transmission temperature is going to be much higher than normal.

Denver drivers need to make sure they have enough transmission fluid.  If it runs low, the transmission will run hotter and won’t have the protection it needs to cope with the added stress of towing.  Transmission fluid breaks down and gets dirty over time.  Whether your truck has an automatic or manual transmission, you need to have it serviced on schedule at Express Car Care to make sure it runs efficiently.

If you neglect your truck transmission too long, it can fail.  You really don’t want to pay for a major transmission repair even with the reasonable rates at Express Car Care.

Before you leave your home and head to the lake, bring your vehicle into Express Car Care for a trip inspection.  Your Express Car Care service technician will check your fluids, belts and hoses and let you know if your brakes are in good shape.   Don’t take a chance on spoiling an awesome vacation with a vehicle breakdown.

Simple Answers from Express Car Care: Differential Service

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Differential ServiceQuestion:  What is a differential and why do Denver auto owners need to have it serviced?

Express Car Care Answer:

First of all – your vehicle has a differential.  If it’s a rear wheel drive, your differential is on the back.  If it’s a front wheel drive, your differential is built into your transaxle (transmission).  Denver auto owners with all wheel drive or four wheel drives will have differentials in the front and rear and maybe in between.

When you are steering through a turn at an intersection in town, the wheels on the outside of the truck or car have to spin faster than the inside wheels because they have to travel a slightly longer distance through the curve.  The differential compensates for these speed differences between the wheels.

Because it is part of the vital equipment that transfers engine power to the wheels, the differential is working pretty hard.  Differential fluid – an especially heavy-duty oil – cools, lubricates and protects the differential.  It needs to be replaced on a schedule to remove metal shavings and other contaminants.  Note:  If you have a front wheel drive vehicle, replacing your transmission fluid takes care of your differential service needs.

Differentials have become increasingly sophisticated for Denver auto owners.  Rather than the simple mechanical devices of “the good old days”, they are more complicated and may actually be part of the key computer controlled stability system.  This means they are more costly, so it pays for drivers to have them serviced on schedule at Express Car Care in Denver to avoid premature wear.  Talk to your helpful Express Car Care technician.  At Express Care, we provide quality automotice service including air condition service, transmission service and tire rotation.

We install quality NAPA replacements parts.  To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com

Power Steering Flush

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Have you ever had a dream where you’re racing down the highway with the wind in your face and then all of a sudden it becomes a nightmare, and you lose your ability to steer your car?  I have, and I decided at that moment, I never wanted to have that experience in my real life!

The power steering system is one of the most critical parts of your vehicle.  Rack and pinion steering is the most common type of steering found in cars and minivans, but you can also find it on some SUVs and trucks.  To put it simply, rack and pinions are a pair of gears that work together to steer the vehicle.  In order to operate smoothly, the gears need hydraulic fluid, which is also called power steering fluid, to transmit power to your vehicles power steering system.  If the power steering fluid is dirty and isn’t flushed, there is an increased risk of damage to the entire power steering system.  A power steering flush is simply draining out your car’s old power steering fluid and replacing it with fresh fluid.  The function of the fluid is to transmit hydraulic pressure so you can steer your car easily in every driving situation no matter the temperature, from frigid cold to scorching heat.  Power steering fluid also lubricates the pump, controls the valves, and ensures a quiet operating system.

Over a period of time, the internal power steering components, as well as the seals and O-rings are subjected to wear and tear and they will begin to wear out.  When this happens the power steering fluid gets contaminated with broken down debris.  This forces the power steering pump to work harder.  Now the power steering pump has to pump the debris as well as the fluid and it eventually breaks down.  We have noticed that the 1996-1999 Toyota 4-Runners and Toyota Tacomas seem to be more prone to leaks if their systems aren’t flushed routinely.  If you own one of these vehicles you might want to have the power steering fluid checked to make sure you don’t need a power steering flush.  The fluid should appear either an amber or pink in color when it is fresh.  It is time for a change when the color appears significantly darker than when it was fresh.  Check your owner’s manual for specific recommendations for your particular vehicle.  If they aren’t available, a good rule of thumb is to change the power steering fluid as often as you change your engine coolant {anti-freeze}.  Since the fluid is the least expensive part of your power steering system and flushing it can help prolong the life of the more expensive parts of the system, a power steering flush is something that should be seriously considered.

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care.  Call (303) 691-2760 or stop by our shop today.

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