The transmission in your automobile is second only to the engine in terms of overall importance. Yet few people recognize the necessity of keeping the transmission in good health. Unfortunately, this tendency causes many people to overlook the signs that something isn't working right. If you would like to learn more about recognizing when your car is in need of transmission repair, read on. This article will discuss three symptoms to be aware of.

Trouble Getting Into Gear

Sluggishness, hesitation, and difficulty putting your car into gear is one of the most frequently encountered signs of a transmission issue. Such problems are common regardless of whether you drive a manual or an automatic car. Of course, the way they manifest may be slightly different in each case. For instance, those who drive automatic cars often notice a slight delay between when they put the car in gear and when the car actually engages and moves forward.

Those with manual transmission may encounter the exact same problem. They are also more likely to find that this problem is accompanied by a surging engine that may even continue once the transmission has switched into gear. The sound of a surging engine is fairly easy to recognize, thanks to the fact that it makes it sound as though the car is moving many times faster than it actually is.

Slipping Out Of Gear

A noticeable difficulty in getting your car into gear is often accompanied by the issue of a transmission that seems to pop back out of gear at will. This should be a red flag that something is not right with your transmission. As you likely already know, a healthy transmission will stay in gear unless told otherwise by you or your car's computer. The tendency to slip out of gear is indicative of a worn gear linkage and should be inspected as soon as possible by a transmission repair person.

Fluid Leaks

Leaking transmission fluid is the sign of a serious problem. Yet the problems that it can lead to are worse still. That's because, should all of its fluid leak out, your transmission will seize up completely. This terrible problem generally requires that either a new transmission be installed or the car be scrapped.

Fortunately, it is easy to tell when you are leaking transmission fluid, thanks to the fact that it will appear bright red and have a strong sweet odor. Be aware, however, that color is not always a reliable way to identify transmission fluid. Excessively old fluid may have a brown or black appearance. If you suspect that fluid may be leaking from your transmission, be sure to have it checked out as soon as you can. 

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