Does Your Subaru Need a Transmission Repair?

By conveying the engine’s power to the wheels, your transmission serves one of your car’s most important functions. In doing so, it also undergoes an enormous amount of pressure. Without proper care and maintenance, all that heat and pressure can wear a transmission down and lead to costly repair jobs. So watch out for the following warning signs that you should visit your local Subaru dealer for transmission repair.

Your Gears Are Struggling

Normally, Subaru transmissions allow for consistently smooth, quiet gear changes. If you hear or feel anything out of the ordinary while shifting gears, check that your transmission fluid isn’t low, and have a technician diagnose the problem before it worsens.  

The first indication of struggling gears might be a grinding or whining sound when you shift. The gears might also feel stiff and slow to change. Your engine might also start suddenly revving loudly when you try to change gears.

You Smell Something Burning

When the fluid is low and your gearbox is overheating, you might smell the fluid burning inside. You might also smell plastic burning as the wire casing of electrical components overheats. Any burning smell in your car shouldn’t be ignored as it might lead to an electrical fire.

Your Gears Shift All on Their Own

Various transmission problems can lead to slipping gears. This is where your gears suddenly shift all on their own or pop into neutral without warning.

This disconcerting problem might be caused by normal wear and tear or, more rarely, by a faulty set of gears. It might also be caused by a malfunctioning solenoid or torque converter.

Your Clutch Has Problems

If the clutch pedal feels either spongy or sticky when you press it, it’s best to have a technician take a look. When trying to engage or disengage a faulty clutch, you might also hear strange sounds. And sometimes, a faltering clutch will reduce your accelerative power.

One common cause of clutch issues is a driver’s habit of “riding the clutch,” which means accidentally putting slight pressure on the clutch pedal even when you don’t intend to change gears. This partially disengages the clutch and causes overheating.

Your Transmission Fluid Is Leaking

Transmissions need a healthy level of fresh-enough fluid to lubricate the gearbox properly, keep everything from overheating, and clean away debris and bits of metal from the gears. As transmission fluid ages, it gradually reduces in volume and loses the ability to serve its purpose.

Any kind of leak will cause rapid damage. If you detect transmission trouble, check for a reddish fluid leaking under your car. To avoid catastrophic failure, you’ll need to have the fluid leak fixed before you continue using your car.

Have Fluid Flushed Frequently at Your Local Subaru Dealer

Most transmission fluid-related problems can be safely averted by having it periodically flushed at your local dealership. If you drive an automatic shift, you only need to flush transmission fluid once every 60,000 miles. Manual transmissions will need to be flushed twice as often: every 30,000 miles or so.

Visit Puente Hills Subaru today to have your transmission flushed or repaired. We provide great cars and great service for all the region’s Subaru drivers.

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