why is your check engine light on?

Most people have driven in a car with bad brakes a few times in their lives. And you may have experienced what it feels like when you get a flat tire. But since transmission problems are less common and usually occur only in older vehicles, drivers tend to be less familiar with how they feel. Thus, transmission problems can go overlooked and unaddressed until they're really bad and quite costly to repair. Don't let that happen to your vehicle. Here are a few car behaviors that suggest an issue with your transmission.

Rough Shifting

Does your car seem to hesitate or even shudder back and forth a little when shifting into a higher or lower gear? Maybe it even makes a bumping noise during the shifting. (This can happen in an automatic or manual vehicle.) Sometimes you might notice this symptom only when the car shifts into certain gears, such as the highest gear that you primarily use when driving down the freeway.

Slow Engagement Into Drive

This symptom occurs when you first pull out of your driveway or a parking space. You shift the car into drive, push on the gas pedal, and then there's a hesitation. The car feels like it's reaching to engage before it finally inches forward. What you're feeling is actually slow engagement of the gears after the car has been in park.

Drops of Liquid

There can be any number of explanations for drops of fluid under a car after it is parked. They might just be from condensation building up on the air conditioner, but they could also be from a transmission leak. Transmission fluid is pink. Dip a piece of white paper into the fluid if you cannot tell what color it is on the ground.

Slipping Into Different Gears

You're driving along at a comfortable 55 miles an hour. You apply the gas just a tiny bit more, but instead of moving forward, you feel your car down-shift. What has actually happened is the transmission has allowed the car to slip into a lower gear. You might hear a slight squeal as this happens, or it may occur silently.

If your car experiences any of these behaviors, there is probably something amiss with the transmission. If caught early, transmission problems can often be repaired without the need for replacing the entire system. Contact an auto transmission service company near you to make an appointment.