Does Your Toyota in Baltimore, MD, Need a Transmission Repair?

With proper care and maintenance, you can expect the transmission of your Toyota to last a good 300,000 miles. But if a transmission is completely neglected, it might fail in as little as 100,000 miles, and this is an expensive car part to replace. Alongside regular servicing, drivers also need to respond to signs of transmission trouble promptly. Let’s take a look at a few indicators that you should visit your local Toyota dealer for transmission repair.

Low Transmission Fluid

Transmission fluid really is the lifeblood of your gearbox. As your gearbox transmits the power of the engine to your wheels, an enormous amount of friction and heat is generated. Both friction and heat are reduced by the lubricating, heat-dispersing qualities of high-quality transmission fluid. One reason the impressive power of a Toyota Land Cruiser’s V-8 engine, for example, doesn’t generate too much noise is that the fluid is doing its job.

Over time, all that heat and friction naturally wear the fluid down. This is why it’s so important to have your transmission serviced periodically or to check transmission fluid levels yourself. If you ever find your fluid significantly diminished, don’t hesitate to have it topped up or changed. It would help if you generally had your fluid changed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles for manual transmissions and every 60,000 to 100,000 miles for automatic vehicles.

When Transmission Fluid Leaks

One possible cause of inexplicably low levels of transmission fluid is a leak. Sometimes debris from the roads can crack or break transmission fluid lines under your car. Leaks can also originate from a damaged axle seal or torque pump. So if your fluid levels are surprisingly low, check under your car for puddles of pink, red, or brown liquid. Any leaks you find will need to be fixed by a technician right away.

Discolored Fluid

While checking your fluid, if you notice that it’s dark brown in color and showing signs of thickening, then your fluid is too old to lubricate properly and needs to be replaced. New transmission fluid is light pink in hue and fades to red and then brown as it ages.

Grinding Sounds From Beneath

As transmission fluid ages, fills with debris from the gears, and lubricates less effectively, friction from the gears will start to generate grinding noises. Never ignore strained grinding sounds from below. They’re often a sign that you need new fluid before any real damage is done.

Slipping Gears

Ineffective fluid not only reduces lubrication but also reduces hydraulic pressure. The result can be slipping gears, which you’ll experience as higher RPMs and reduced acceleration. Various other problems in your gearbox can also cause gears to slip, such as rounded-out gears, torque converter faults, or solenoid trouble.

How a Toyota Dealer Will Inspect Your Transmission

After checking and refreshing your transmission fluid, a technician will run an engine diagnostic, which reveals any computerized detection of transmission faults. They’ll then test drive your car, running your transmission through various tasks. If need be, they’ll carry out a full transmission rebuild, which involves taking apart your transmission to examine everything and replacing any faulty parts.

Have your transmission inspected today by experienced professionals at DARCARS Toyota of Baltimore! With over 40 years of experience helping Toyota drivers, we pride ourselves on providing a consistently outstanding service, whatever your needs may be. Please get in contact with us today if you have any questions! We look forward to serving you.

Tags: Auto Repair in Baltimore MD, Toyota Auto Parts, Toyota Auto Repair, Toyota Service
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