How Long Does a Transmission Repair Take?

How Long Does a Transmission Repair Take?

Are you having problems with your car’s transmission? As Marysville, OH’s premier Honda dealer, Honda Marysville knows transmissions! Here’s what you need to know about transmission repair.

Transmission Basics: What to Know Before Your Transmission Repair

Power to the Wheels

Your car’s transmission is what links the engine to the drive shaft. It’s responsible for transferring power from the engine to the wheels. Car engines produce power by driving a crankshaft with pistons. Your car’s dashboard typically contains a tachometer, which shows how fast the crankshaft is turning in revolutions per minute (RPM). The engine operates between a minimum RPM that keeps it from stalling and a maximum RPM.

Gears and Speed

The transmission makes this possible. It contains several gears of different sizes that connect to a gear on the engine’s crankshaft. In low gears, the transmission spins the wheels slower than the crankshaft, while in high gears it spins the wheels as fast or faster than the crankshaft.

Signs of a Troubled Transmission

How can you tell if your transmission needs service? Look for the following signs.

Burning Smell

If you smell something burning while driving around, it’s time to ask your mechanic at Honda Marysville to take a look at your transmission. The gears might be grinding and overheating.

Leaking Fluid

If you spot some red fluid leaking from your car, it’s probably coming from the transmission. You may need to replace a gasket or otherwise seal the transmission.

Slipping Gears

If you’re driving along and the car suddenly changes gears for no reason, that’s called gear slipping and is a sure-fire sign your transmission needs service. Gear slipping is often accompanied by a jerking sensation and a spike or crash on the RPMs shown on the tachometer.

Weird Sounds

Clunking or whining sounds when you shift gears also point to transmission issues. Metal meeting metal makes sounds like these, and hearing them could mean you don’t have enough transmission fluid to lubricate between the gears.

Types of Transmission Service at Honda Marysville of Marysville, OH

There are a few different processes that repairing your transmission might require.

Fluid Replacement

The simplest repair is flushing the transmission fluid from the system and adding new fluid.

Sealing

For leaking transmissions, your mechanic can replace the gaskets sealing in the fluid and patch any holes.

Recalibration

Modern automatic transmissions are computer-controlled. Some problems can be fixed by adjustments to the software controlling them.

Shift Solenoid Replacement

Shift solenoids control the flow of fluid through the transmission. If one or more of these have failed, your mechanic can replace them.

Full Rebuild

If the gears or other major parts are damaged, your transmission may require a full rebuild. That means taking it apart and replacing internal components like gears.

How Long Should It Take at Your Honda Dealer?

Most repairs are fairly quick. Flushing the fluid, sealing, and recalibration can be done within a day. Replacing the shift solenoids takes a day or two. A full rebuild, however, is very time and labor-intensive and will typically take three to four days.

Having your car’s transmission in good shape is critical to keeping your car running smoothly and safely. If you see any signs of trouble, bring your car to Honda Marysville for service. If you catch the problem early, it might be solved in a day, possibly saving you a 3-4 day full rebuild.