3 Transmission Sounds That Mean Trouble
As a car owner, there’s almost nothing more stressful than a mysterious noise coming from under the hood of your vehicle. While there can be many causes of strange vehicle noises, many of these mystery sounds come from your vehicle’s transmission. Noises coming from the transmission of your vehicle almost always indicate a serious problem that deserves immediate attention from an experienced mechanic.
To make sure that your vehicle is receiving the maintenance it needs, it’s important to learn about some common noises you could hear coming from your transmission and what they might mean.
Whining
When you’re operating your vehicle, you may notice a whining sound coming from your transmission. The difficulty when a whining noise comes from your transmission is that there are a variety of potential causes, making it difficult to pin down the issues without help from a dealership maintenance professional. However, there are a few things that you can check after noticing a whining noise.
If you the whining noise coming from your transmission gets worse when your vehicle is in reverse, this usually means that the transmission fluid line is clogged. A clogged transmission line is often symptomatic of much more severe transmission issue, which means you should take your vehicle to the service and parts department at your dealership as soon as possible.
Should the whining noise of your transmission continue whenever your vehicle is in gear, this can mean there is a problem occurring in your torque converter. Check to see if the noise desists when you shift the vehicle to park or neutral. A constant whining noise when your car is in gear needs professional attention.
Grinding
If your car has an automatic transmission, one of the most disconcerting noises that you can hear coming from your transmission is a grinding noise. When a grinding noise occurs with your transmission, it could mean a serious problem with your planetary gear system. Automatic transmissions depend on a planetary gear system to function probably, and if this system is allowed to fail, it can result in major damage throughout your transmission.
When the planetary gear system starts experiencing problems, you first notice a whining noise. Once you reach the grinding stage, the gear system is suffering from major issues. If you suspect that the planetary gear system in your transmission is damaged, you need to schedule a maintenance check right away. Your dealership maintenance technician will be able to diagnose the issue and will tell you about your options for repair.
Gurgling
If you’re like many drivers, you often forget to check the fluid levels in your vehicle, and if the fluid level in your transmission is too low, you will notice a gurgling noise. This noise is caused by the excess air in your transmission line. Commonly, drivers will notice this gurgling noise when their transmission slips while shifting gears. If you hear a gurgling noise, particularly while shifting gears, it may mean that your fluid levels are low enough to cause damage to your transmission.
After noticing any of these noises coming from your transmission, make sure to bring your vehicle to a dealership professional for service.
15 comment(s) so far on 3 Transmission Sounds That Mean Trouble
I got a 94 dodge ram 1500 with a 5.7 v8.
The ticking noise it is making only comes when I put it in gear or in neutral.
And the ticking sound is coming from the transmission area when I get under my truck.
The transmission fluid is full.
What could my problem be?
I have a 1992 Gmc 1500 once i crank my truck up and put it in reverse it jumps really hard, so when i take off it makes a weird noise when i take off and it drags on changing gear. I have to get into the gas really hard in order for it to change gear could it be the strainer going bad.
I have a grinding/whining noise but only when A/C on
Thank you for your help. I have a loud kinda roaring or like a bearing bad sound and the car has just under 73,000 miles might as well say 73,000 so very low miles on an ‘06’ hhr lt I would think being that it’s almost 16 years old. I just worry that it’s something major and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to fix it at my age . Are you aware of known issues with this car and this noise??? Thank you
My car is a 2017 Nissan Altima when i start my car as it warm up there is a whining sound and as I drive it there . Ten minutes later it’s gone
The grinding occurs on drive but not in reverse
Just had my manual transe replaced in my 1991 renagade…but when I’m in neutral and about to stop it makes like a box truck shake inside the car, I dint remember that with the origanel trans?
I have 2006 GMC Enjoy Denali. It has 173K miles. When I haven’t driven it for a few days or so it makes a roaring sound when accelerating and changing gears. Once it runs for a short time the roaring stops. The transmission is smooth when shifting. The roaring sound is similar to a big truck when it takes off. Could this be the transmission or some other related problem?
What if it sounds like rocks in a soda can and only happens here and there also only between speeds of 30mph to 50 mph
My car is Toyota corolla 2004,I noticed something in my automatic transmission gear few days ago and I kept on wondering what is happening…the thing is,if iam accelerating bfore it will enter gear 1 it will make noise,pls I need u to tell me what is causing it
When I drive my car from 2&3geare are making a noise what is the reason?
Whirring sound when at idle and neutral and desists when put in gear, reverse is harsh shift also but sound desists.
No drive gers whining noise I was able to use to shift for a while and had a strong reverse but now no movement at all barely reverse no ta shift 2006 ontiac gxp
My Lexus whines after it warms up while acceselerating
2008 Nissan rogue every time you drive when you hit like 40 and making a grinding noise