2 Things The Fluid Can Tell You About The Health Of Your Car's Transmission

Unless you notice that your car is having difficulty shifting gears or find that the engine revs up too much before a gear change, you may not know if there is a problem with the transmission. However, there are often unseen problems that go unnoticed until the transmission breaks down completely.

Fortunately, there is a way that you can determine the overall health of the transmission: inspecting the fluid. There are a couple of things that the fluid can show about the condition of the transmission as well as alert you to any hidden problems.

Fluid That Is Dark Red/Brown with a Burnt Odor Means the Transmission Is Constantly Overheating

When examining the transmission fluid, two things that you can quickly inspect are its color and odor. When the fluid is fresh and the transmission is working properly, the reddish fluid will be translucent, and it will smell fairly sweet.

However, if the fluid has taken on a dark reddish/brownish color and smells like burnt sugar, this usually means that the transmission is overheating enough to cook the fluid. Since there are several things that could be wrong with the transmission, you should have a technician determine the cause of the transmission fluid's changes.

Shiny, Metallic Specks Mean the Transmission's Gears Are Grinding and/or Deteriorating

While assessing the color of the transmission fluid, there is another thing for which you can look to help you determine if there is a hidden issue. If you hold the fluid up to a light source and see shiny, metallic specks, this typically means that there is a serious issue inside the transmission.

If you do see the specks, these are pieces of metal that are flaking off into the fluid because the gears are deteriorating and/or grinding together. Because worn or damaged gears will affect the transmission's shifting ability, you need to take your car to a professional as soon as possible to have them inspect the gears.

When your car's transmission is healthy and the fluid relatively new, the fluid will have a translucent, reddish color. However, if the fluid is dark and smells burnt and/or you see shiny specks of metal when you hold it up to the light, there could be something seriously wrong with the transmission. Before any underlying issues become severe problems, take your car to a transmission service so that they can perform a complete inspection to find out what needs to be done to fix the transmission before it breaks down.

Contact a local transmission service to learn more.