Imagine traveling at one speed throughout your journey. It’s not an appealing thought. The transmission is the part of your vehicle that helps you change speeds smoothly. When a specific gear is selected, the transmission controls how much power feeds through to the engine. It doesn’t matter if it’s an automatic or manual transmission; they … Read more
A clutch master cylinder links your left foot to the clutch in a three pedaled vehicle with a hydraulic clutch. If the master cylinder has completely failed, it will likely leave you stranded, unless you can figure out a way to limp home without the use of the clutch. This is especially dangerous if the brake … Read more
We take our cars for granted. When you think about all the moving parts that work together, they are amazing inventions. What we find the most interesting, though, is how the cars handle vibration. We’re talking about thousands of small parts that are rattling around in the body of the car continually. You’d think that … Read more
In order for the gears inside your vehicle to move smoothly, they rely on transmission fluid to do the job. Checking the amount of transmission fluid that you have left is similar to the way in which you check your level of engine oil. The only difference is that you check your transmission fluid while … Read more
If your vehicle has a manual transmission (a rarity these days), you need to be able to operate a clutch pedal in addition to the brake and gas pedals. The clutch assembly (consisting of the pressure plate, clutch plate, flywheel, and throw-out bearing), connects the wheels to the engine of the vehicle. The clutch pedal … Read more
A car’s transmission is one of the most important components of any car. You simply can’t operate a motor vehicle without the gears functioning as they should be. But sometimes, you may encounter an issue that causes one or more of the gears to malfunction. The reverse gear in particular, is easy to take for … Read more
When you’re running low on transmission fluid, your vehicle cannot function the way it’s supposed to. This is because transmission fluid lubricates the surfaces and components of the transmission system to reduce friction and prevent them from wearing out. Transmission fluid is supposed to remain in your vehicle for its entire lifespan without changing it, … Read more
A transmission valve body is a major component of an automatic transmission. It’s essentially a maze-like control center made up of valves, passageways, and solenoids that diverts transmission fluid to where it’s needed for gear changes. While not a common part to fail, when you do have some type of malfunction in the transmission valve … Read more
Limp mode is a self-preservation feature programmed into most vehicles. Your car will activate this feature when it detects abnormal readings from sensors, or improper mechanical part operations. Limp mode is also known as “limp home mode”, and is designed to protect your engine and transmission from catastrophic failure. Performance of your vehicle will be … Read more
The transmission control module (TCM) is a vital component of any vehicle with an automatic transmission system. Rather than relying on hydraulic or mechanical control over a transmission system, newer vehicles use a transmission control module instead. A car’s TCM will likely never need replacing, but if you have a bad transmission control module, immediate … Read more