Transmission slipping, hard to stay in gear

ANSWER : There are a couple of possibilities. The first thing that comes to mind is of course the shifter itself. There is a nylon ball and socket joint at the base of the gearshift lever that sometimes falls apart, making the feel of the shifter very vague. Additionally, there are links to the transmission shift linkage that involve nylon bushings and joints that can fall apart. Both problems are very common on your car. The other less common possibility is that you have a bad motor mount that is allowing the transmission to move around too much when you try to shift gears. either way, it’s not a big deal to fix, and probably won’t require expensive transmission work. If you contact Your Mechanic, they can send a technician to your home or office to check out you shifting issue and let you know what repairs it will take to correct it.

ANSWER : Hello. From what you describe, it would appear that your transmission is beginning to slip. This can be caused by many things. The first thing I would do is check the vehicle’s transmission. Automatic transmission use fluid pressure to operate, and will have all sorts of issues if the fluid is low or dirty. If the fluid checks out, I would then move on to looking at the transmission itself. It may be possible that one of the components, such as a sensor or solenoid may be going out and causing your issue. It may also be possible that the transmission is simply worn out and can no longer hold the engine torque, perhaps due to a worn clutch pack, valve body, or torque converter. In these cases of removal and overhaul of the transmission is required. You may be able to continue driving the vehicle, however, because it may cause the symptoms to worsen over time if the issue is not quickly addressed.

ANSWER : Automatic transmissions have been called “slush boxes” for years by old drag racers. The main reason for this name is they are a fluid driven device. Because of this, fluid level and condition are crucial to proper operation. Unfortunately, the 2010 Fusion is susceptible to fluid leaks from the driver’s side output shaft seal as identified in Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 150079. Should this seal be leaking, the technician will have to inspect internal components per the TSB. Low fluid can wreak havoc on the internals of an automatic transmission, so I would strongly suggest you have the vehicle towed rather than try to drive it further. Once the technician is able to put the correct amount of fluid in the transmission, proper operation must be verified to ensure no further damage has been done. Provided the bushing, seal, and fluid are the only required parts, repair costs are fairly low but if the transmission sustained damage from fluid loss, the price may be exponentially higher. Contact YourMechanic for an estimate.

ANSWER : Hello there, thanks for writing in about your 1997 Honda Prelude. Your engine will not cause the transmission to slip and shift hard. You will need to have the transmission checked for proper pressures and shift solenoid operation. This could also be due to a valve body sticking. If you would like to have this checked, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the potential transmission slip and the banging noise that you are hearing while shifting.

ANSWER : If the clutch mechanism is releasing properly, and the shift linkage is not malfunctioning, your transmission will have to be removed from the vehicle and inspected. Once a transmission has been removed from a vehicle, if the problem is a broken or worn part or parts, and the transmission has 100,000 miles or more, the most cost effective approach is to just simply rebuild the whole transmission. There are transmission rebuild kits that are sold just for this purpose. Rebuilding a transmission is no big deal and is indeed easier in many respects than rebuilding an engine. You can rebuild your transmission right in your own garage. You can NOT rebuild an engine in your own garage due to the highly specialized, and extremely costly, machine shop equipment required. Occasionally, mobile mechanics will take on a transmission rebuild job especially as once the mechanic removes the transmission from the vehicle, it is just simply a modular unit that can be easily transported to a mechanic’s shop and rebuilt right there and then returned to your vehicle. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in. It’s entirely possible that a component failed. For instance, if the clutch pressure plate failed, then the clutch pedal will feel very spongy and can cause the car to slip and be very difficult to shift. If it has a dampened flywheel, and that fails, then the car may lose the ability to go anywhere. It will go into gear fine, but will not move forward. If a clutch release lever failed, it may no longer release the clutch enough to allow gear changes, though slipping would be minimal. A failing hydraulic component could also cause the clutch to fail very quickly. Based on the symptoms, I think that the pressure plate has failed, but it’s impossible to say for sure without seeing the car in person. You should have a qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, inspect your car and diagnose your clutch issue.

ANSWER : This is possibly a transmission shifter adjustment issue (5th gear, non-engagement). The noise issue may be related, but it is potentially serious regardless. You don’t mention what kind of "transmission problems" caused you to have the clutch repaired, but that problem may be related as well. Regardless, you should have the slipping issue inspected by a professional, like one from YourMechanic, before driving it further.

ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in about your 1993 Mazda MX-6. It sounds like a mis-adjusted shifter linkage or a worn shift fork for 5th gear. Either or both of these could cause the 5th gear to not stay engaged as desired. I recommend having a professional, such as one from YourMechanic, inspect the slipping issue in order to pinpoint the problem and assist you with the appropriate repairs.