How To Tell If Your Transmission Is Bad

How To Tell If Your Transmission Is Bad. Two, the automatic transmission does not ‘slip’, no matter how many times you road test your vehicle. If it is anything other than bright red, you may need a transmission fluid change.

If the transmission mount is bad, you’ll hear a banging noise as the transmission bangs against the mount, and the bad mount will place stress on other components. Both manual as well as automatic transmissions make unique sounds when they start to go bad. With an automatic transmission, you may hear a sound or some humming, or even buzzing sounds.

When you do, also note the color of the fluid.

Should this light engage, check your transmission. This may cause metal components to rub together, generate heat from friction, and burn the fluid, in which case you'll notice smoky odors. Slipping transmission (delayed reaction or delayed engagement) strange smells. There are quite a few problems that can cause a bad transmission.