The freezing cold weather that winter brings can pose a number of problems to your vehicle and to your transmission in particular. A malfunctioning transmission can greatly increase the risk of an accident occurring while driving, and thus it should be fixed as soon as possible to ensure your safety on the road. Here are a few common warning signs that your transmission is being affected by the cold weather and what you should do about them.

Slipping Gears

One of the most common problems that a transmission will experience during the winter months is the slipping of your car's gears. This is because the freezing weather causes the parts of your transmission to contract, which can cause breakages and damage to the fragile transmission fluid lines. Damage to these lines will cause the transmission fluid to leak out, which will in turn prevent your transmission from producing enough pressure to keep your gears locked in place, causing slipping while driving. If this occurs, especially if you notice transmission fluid on the ground beneath your car (a reddish or orange fluid), you should head to a mechanic immediately to have your lines checked.

Sticking Gears

On the other hand, if there is a buildup of moisture in your transmission, ice can form on the gears of your transmission itself. This can cause your gears to freeze together, which can prevent your vehicle from shifting gears while driving. Not only can this reduce the overall amount of control that you have over your vehicle, but it can also increase the amount of wear that both your engine and transmission experience, which can be expensive to repair. To prevent this from occurring, you should let your car warm up in the morning before driving to loosen up the gears, but you should still see a mechanic to ensure that there is no other damage to your transmission.

Thick Fluid

A much more common problem, and a somewhat less serious one, is thickened transmission fluid due to the colder outdoor temperature. Thicker transmission fluid can reduce the overall responsiveness of your transmission, which means that it may take a while for your vehicle to switch gears after accelerating or slowing down. You can check the thickness of your transmission fluid by taking out the dipstick, located next to the engine and above the oil dipstick. Warming up your vehicle for a few minutes before driving in the morning can help prevent this problem, but in order to proactively stop it from occurring, you should talk to a mechanic at an auto shop like Terwood Auto Repair to see if there is a cold-resistant transmission fluid option that you can use.