Is there a burning smell in your car? Do you notice slipping gears or delayed engagement when shifting gears? Do you see any fluid leaking? These are all signs that your transmission may be overheating.

Transmission overheating occurs when the vehicle’s cooling system can not regulate the transmission’s temperature to keep it at a low enough degree. If you notice any overheating signs, don’t panic but also don’t ignore them.

Transmission overheating can cause serious damage to the transmission system and therefore your vehicle, if left ignored.

While transmission maintenance is best left to professionals, we've compiled this guide to help you understand the reasons behind transmission overheating. By understanding your vehicle's behavior, you can take proactive steps to mitigate overheating issues, especially as temperatures rise during the upcoming hot season.

1) High Temperature

High temperatures are one of the leading causes of transmission overheating. High temperatures increase friction and generate more heat with the transmission system which in turn causes the transmission fluid to heat up quickly.

Hot weather can also disrupt the cooling ability of the transmission system, making it more difficult to dissipate heat efficiently.

2) Transmission Fluid

Transmission fluid plays an important role in regulating transmission temperature. There are factors that make transmission fluid contribute to transmission overheating other than low fluid levels.

Things such as contamination and degradation can also cause transmission overheating. Dirt and debris can hinder the fluid’s ability to cool and over time, fluid loses consistency making it inefficient in cooling.

This is why it is important to regularly check and maintain transmission fluid levels. Our experts at 97 Transmissions can help you with that and you can rest assured knowing that we use high-quality fluid because you deserve the best care.

Transmission fluid maintenance is one of the many services we offer. Check the full list here.

3) Heavy Loads or Towing

We know summer is coming and it’s time to get the trailers and boats out. But be aware that heavy loads or towing can strain the transmission, leading to overheating.

This is the result of increased workload which makes the transmission work harder and as a result of that extra work load, cooling capacity decreases.

In order to avoid this, familiarize yourself with the towing capacity for your vehicle and avoid towing in extreme heat conditions.

4) Aggressive Driving Habits

Driving like a race car driver might seem thrilling, but it can take a toll on your transmission. Aggressive driving behavior such as rapid acceleration and heavy braking puts additional stress on the transmission, leading to higher friction and heat generation.

By adopting safer and more careful driving habits, you can help prevent transmission overheating and help extend your transmission’s lifespan.

5) Stop and Go Traffic

While stop and go traffic may seem like another inconvenience, did you know that it could cause serious strain on your vehicle’s transmission?

Just like aggressive driving habits, constantly hitting the brakes and then accelerating in traffic affects your transmission and its ability to cool down. With the continuous stopping and starting, your transmission’s cooling system struggles to keep up, airflow gets disrupted and before you know it, your transmission is getting hot!

While traffic is beyond our control, you can still take small steps to give your transmission a break such as being patient and leaving space in between you and other cars. You can also try to avoid rush hour if you can or take alternate routes with less traffic.

6) Faulty Cooling System

A faulty cooling system could be the reason your transmission’s performance is falling behind.

Besides overheating, you may notice that you have a faulty cooling system due to coolant leaks or dashboard warning lights.

Your transmission relies on a properly functioning cooling system to regulate its temperature and keep it running without complications. But a faulty cooling system causes quick transmission overheating and can potentially escalate into bigger problems.

We are here to assist you with all your transmission needs.

By staying alert and giving your vehicle the attention it needs, you can stay on top of things and promptly address any issues that may arise.

We recommend scheduling routine checks with our experts who bring years of experience and can help take good care of your vehicle.

We hope this information has improved your understanding of transmission overheating. With these tools, you’re better equipped to handle the heat in the coming months.

In the world of transmissions, keeping cool is the key to hitting the road with confidence.

Contact our experts at (250) 860-3871 and stay cool.