In this series of articles, John, an expert mechanic at one of our Denver-area AAMCO car repair centers, will explain how your car works and give advice on a variety of do-it-yourself car maintenance topics. Today, John explains the basics your of your automatic transmission.
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The planetary gearset creates all of the different gear ratios that your transmission can produce. It’s made up of the sun gear, the planet gears, and the ring gear. In an automatic transmission, there are two complete planetary gearsets folded together into one, called the compound planetary gearset. The compound planetary gear set has a double-set of sun gears and planet gears, but just one ring gear. This allows for a large number of possible gear ratios.
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Even if you aren’t shifting them, an automatic transmission has gears too. They are split into main gears and planetary gears. The planetary gearset works with the clutches and bands, which hold the gears in place when necessary to create the different gear ratios, the valve body, which receives input from vehicle speed and brake functions and controls the planetary gearset to select the best possible gear ratio for the current driving conditions, and the automatic transmission fluid, which provides lubrication and operation of hydraulic functions.
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As you may have already realized, your automatic transmission is kind of a complicated system, and one which needs to be finely tuned and running properly for your vehicle to run. If you’re having trouble shifting gears, or hear a grinding sound, take your car to an experienced Colorado transmission repair expert. Unfortunately, your transmission may occasionally need to be repaired or rebuilt, and ignoring the problem will only make it worse: until your car literally won’t go. However, you can check the automatic transmission fluid or transmission fluid filter before going to the mechanic. Sometimes your transmission may simply need new fluid, or a new filter.
AAMCO Colorado has multiple locations for expert transmission repair including Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Greeley, Fort Collins, or other Colorado Front Range locations. Book an appointment for transmission service or any auto repair or maintenance you need. AAMCO Colorado has you covered!
If you have a problem with your transmission, you’ll need to take your car to a Colorado auto repair service. Unfortunately, your transmission may occasionally need to be repaired or rebuilt, and ignoring the problem will only make it worse: until your car literally won’t go. However, if you can screen problems with your transmission fluid and filter on your own, know the basics of transmission repair to be able to discuss the problems with your mechanic, and go to a transmission repair expert you can trust, you can save time, money, and frustration.
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