Car Shakes When Shifting Gears Automatic?

The shaking of the car during gear shifts is a hint that is facing transmission problems. It can be a symptom to change your car’s transmission fluid. And if you experience your car shaking frequently, maybe its shocks, solenoids, or clutches are weary.

Car Shakes When Shifting Gears Automatic

When your car shakes while changing gears to automatic, it indicates that the transmission is malfunctioning in your car. There are different reasons a transmission fails to work correctly and shakes your car while shifting gears. 

Transmission Fluid Low

One of the most common and simple reasons for your car shaking would be low transmission fluid. Transmission fluid is the lubricant fluid that helps the engine to change gears swiftly. 

When your car system does not get enough of the lubricating fluid, parts in your transmission system can grind together and result in shakings.  Transmission fluid should always be enough in your car for changing gears swiftly.

Bad Transmission Fluid

If the transmission fluid in your car engine starts to lose some of its lubrication properties, it can cause rougher vibrations.  Because transmission fluids are meant for smooth gear shifting. If it does not have smoothness, your car will suffer too.

Using the wrong transmission fluid

If you are using a transmission fluid that is not suitable for your car, it will be unresponsive to the engine. Every vehicle needs a particular transmission fluid for its engine. Using the wrong fluid will cause vibration in your car.

Worn u-joints imbalanced

The u-joint in your car is for motion and change in position for the car. It helps in maintaining the driveshaft and transmission connected to spin freely.  Worn u-joints can create a thudding noise when you change gears or speed up suddenly.

If the driveshaft becomes imbalanced, it can cause vibration and this may lead to damage to the transmission and other components of your car system.

Outside Air Temperature

The outside temperature of the car can affect the transmission. If it is cold outside, the transmission shifts can be changed or disturbed. 

You can solve this problem by warming up the car enough. However, you have to be aware that it takes a quieter time to do an automatic transmission to warm up than the engine itself.

Worn shocks

Suspension is for the stabilization of your car. Shocks are important parts of your suspension. They help your car to stabilize and run smoothly when you try to turn, brake, accelerate and drive over uneven surfaces.  

As time passes by, shocks become old and worn out. Hence, this is one of the causes of transmission faulty results in the shaking of your car.

Shift Solenoids

The engagement of gears depends on the shift solenoids. If any of the gear does not engage properly or timely, it can cause the transmission to malfunction. As a result, the car shakes when you shift gears. 

Clutch Packs

Clutch packs are for preventing jerking, shaking, and vibrating your car while shifting gears. While using the car over time the clutch packs wear out and they will slip, and not be able to do their job.

If they face excessive heat in them, it can cause them to wear unevenly.  Therefore, they get imbalanced and can not sit properly. Since they cause your car to chatter, shake, and jerk in-between shifting gears.

How Is the Car Shaking Diagnosed

There are many ways you can diagnose your car shaking. Thus following the methods you can also prevent them from happening.

• Do not forget to service the transmission of your car system.
• Keep the transmission at the top level.
• Use the correct transmission fluid that is suitable for your vehicle.
• Do not ignore overheating of your car engine,
• Do a regular service for checking your parts of the car.

FAQ

Qu 1: Why does my car take so long to shift gears?

This should work itself out when the vehicle warms up. Be aware that it takes a longer amount of time for an automatic transmission to warm up than the engine itself. Shift Solenoids – Shift solenoids control the engagement of gears.

Qu 2: What causes a car to shake when starting?

When your vehicle starts to shake convulsively, it may seem like your transmission is significantly damaged and about to shut down completely. However, the primary cause of a shuddering transmission is simply contaminated transmission fluid. Some cars also shake when running at high speed.

Conclusion 

You may think that servicing your car is unnecessary every month. Nevertheless, without servicing you may not notice the problems in your car. 

We often ignore little symptoms like shaking the car while shifting gears, but we should not take it lightly. Rather, we should solve its problem properly.