Most of the time, automatic transmissions work without the driver having to think about them. They do their jobs with only a little help from time to time, like when they need to add water.
They can also be a bit of a mystery to many people when something goes wrong with the way your car runs. Even some mechanics don’t like to work on transmission problems because they are hard to fix.
You Are Watching: Car Jerks When Shifting From Park To Drive Updated 04/2024
Why Does My Car Jump When I Put It In Drive
When you put a car in drive, it may jump for a number of reasons. Some of the most common ones are sensors that don’t work or aren’t lined up right, low transmission fluid, dirty transmission fluid, a clogged transmission filter, a transmission pump that doesn’t work, and worn-out parts.
No matter where it comes from, this is not something you should put off for too long. If you do that, you might get stuck on the side of the road!
This article will talk about all the warning signs you need to know so you can tell if your transmission is going bad. It will also talk about the different things that could be causing your car to jump when you put it in drive.
When I put my car in Drive, why does it jump?
If your car feels jumpy and jerky when you put it in drive, this means that the transmission is having trouble shifting gears.
Now that so many cars have computerised systems in their engines, the problem could be a broken sensor or a solenoid that has moved.
If either of these is the problem, fixing it might be easy and not cost much.
But if your car doesn’t have a computerised system and the solenoid and sensors aren’t broken, you’ll need to check the transmission.
Here are a few things you should look at if your car is jumping.
Potential Reason #1 – Low Transmission Fluid
Your transmission system needs the right amount of fluid to work right. The fluid keeps the system running smoothly. If the level of transmission fluid in your car gets too low, it will be hard to change gears.
This hard shifting is what is making your car jump or jerk, and it could also make your transmission system not work as well.
Your transmission fluid can only be low if there is a leak somewhere in the system. Since it is closed and doesn’t burn the fluid like oil does, the level of your fluid shouldn’t drop quickly.
If you see dark red fluid where you park your car, this means that your transmission is leaking and you are losing fluid.
Potential Reason #2 – Dirty Transmission Fluid
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When your transmission fluid is dirty, it can also make it hard to shift smoothly. This happens when dirt or metal gets into the fluid, which makes the transmission system wear out faster.
When there are particles in your transmission fluid, it can make it harder for your transmission to build hydraulic pressure. This will make it harder to change gears because the job will take a lot more work.
If your car has trouble shifting into drive, but you don’t see any fluid leaking, check the fluid to see if it is dirty.
If it is, you will need to change the transmission fluid to see if that fixes the problem.
Potential Reason #3 – Clogged Transmission Filter
If a big piece of dirt gets into your transmission system, your transmission filter may get clogged. Unlike when the fluid is dirty, the problem may be caused by just one or two particles.
If the filter is clogged, the transmission pump will have to work harder, which will cause it to wear out faster. Also, it could change the hydraulic pressure in the system or make the transmission work at a much lower level.
This doesn’t always mean that you need to change your transmission or flush it, especially if you just did either of those things recently. But you will need someone to look at it and figure out why it is clogging.
If you can see the particle and get rid of it, your gear shifting will get better quickly. But if the particle is hard to see, you should probably change the filter.
To avoid problems like this in the future, you should change the filter every time you get the transmission fluid changed.
Potential Reason #4 – Failing Transmission Pump
The transmission pump is close to the filter, and if it starts to break down, the car might jump when you try to change gears.
If your pump is going bad, you will also hear a whining sound coming from the engine that you can hear clearly while driving. The check engine light might also come on if it thinks there is a problem with the pump.
If your filter is clogged, your transmission pump will have to work harder to get the job done. This could make it break down before it should.
Problems that keep getting worse could be a problem that leads to expensive fixes. You don’t want your filter to get clogged up and cause your pump to stop working.
So, the best way to avoid these kinds of problems is to stay on top of things as much as possible.
Potential Reason #5 – Worn Out Parts
If your shifts are jumpy, it could be because parts in your transmission system are worn out. If you have an older car, this is one of the main reasons why you might feel a jerk when you put the car in drive.
Old parts don’t work as well, and they could make shifting too easy or cause the engine to rev too high. This can make it hard to shift smoothly and make your car jump when you try to put it in drive.
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Check your parts or have a mechanic look at them to see if any of them need to be replaced. If so, you should get rid of the old parts and see if the problem still happens.
If the problem goes away, you’ll know that it was just the parts.
Why You Should Take Care Of It Right Away
No matter what is wrong with your transmission, you should take care of it as soon as possible instead of putting it off. If you don’t fix your car right away, the damage could get worse the longer you drive it.
Also, there is a chance that your transmission will fail completely and leave you stranded on the side of the road. Some small repairs don’t cost that much, but driving with a bad transmission could hurt your car more and make you need a more expensive fix.
So, don’t ignore problems with the transmission and take care of them right away. This will keep you from having to pay more in the future for a bigger problem and keep you from breaking down and needing to be towed.
The Importance of Transmission Fluid
The amount and condition of transmission fluid can make a big difference in how well your car runs.
So, looking for leaks, changing your fluid often, and making sure it doesn’t get dirty can help your car run better.
As you’ve seen, low fluid levels can cause a lot of problems, so it’s best to keep things as clean and full of fluid as possible.
If you don’t know how often you should change your transmission fluid, check the owner’s manual for your car to find out how many miles you should drive between changes.
If you don’t have the owner’s manual, you can change the transmission fluid every 30,000 miles, which is what most people say to do.
But if you see that your fluid is getting dirty, it’s a good idea to get it changed, even if it hasn’t been that long since the last time.
Final Thoughts
Taking care of your car doesn’t take a lot of work, but it could help you figure out what’s wrong if you know what problems come from what system and how to fix them. When the transmission shifts aren’t as smooth as they used to be, it can lead to a lot of other problems.
So, you need to figure out why your car jumps when you shift and what you can do to fix it.
Fixes that cost a lot shouldn’t be the norm, and if you can figure out what’s wrong, you can get it fixed for less.
But you don’t want to take any chances when it comes to moving. Your car’s transmission system is important, and if it needs to be rebuilt, the cost of the repair can be very high.
If you take care of your transmission, you won’t have to have it rebuilt for a long time. This will save you a lot of money.
Use this article to find out why your car jumps when you change gears and what you can do to fix it without spending a lot of money at a body shop.
Sources: https://micdot.com
Category: Car
