Transmission Shudder at Low Speed - Here’s Why and How to Fix

Transmission shudder is a gearbox problem you may experience at some point with your vehicle. And while this issue may seem severe and catastrophic, it is one of the few issues that seem more dangerous than they actually are. When a transmission shudder occurs, a person who has never experienced it may think that the entire transmission unit is about to die.

Transmission shuddering problem highlights

• Level of importance:Medium
• Reasons:Low fluid, wrong fluid, cold transmission, issues with torque converter
• Needed expertise:High
• Needed tools:Professional tools set
• Time taken:3-7 hours
• Can you drive? Carefully
• Possible issues: Torque converter wear and tear, issues if shuddering gets worse.

Why is Your Transmission Shuddering?

The common cause of transmission shudder is contaminated transmission fluid. The contaminants in the fluid inhibit the transmission lines from building the right amount of pressure, which prevents transmission plates from having the proper pressure contact.

If you follow your mechanic's recommended transmission service intervals, which include regular transmission fluid changes, you will probably never experience this problem. The challenge with many drivers is that they forget routine maintenance and only visit service centers when the vehicle cannot move anymore. Unfortunately, few drivers know how to change their transmission fluid or when to do it.

Although this depends on the vehicle you are driving and your mechanic's recommendations on transmission fluid change intervals, most manufacturers recommend transmission fluid be changed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles - many manufacturers don't actually talk about transmission fluid service intervals in their vehicle's manuals. Owners wait until there's a problem with the transmission to visit a service center.

While all vehicles will require transmission fluid change at some point, it's worth noting that automatic transmission vehicles produce more heat than manual vehicles. This means that automatic transmission vehicles contaminate their transmission fluid faster.

To minimize the chances of your vehicle experiencing transmission shudder, consider getting transmission service every 60,000 to 100,000 miles. This is also the perfect time to check your fluid if you have never changed it.

While contaminated transmission fluid is the primary cause of transmission shudder, other factors can cause this issue.

The following are two more causes of transmission shudder.

• Low Transmission Fluid Levels

Low transmission fluid levels could also cause transmission shudders. The fluid level could drop for several reasons, and one of the main ones is leakage. You should never drive with insufficient fluid since the transmission requires enough when shifting.

Low transmission fluid levels could also lead to contamination of the fluid. One of the contaminants that cause transmission shudder is metal shavings. When the fluid levels drop, the transmission's internal components wear off prematurely, forming metal shavings.

Besides the shudders, low transmission fluid levels could also cause the entire transmission system to fail.

• Faulty Torque Converter

A torque converter is a crucial component of every vehicle. It is the part that transmits torque from the engine to the rotating driven load. The torque converter links the power source and load in an automatic gearbox. A torque converter has five crucial components; the impeller, turbine, fluid, clutch, and stator.

As you can see, the torque converter is a component that should never fail to work properly. Unfortunately, these components are known to fail terribly and often lead to transmission shudders.

The converter sits right between the engine and the gearbox. If your vehicle is skipping gears when you engage the drive gear and suddenly begins to shake or tremble, your torque converter is failing. You can also tell that your torque converter has failed if, besides the shuddering, the transmission begins to overheat.

You should check your torque converter if your transmission unit overheats and exhibits strange behaviors when switching ratios. At this point, you may need to replace the torque converter altogether if you want your gearbox to shift gears correctly again.

Irrespective of the cause of the transmission shudder in your vehicle, you should address it before it causes serious issues. Plan a service center visit as soon as you notice these shudders.

In itself, transmission shudder is not a severe problem. However, if left unaddressed, it could cause more damage to your transmission unit. Besides the more money you might spend later if you don't fix the issue causing transmission shudder in your vehicle, it's also dangerous to drive a vehicle that shakes profusely when you engage overdrive or when driving up a hill.

Symptoms of Transmission Shudder

A transmission shudder is when your vehicle begins to wobble and shake uncontrollably. These vibrations can be felt through the cabin and make you quite uncomfortable. If this happens while on the road, you will probably think there's a major breakdown within the transmission unit of your vehicle. However, that is not the case.

Transmission shudders only happen when you engage the overdrive or drive uphill with the overdrive engaged - if your gearbox begins to shake profusely while in these two conditions, your transmission is experiencing a shudder.

How to Fix Transmission Shudder

Fortunately, fixing a transmission shudder is as simple as replacing the contaminated fluid with a fresh one. This fix works if the shuddering transmission is caused by contaminants in your fluid. If the problem is caused by low transmission fluid levels, you need to fill it up to the required level.

Sometimes, you may need to do more than refilling or replacing the fluid. For example, if you are experiencing transmission shudder because of low fluid levels, you may need to fix a leak causing the transmission fluid to drop.

By following your mechanic's recommended maintenance, you may never have to fix a shuddering transmission. Regular transmission fluid changes ensure you always have fresh fluid at the required levels.

Besides getting a transmission flush to replace old transmission fluid with a fresh one, there's also an additional fix that you may try. It is called the Lubegard Shudder Fixx.

Lubegard Shudder Fixx - Does It Work?

If you don't want to go through the process of flushing your transmission to replace the transmission fluid, you can opt to use the Lubegard Instant Shudder Fixx. This is a product designed to fix shuddering transmission instantly. You only add the product to the fluid, and it removes all the problems.

On paper, that's how the Lubegard Shudder Fixx is supposed to work, and it does work. If you visit online stores that sell the product, you realize that many drivers have left positive reviews about it. Many buyers have agreed that the Lubegard Shudder Fixx worked magic for their transmissions.

On the other hand, it is worth noting that other drivers left negative reviews because this instant shudder-fixing product didn't work. Others have also said that it worked for a month or two, and the problem was right back there, shaking their vehicles profusely whenever the overdrive gear was engaged or they were driving uphill with OD gear engaged.

While looking for a fix for your transmission, you should remember that the Lubegard Shudder Fixx works depending on what exactly is causing the transmission to shudder. For a simple cause such as contaminants in your transmission fluid, the Lubegard Shudder Fixx will deal with the problem instantly. However, if a deeper mechanical problem causes the shuddering issue, that specific problem will need to be fixed first. For example, the Lubegard Fixx won't fix a shuddering transmission caused by a faulty torque converter.

However, going with the majority, we can vote positively that the Lubegard Shudder Fixx works. After all, most Amazon buyers have said that it worked for them. What's more, a tube of the Lubegard Shudder Fixx costs around $15.

To Conclude

Truth be told. A shuddering transmission can be scary, even for a driver who has experienced it before. No one wants to feel as if the world is about to end on them, only to realize it was a minor issue that shook them to the core. Fortunately, a shuddering transmission is not as bad as it seems, and in most cases, it happens at low speeds.

Because many mechanics confuse a shuddering transmission for much more severe mechanical problems, it is good to know the symptoms of this problem. If you do, you can direct your mechanic where to look. They often overlook this issue and repair things that do not need repairing.