When the automatic transmission gear shift is not working this is a very serious problem that causes by several reasons and one of those serious problems is a complete damage transmission. However, it may also possible that the transmission problem only involves a very low amount of transmission fluid. You need to confirm if there is enough transmission fluid on the system but, if the fluid level is enough, then the possibilities are that the system suffers a bad fluid pump or Gear selector linkage problem.
You see, when an automatic transmission suffers from a bad fluid pump all the gears inside the transmission will not work because automatic transmission depends on the hydraulic fluid pressure that is created by the fluid pump to pump transmission fluid throughout the transmission assembly so that it will work properly.
Same condition with the bad fluid pump, when an automatic transmission has a problem on gear selector linkage all gears will not work. The gear selector is the one that determines which gear is going to operate. When a gear selector linkage is broken or out of adjustment it cannot operate properly causing the gear not to work.
Possible cause why gear selector linkage is not working
1. Low transmission fluid
2. Faulty fluid pump
3. Out of adjustments gear selector linkage.
How to fix not working gear shift for automatic transmission
1. Low transmission fluid
The purpose of the transmission fluid is to lubricate the transmission and its components, it protects these components from wear and tear and serves as a coolant to cool down the transmission from operating at higher temperatures. A/T fluid has the functions of acting as a lubricant and a coolant of the clutch inside, and the frictional property of the fluid significantly affects the shift property and the durability when the clutch is connected. The power can be transmitted by the frictional force between the friction material of the drive plate and the driven plate surface with the A/T fluid in between. That is, the A/T fluid friction itself is also an inevitable factor for power transmission.
Signs of low transmission fluid. The sign of low transmission fluid is noise coming from the transmission, a properly working transmission shouldn't have noise while driving and the gear transition is smooth, so if you heard an abnormal noise coming from the transmission you should check the transmission fluid level.
If your car encounter this problem the first thing to do is to check the transmission fluid if the level of fluid is within the recommended level, refer to your car owners manual to know the location of the transmission oil dipstick and what is the recommended level, if the problem is low-level automatic transmission fluid (ATF), just add enough amount of fluid usually this should fix the problem.
However, the question is how did the transmission fluid become low? there might be a transmission fluid leak somewhere on the system, it is better to have a mechanic to check the system for any leak and repair if necessary
How to Check Transmission Fluid
To read transmission fluid dipstick, park the car on level ground than wait for the engine to warm up. While warming up the engine, look around the transmission and check for any leakage of transmission fluid.Read more: How to Check Transmission Fluid2. Faulty fluid pump and gear selector linkage
If the problem has nothing to do with the fluid level then have the car towed to a reputable repair shop. Ask the mechanic to inspect the fluid pump and the gear selector linkage, the mechanic will probably open up the transmission for better diagnosis. If the problem is not fluid pump or gear selector linkage, no other option but to replace the transmission assembly with a new one since the automatic transmission gear shift is not working.
The oil pump is an essential part of the automatic transmission because it provides the oil pressure required for applying the clamping force for the various clutches and the band brake. The oil pump also supplies lubrication oil flow and oil flow for cooling by pumping it through the transmission cooler.The oil pump draws oil from the oil pan through an oil strainer, regulator valve, etc. to the various components in the transmission.
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