What Are the Effects of Water-Damaged Vehicles on Transmissions?
1 Answers
Transmission fluid will deteriorate after water ingress, affecting transmission functionality. Transmission fluid serves multiple purposes including lubrication, cooling, anti-wear, heat dissipation, rust prevention, and power transmission. Water contamination can cause the fluid to emulsify and degrade, leading to failure in meeting standard specifications, which severely harms the transmission. Deterioration of Transmission Fluid: Dilution of the fluid results in insufficient hydraulic pressure for gear shifting, causing delays, jerks, and other issues. The mixture of water and fluid, when agitated by the planetary gear set, generates widespread air bubbles, impairing heat dissipation and triggering high-temperature warnings. Emulsified and degraded fluid reduces lubrication and anti-wear performance, drastically shortening the transmission's lifespan. Impact on Transmission Functionality: In automatic transmissions, water damage may not immediately manifest as a fault. Over time, emulsification and degradation of the fluid reduce lubrication performance and accelerate wear. When the transmission slips, the fluid turns black and emits a burnt odor. Clutch and brake friction components may slip, causing abnormally high engine RPM. Rust formation on the clutch leads to secondary issues such as slipping, clogged filters, and insufficient hydraulic pressure, resulting in gear-shift hesitation, jerks, and other related problems.
