Torque Converter Repair in Jackson, MS

What Is a Torque Converter and How Does it Work?

For anyone that is familiar with manual cars, you know that the clutch is responsible for getting the car to a complete stop when the engine is running. Without the clutch, a manual car couldn’t fully stop unless you turned off the engine. For automatic cars, they utilize a similar component known as a torque converter. This is an automatic cars version of the clutch.

Like the clutch in a manual vehicle, the torque converter in an automatic helps the engine work slightly independent from the transmission. When the engine is slowly running, like when a car is in standstill traffic, a small amount of torque is passing through the converter. This translate to light pressure when you are pressing the brakes. If you were to step on the gas and have the engine working harder, it would require a lot more pressure on the brakes to keep the car still. Just like the clutch, if an automatic transmissions’ torque converter is damaged or missing, the car won’t be able to fully stop without killing the engine.

What Are Signs of Torque Converter Problems?

Truthfully, it’ll be difficult for most people to properly determine a problem with the torque converter. They’d have to disassemble the transmission in order to properly assess what’s wrong, which should be left to a professional transmission technician. Despite that, there are some general signs owners can look out for:

Shuddering will normally occur when the car reaches 30-45 MPH. This usually occurs when the lockup clutch ( a piece inside the torque converter) is starting to malfunction.
Unusual sounds can be a sign that your converter is failing, but a specific reason isn’t typically clear. Listen specifically for whirring, which means bad bearings, or a clicking sound, which indicates a broken turbine fin.

Schedule An Appointment With Us Today!

At the end of it all, you need to leave any torque converter repairs to a professional. Attempting to fix this component could damage it more or damage other parts of your transmission. This could leave you with thousands of dollars of repairs, and you don’t want that. Give us a call at 601-812-5842 and schedule an appointment with one of our professional transmission technicians today! Or visit our shop at 2374 Hwy. 80 W (near Ellis Ave) and schedule your appointment in person! We’ll have the tools to properly fix that pesky component and get you back on the road in no time.