Today, we are going to consider the symptoms of a bad transmission valve body. An automatic gearbox’s transmission valve body is a crucial component. It’s a maze-like control center with valves, passages, and solenoids that direct transmission fluid to where it’s needed for gear changes. The following are the symptoms of a bad valve body. If you notice any of these signs, you should know your valve body needs attention.
What Is a Transmission Valve Body?
When inspecting a valve body, you’ll discover that it resembles a maze. It’s made up of a tangle of valves, solenoids, and passageways that combine to form a maze-like structure. The transmission valve body in your vehicle, despite its intricacy, has a pretty simple job: it’s designed to transfer transmission fluid to wherever it’s needed in order for your transmission to move from one speed to the next.
It will be tough for your car to get transmission fluid to the right places if the transmission valve body in your vehicle isn’t performing properly. This could cause a variety of transmission problems and make driving your automobile difficult. It’s the most important reason to keep a watch on your transmission valve body for any symptoms of wear and tear. If you suspect your valve body has gone faulty, you’ll need to pay the valve body replacement cost immediately soon.
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Symptoms Of a Bad Transmission Valve Body
The symptoms of a failing transmission valve body include the following:
Delay Or Harsh ‘Park’ Shift
A delay (2 or more seconds) or harsh shift when changing from Park to Drive or Park to Reverse is one of the most prevalent symptoms you have a problem with your valve body. These are referred regarded as “garage shifts” in the industry. If you only have a difficulty with one scenario (for example, Park –> Reverse), attempt to limit the number of times you’re in it, even if it means backing into the garage or a parking place each time.
Incorrect Or Wrong Shifting
You may find that your transmission shifts into a higher or lower gear at an inopportune time while driving.
For example, you may be driving up a hill and the transmission, instead of shifting down to offer you more power, moves into a higher gear, making the climb much more difficult.
Furthermore, you could be traveling at 60 mph on a level roadway when your transmission switches into a higher or lower gear for no apparent reason. A damaged transmission valve body can cause any form of irregular shifting.
Shift Flares
When everything in your transmission is working properly, the engine RPM should briefly decrease on an up-shift (ie: 3rd to 4th gear) to match the higher gear in between each shift.
On an up-shift, a “shift flare” happens when the engine RPM increases instead of decreasing.
Knocking Sounds
When you accelerate (up-shifts), slow down (down-shifts), or put your car in reverse, you may hear a banging or knocking sound. This could be an indicator of a damaged valve body.
Gear Slippage
When your transmission slips out of gear while driving, it could be a sign that your valve body is failing. Other causes include low transmission fluid or worn transmission bands.
If your gearbox is slipping, your vehicle may attempt to upshift but then quickly shift into a lower gear. It could also refuse to shift into a higher gear, causing your engine to spin at a higher RPM than usual.
Check Engine Light Illuminates
If any of the aforementioned symptoms occur, and your check engine or malfunction indication lamp (MIL) illuminates, you should scan your vehicle for recorded diagnostic trouble codes. Many transmission-related DTC codes can appear since the valve body is responsible for so many operations. P0715, P0751, P0783, P0829, and P2707 are only a few examples.
It’s tempting to dismiss these symptoms at first because they may not be severe. However, when you drive your car constantly for at least 30 minutes and your transmission fully heats up, the faults with your valve body will typically become more apparent. If you have any of these issues, you should take your vehicle to an auto repair shop and get advice from a mechanic.
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Transmission Valve Body Cost & Replacement
Some people may consider replacing a faulty gearbox valve body on their own for a variety of reasons. It is not inexpensive to hire a transmission professional! It will take two to three hours for even the most skilled mechanics to perform the task from start to end. This frequently raises the price significantly.
A valve body replacement will set you back anywhere between $400 and $850 on average. This comprises parts ranging in price from $250 to $500 as well as labor costs of several hundred dollars. What if you have a Mercedes-Benz or a Volvo as a luxury vehicle? For a new transmission valve body, you could be looking at paying considerably more.
If you buy a remanufactured valve body instead of a new one, you might be able to save money on transmission valve body replacement. It’s one viable option for avoiding paying exorbitant prices for a transmission valve body. Even so, the cost of replacing the transmission valve body will be on the higher side. In most circumstances, it is an expensive auto repair operation for vehicle owners.
Can You Drive With a Bad Valve Body?
You may be inclined to disregard potential valve body problems when they first appear. You might want to turn up the volume on your radio so you don’t have to hear your transmission valve body making knocking noises or ignore your check engine light. However, you should not drive about with a bad gearbox valve body for an extended period of time.
A little problem with your valve body could evolve into a severe problem with your complete transmission over time. When you have a faulty transmission valve body, you’re going to put a lot of strain on it. That’s why, if you have a bad valve body, you shouldn’t waste any time getting it fixed. Before you start driving around in your automobile again, you should take it to a professional to have the gearbox valve body reconditioned or replaced totally.
What Makes a Valve Body Go Bad?
The metal portions of the valve body rub against each other and wear down as the lubricant used wears out or seeps out, allowing microscopic metal bits to find their way into the transmission fluid. As a result, the gears may become stuck and, as a result, fail to function properly.
Can The Valve Body Be Replaced?
Rebuilding the valve body is a cost-effective alternative to acquiring and installing a new or remanufactured one. While conserving money for you and your customer is always a good thing, there are times when rebuilding a valve body is very beneficial.
How Much Does It Cost To Fix a Transmission?
The average cost of a transmission repair is between $300 and $1,400. If your manual transmission needs a new clutch, for example, you may expect to pay between $800 and $1,500. Transmission replacement, on the other hand, is one of the most expensive repairs available. Replacements can cost anywhere from $1,800 and $3,400.
Is It Worth Replacing a Transmission?
Transmissions are one of the most costly repairs you can make to your car. If the car is reasonably new and in good shape except from the transmission, it is likely worth repairing. Other reasons to repair a vehicle’s transmission include owning a historic car that is worth the money to restore.
How Long Does It Take To Change a Valve Body?
Because replacing a transmission valve body might take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, you should estimate a mechanic’s hourly fee to be between $60 and $100. This means that the lowest cost of labor is $120 and the highest cost is $400.
