There’s a huge appeal to buying a used car from a private party seller. Bypass the dealership, the hidden fees, the markups, the hassle, and save yourself some money in the process. But what’s the risk? Have you found a deal or a dud?

It can be very alarming to hear unusual sounds coming from your vehicle. If you are hearing any humming, whining, or even clunking noises emitting from under your vehicle, it is most likely a transmission issue. Luckily, these noises can help you pinpoint what issue you may be having with your transmission. Some of these issues are minor and can be easily taken care of, but some of them are much more major and may require special attention and service. Read on to see just what your transmission problem may be.

At Action Auto Center in Sarasota, FL, our goal is to keep your car, truck, or SUV on the road. The best way to prevent a huge problem is to pay attention to the small ones and get issues taken care of before they leave you stranded. As you know, small problems can lead to big problems and if you're not careful you could miss the signs and your transmission could fail you. 

Your transmission’s shift points are exactly what you think they are - the points at which your transmission shifts. From the transmission experts at Action Auto Center in Sarasota, FL, here’s what you need to know about them.

At Action Auto Center in Sarasota, our priority is keeping your transmission shifting smooth and running strong for years to come. While proper maintenance, driving habits, and a myriad of other conditions affect the life and reliability of a transmission, there are also ways to increase the overall efficiency of your unit, even above stock performance.

At Action Auto Center in Sarasota, our priority is keeping your transmission shifting smooth and running strong for years to come. While proper maintenance, driving habits, and a myriad of other conditions affect the life and reliability of a transmission, there are also ways to increase the overall efficiency of your unit, even above stock performance.

At Action Auto Center in Sarasota, our mechanics have diagnosed and repaired every transmission problem in the book. We’d like to pass some of our knowledge along to you, in order to help you understand your transmission a little better. Here, we discuss the synchronizers in your manual transmission, and how to know if one of yours is faulty.

If you drive a car, truck, or SUV with a manual transmission, the pressure plate is an integral part of your vehicle. From Action Auto Center in Sarasota, here’s what you need to know.

At Action Auto Center in Sarasota, we know an important part of your ability to care for your transmission lies in your knowledge about how it works. Here is some information on the tow button, if your car, truck, or SUV is equipped with one.

The term “overdrive” is one you are most likely familiar with. What is overdrive though, really, and why is it important? Action Auto Center in Sarasota, FL has the answer.

Over the past decade, vehicles with CVTs, or Continuously Variable Transmissions, seem to have taken over the market. While many people have different opinions on CVT transmissions, what are they, and how do they work? Action Auto Center in Sarasota has a simple explanation for you.

Sometimes your car, truck, or SUV stops performing quite like it used to. At Action Auto Center in Sarasota, we can fix that. A simple but common issue on vehicles equipped with a manual transmission is shifter bushing issues. Your shifter has a bushing on the end of it, where it connects to the actual transmission. Its purpose is to provide tight, smooth shifting. 

“Transfer case” is a term you may have heard in discussions about transmissions. But what is it, and what does it do? Action Auto Center in Sarasota wants to keep you up to date and knowledgeable in your vehicle. Different aspects of your vehicle provide different issues and solutions.

At Action Auto Center in Sarasota, we understand the importance of keeping up with and understanding the latest in automotive technology. Gone are the days when fluids and vacuum lines were all that controlled the function of your engine and transmission, and we’ve moved into an era where computer control reigns supreme.

You may occasionally hear the term “transaxle” used in place of “transmission” for your car or SUV. Is there a difference, and if so, what is it? Action Auto Center in Sarasota is here to help.

You’ve heard the term “slipping transmission” before, and you know it’s nothing good. What exactly does a transmission slip feel like, and how much of a problem is it if your transmission is slipping? At Action Auto Center in Sarasota, FL, our expert technicians have diagnosed and repaired every type of transmission issue in the book. Here’s a short explanation of transmission slippage, and what action you should take to get rid of it.

Unless you use your vehicle to tow every day for work, odds are you haven’t paid much attention to your truck, SUV, or crossover’s towing capacity. Maybe you’re looking to buy a boat for some summer fun or just need to rent a trailer to get your belongings from one dwelling to the next. Whatever the reason for pulling something behind your vehicle, it’s important to get a firm grasp on what exactly your towing capacity means. Understanding how each of the components in your vehicle contributes to your overall tow rating can keep you from putting undue stress on your rig and keep you and your family safe.

Transmission problems aren’t always as dramatic as they seem. Often, a huge inconvenience is caused by a simple problem, if you only know what to look for. At Action Auto Center in Sarasota, we know what to look for, and would like to pass some of that knowledge on to you. Here, we investigate an easy fix that causes a lot of people problems; a faulty neutral safety switch.

Whether you’ve never had any trouble out of your transmission, or you are all too familiar with transmission issues, you may wonder how often a transmission requires repair. In truth, it really just depends. There are hundreds of different transmissions, some more reliable than others, with different levels of stress demanded of them. Age, mileage, type, and usage are all aspects of the transmission condition.

It’s likely you’ve been exposed to conflicting opinions about having your transmission fluid replaced. You may have heard that cars over a certain mileage should not have the transmission fluid flushed and replaced, because it could damage the transmission, or you may have had someone tell you the first thing you should do at any sign of trouble is have your transmission flushed. At Action Auto Center in Sarasota, our expert mechanics have the answers you’re looking for.