Q: I'm trying to figure out if it's my transmission or axle (or both)

asked by on October 28, 2016

I had a new battery placed in my car yesterday. I had an oil change done to my car couple weeks ago. the mechanic had mentioned to me that my axle was broken and that I needed to fix it. at that moment I didn't have the money. he told me i could still drive but I needed to get it fixed. my car drove fine. the only problem that i had was it was when i started my car, put it in gear, it would take couple seconds before it would move. today i was on my way to work. it drove fine for about a mile it just stopped. i tried pushing the gas but it wouldn't move at all. my car never made any noises. I'm trying to figure out if its my axle thats causing this or my transmission. Or both. How much is it to fix it??

My car has 150011 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Hello. Typically an axle will not cause this unless it completely broke. If that occurred, you would have had an extremely loud noise followed with a grinding and knocking noise every time you tried moving the vehicle. It sounds like the transmission itself has failed. The transmission fluid needs to be checked first.

If it is low, then this will occur. If the fluid is at the right level but is really dark or burnt, then the transmission has failed. It is best to fully inspect the vehicle first as it is also possible that it is an issue with the shifter itself, but that is not as common. If you want to have this transmission problem checked, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose why the car will not move in gear. If you would like to get a quote for a service, you can enter your vehicle information on our estimator page to get an estimate for costs.

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