Automatic transmission failures can potentially be extremely costly, but one component that rarely gets discussed is the torque converter. This component is a key part of what makes your vehicle's automatic transmission function properly, and a torque converter that has failed or that is not functioning properly can affect drivability in a variety of ways. Although torque converter replacements are not necessarily cheap, a full transmission replacement will still often cost around $1000 or less. This is significantly less than the cost of replacing your entire automatic transmission.
The Torque Converter
Your vehicle's torque converter serves a similar role to the clutch in a car with a manual transmission. Its job is to transmit power from the engine to the transmission, and to disconnect the engine when idle to prevent it from stalling. The torque converter is filled with fluid, which helps to control how much of the engine's torque makes it to the transmission. This variable coupling is why your car doesn't try to fight back against the brakes every time you come to a stop at a light. On the other hand, it also allows most of the engine's power to reach the transmission once you put the pedal to the metal.
Because of the crucial role that it serves, a failing torque converter is a major problem that will eventually disable your car entirely. Recognizing the symptoms of a failing torque converter early on can help to prevent you from being stranded in the future.
Symptoms of a Bad Torque Converter
Torque converter symptoms often mirror other common problems with automatic transmissions, making a failing torque converter somewhat difficult to diagnose. While pinpointing the issue will require a professional, there are still a few signs that you can watch out for.
Chief among the symptoms that you are likely to notice is slipping. While slipping is a phenomenon well understood by drivers of manual transmissions, it can happen with automatic transmissions as well. Slipping usually describes the sensation that the engine is revving without power being delivered to the wheels. You will most likely notice a lack of acceleration despite your engine still putting in the effort. If your car is equipped with a tachometer, then you may see the RPMs rise much more quickly than your vehicle's speed.
A damaged torque converter may also cause your transmission to overheat, but don't confuse this with engine overheating. You won't see your temperature gauge spike, but you will likely notice your transmission behaving badly. This may cause slipping as described above, but it can also result in rough shifts, shuddering, or even an inability to properly get into gear.
Since most of these issues are critical regardless of whether they are caused by the torque converter or another transmission component, and it is important that they are not ignored.
A Failing Torque Converter
In most cases, once a torque converter has failed, it cannot be repaired and it must be replaced. Depending on your particular make and model of vehicle, the labor for this job is likely to be between $400–600. Often this is significantly less than replacing or rebuilding the entire transmission, making a torque converter replacement one of the less extreme transmission failures.
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