Most people know there are at least two types of car transmissions: automatic and manual. Fortunately, those are easy to identify. Manual transmissions have either a stick shift or paddle shifters as well as a clutch in the driver seat area of the vehicle. However, there are about 200 transmission types that your car might use.
If you even need an automatic transmission repair kit to fix up the one in your car, you’re going to need to know how to figure out which transmission you have. That way, you can get the right parts. This guide will help you figure that out.
Look in the Owner’s Manual
The first place anyone should look when wondering about their car is the owner’s manual. This book is chock-full of useful information about your vehicle that you likely won’t find anywhere else. Your transmission type will likely be in there. If you no longer have your owner’s manual, you should be able to find it online through some careful searching.
Read the White Card on the Driver’s Door
If it’s not in your manual, you’ll likely find the information on the white card that is on the side of your driver’s side door. Open the door and look for the “TR” symbol to see what number code it lists underneath. This number won’t mean anything to you, but it’ll be invaluable for the dealer or online vendor from whom you plan on buying your parts.
Find Some Options Under the Hood
There are a few other methods a person can use to learn how to figure out which transmission they have under the hood of their vehicle. Many cars have a sticker on the underside of the hood that states what kind of transmission you have. Other than that, you can also look at the oil pan. Either by its shape or other markings, you might be able to find out some more information on your transmission type.
Use Online Resources
If all else fails, turn to the internet. There is a plethora of resources where you can input the Year/Make/Model or your car’s VIN to tell you the type of transmission.
Check Out the Transmission
A complication with all these strategies occurs if you aren’t the original owner of the car and the previous one switched the car’s factory transmission out with a new one. This is when you’ll need to check the transmission directly.
We don’t recommend this solution because this car part is typically on the underside of your vehicle. Unless you have a way to prop your car up, it’ll be very difficult to see what kind you have. If you have no other options, this is what you’ll need to do, but you should only do it as a last case scenario.
