# Automatic transmission groans from reverse to drive **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [December 25, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073 "2023-12-25T21:11:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![itouring2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@itouring2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/itouring2010)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/1 "2023-12-25T21:11:40Z")
automatic transmission groans from reverse to drive and drive to reverse is this something of concern? what should be the remedy or should i not worry about it? car drives fine otherwise ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/2 "2023-12-25T21:20:05Z")
What’s the mystery vehicle? Tester ---
**Author:** ![itouring2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@itouring2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/itouring2010)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/3 "2023-12-25T21:22:40Z")
mazda 3 itouring 2010 ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 9:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/4 "2023-12-25T21:30:35Z")
When was the last time the transmission fluid/filter was serviced? Tester ---
**Author:** ![itouring2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@itouring2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/itouring2010)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/5 "2023-12-25T21:34:32Z")
i bought the car last year at over 100,000 miles on mileage give or take a few thousand miles its currently near 119,000 miles and i havent changed the automatic transmission fluid since purchase and unsure if it was replaced previously. valvoline lube technician said transmission fluid looks dirty upon inspection. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 9:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/6 "2023-12-25T21:36:31Z")
Get the transmission serviced and see if the noise goes away. That’s all you can do. Tester ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/7 "2023-12-25T21:56:52Z")
+1 for above, may be a dirty filter… ---
**Author:** ![itouring2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@itouring2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/itouring2010)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/8 "2023-12-25T22:18:54Z")
what is peculiar is that i checked the automatic transmission fluid a few weeks ago it looks new (bright red) but that valvoline guy claims its dirty ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/9 "2023-12-25T22:25:06Z")
The Valvoline guy is at the bottom of mechanic food chain, have a transmission shop check it out… You did check the ATF on level ground with the vehicle at operating temp and the engine running right??.. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 10:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/10 "2023-12-25T22:33:31Z")
That is peculiar, a lube tech tried to sell you a transmission service. What do you think the car needs? ---
**Author:** ![itouring2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@itouring2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/itouring2010)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 4:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/11 "2023-12-26T04:10:28Z")
thoughts on what this guy says? what if i just left it alone? [![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/a/d/ad5d336dd73aac5c802fc7132fc163478940f0ed.jpeg "Don’t Change Your Transmission Fluid") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk_GkJntEtU) ---
**Author:** ![SteveCBT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevecbt/32/3192_2.png) [@SteveCBT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveCBT)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 11:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/12 "2023-12-26T11:25:31Z")
Is the transmission groaning or are the engine/transmission mounts making the sound as the car changes position? Sometimes brakes and suspension parts also make noise when the car changes position a bit. +1 to having a local independent transmission shop look at the tranny, don’t have a chain / quick lube place touch it ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 12:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/13 "2023-12-26T12:29:08Z")
> [@itouring2010](#): > > thoughts on what this guy says? > > what if i just left it alone? Read my reply about this in the link below… > [@Should I change transmission oil on old, high mileage Volvo XC70](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-change-transmission-oil-on-old-high-mileage-volvo-xc70/191713/2): > > This is a very opinionated and controversial topic to say the least… If you have zero history on the transmission maintenance or repairs then I would highly recommend taking it to a transmission shop and have them check it out 1st… Changing your fluid cannot cause any damage by itself, if everything is fine inside the transmission… The issues start to appear when you change the fluid if your clutches are already worn or damaged from use. If you go and replace the fluid after they are already w… ---
**Author:** ![itouring2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@itouring2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/itouring2010)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 7:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/14 "2023-12-26T19:46:41Z")
just wiped the ATF dipstick on paper towel and this is the color. isnt this practically new? ![IMG_9144](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/3/0/30cf74df481a4005b207b97e47c0123219a32482.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/15 "2023-12-26T19:48:16Z")
Looks pretty good. ![maxresdefault](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/3/7316762d9d9df794bda155a537dfbb07076eebb8.jpeg) Tester ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/16 "2023-12-26T21:17:37Z")
Are you certain the transmission is the source of the groan-sound? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/automatic-transmission-groans-from-reverse-to-drive/194073/17 "2023-12-26T21:31:07Z")
> [@itouring2010](#): > > thoughts on what this guy says? I don’t pay any attention to Scotty Kilmer… ever.