What is one of the very first mechanisms you rely on when you turn on when you turn on your car? Whether you drive stick or automatic, the answer is the same: Within minutes of turning on any car, the transmission becomes very important. Drivers who own vehicles with manual transmissions need them to shift gears, and drivers of cars with automatic transmissions ultimately need transmissions for the same thing (the difference being, of course, that automatics do the work for you).

Suffice to say, if your transmission fails, you’re going to have a bad time. Here are some telltale warning signs that transmissions repairs, services, or replacement may be in your future.

Don’t Ignore That Burning Smell
Okay, hopefully, you don’t need someone to tell you that a persistent burning smell is not a good thing. You may be wondering where it comes from, and what to do about it — and that’s perfectly reasonable. A likely culprit may be your transmission fluid. Contaminated and dirty or critically low transmission fluid may result in overheating. Pretty much any one of the 701,100 U.S. auto mechanics can help you refill or replace transmission fluid as necessary. Ask about any other necessary automatic transmission services while you’re at it.

Leaking Fluids Are Nearly Always A Problem
Auto transmissions or automatic transmissions are much more popular than manual or stick options, outnumbering them 10 to one. If you have an automatic transmission, you may want to be especially wary of leaks (even minor ones!). “Automatic transmission fluid is vital to your car’s shifting capabilities, so a little fluid on your driveway can quickly turn into a major problem,” HowStuffWorks explains.

Is your manual or automatic transmission in danger of overheating or malfunctioning? When in doubt, visit one of the 87,032 car repair businesses in the U.S. for manual or automatic transmission services.