Cherry's Automatic Transmissions Inc.

Cherry's Automatic Transmissions Inc. Cherry's AutomaticTransmissions opened in June of 2001. I have been doing transmissions since 1988. We rebiuld, repair, and service automatic transmissions.

We do lite general auto repair. We install lift kits on four wheel drives. All work is guarenteed.

09/12/2024

We will be closed all of next week for vacation. We return the following Monday. We apologize for any inconvenience.

01/15/2024

Everyone be safe. The roads are terrible. Stay home if you can.

Hmm. I’ve never heard this before. Transmission shop owner 30 years.
11/21/2022

Hmm. I’ve never heard this before. Transmission shop owner 30 years.

10/06/2021

Removal and reinstalling of transmission and other light mechanic work. Pay dependent on tools and experience.

07/09/2021

We are now hiring, the position in question is for removal and reinstallation. Starting wage will be determined based off experience and if you have your own tools. We need a quick learner that is eager to work. Call the shop at 870.492.2127 for further information .

02/25/2021

Winter conditions vary geographically, but there are a few conditions that are common to most of the US and Canada during the winter months. How you deal with those conditions can have a dramatic effect on your transmission.

Cold Temperatures — For a good part of the Northern Hemisphere, winter means cold weather. As temperatures drop, fluids thicken, reducing their ability to lubricate. In most of the US, you can deal with this simply by driving slowly for the first few miles, until your engine and transmission reach normal operating temperature.

Avoid letting your car idle for extended periods. Sure, the passenger compartment will be nice and toasty by the time you get ready to go, but meanwhile your engine will be running rich, creating additional pollution, damaging your catalytic converter, and using expensive fuel to go nowhere.

And, for many transmissions, you may be damaging the internal components as the engine idles. That’s because some transmissions don’t create l**e flow with the shifter in park. Oil doesn’t start flowing through the cooler and l**e circuits until you put the shifter into drive. So internal transmission components are spinning — ice cold — with no l**e flow. Not good.

If the temperature tends to get really cold in your area, invest in an engine heater that plugs into a wall outlet and warms the engine before you come out in the morning. A timer will allow you to start the engine warming a few hours before you’re ready to leave, saving you money, and your car wear.

Snow and Ice — For much of the country, driving on snow and ice is part of a normal winter. But there are specific hazards to your transmission on those roadways.

One that you may not be familiar with is what can happen if you get stuck. Too often, drivers spin their wheels, in the hopes of freeing themselves from a snow drift or icy patch. This can cause major damage to the transmission; here’s how:

Today’s cars use a computer to control transmission operation. When you spin the wheels, the computer sees the vehicle speed rising; in many cases it has no way of knowing that you aren’t really moving.

When the speedometer registers 40-or-so MPH, the computer sees the speed, and identifies driving conditions as being right to engage the converter clutch. Now the engine is locked directly to the drive wheels. If the wheels regain traction, their speed will drop suddenly. The result can be catastrophic to the transmission.

The best way to get out of a drift or icy patch is to rock the car back and forth… forward and reverse… until you can get moving again. Or, better yet, get someone to push or pull you out of the snow. Avoid spinning the wheels, or you could end up damaging the transmission.

Water in the Transmission — No major component of your car can survive indefinitely with water in its internal components. But no other component can be damaged as quickly as your transmission can by water.

Even a small amount of water in an automatic transmission almost always results in serious failure and major repair bills. The reason is the band and clutch linings are hygroscopic; that is, they absorb water, even if they have to push transmission fluid out of the linings to do it.

This water quickly finds its way down to the metal backings, causing them to rust and lift the linings off of the clutches and bands. The result is metal-to-metal contact, which always means serious damage to the transmission.

To avoid this type of trouble, steer clear of deep puddles. Should you find your car submerged, don’t start the engine. Your only chance of avoiding a big repair bill is to have your car towed into a transmission shop and have all the oil drained out immediately.

If you're lucky, draining and servicing the transmission may be all that’s necessary to save it. If not, your auto insurance may cover part or all of the damage. Your local ATRA Member shop will be happy to supply the necessary technical information to your insurance company.

So whether it’s snow and ice, water, or just plain cold out, winter delivers a whole new set of conditions just waiting to damage your transmission. Whether it succeeds or not depends on how you deal with those conditions.

01/20/2021

HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION?

Your transmission suddenly isn’t shifting right. So what’s wrong with it? Do you need your transmission rebuilt? Good question. Unfortunately, the answer is: No one knows. At least, not yet.

To find out what’s causing your transmission problem, a technician is going to have to perform a series of tests. Basically, these tests are designed to answer the simple question: “Is it inside or outside?” That is, is the problem inside the transmission, or in one of the many control systems that operates the transmission?

That’s because there’s a lot more to transmission operation than the transmission itself. Nearly every transmission on the road today is controlled by a computer system. That system is integrated into the rest of the vehicle. So a problem in the engine — or for that matter, even the brakes — could have a dramatic effect on transmission operation.

In fact, today’s transmissions are so integrated with the rest of the vehicle that many technicians with years of auto repair experience can have a difficult time determining whether a problem is inside the transmission or not.
Until a properly trained and experienced transmission technician examines the vehicle and performs the necessary tests, there’s no way anyone can tell you for sure what’s wrong with your car’s transmission.

Once those tests are performed, a qualified technician should be able to tell you precisely whether you’re dealing with a transmission problem or not. And he (or she) will be able to let you know what it’ll take to fix your car and put it back into proper running condition.

The really great news is that the vast majority of customers who bring their cars in with transmission problems don’t actually need their transmissions rebuilt. In most cases the problem turns out to be external, which usually costs far less than a transmission rebuild.

But the only way you can be sure you’re only paying for the work you need is by bringing your car to a qualified transmission repair shop, such as one of the nearly 2000 ATRA Member shops all across the US and Canada.

Our shop is an ATRA member shop. Call 870-492-2127 for more information.

07/20/2020

Phones are down due to a outage in the area. Should be fixed by 1:00. Thank you.

11/12/2018

WINTER HAZARDS AND YOUR TRANSMISSION
Posted in
Articles, Automotive 101
Published
11/18/2011
Winter conditions vary geographically, but there are a few conditions that are common to most of the US and Canada during the winter months. How you deal with those conditions can have a dramatic effect on your transmission.

Cold Temperatures — For a good part of the Northern Hemisphere, winter means cold weather. As temperatures drop, fluids thicken, reducing their ability to lubricate. In most of the US, you can deal with this simply by driving slowly for the first few miles, until your engine and transmission reach normal operating temperature.

Avoid letting your car idle for extended periods. Sure, the passenger compartment will be nice and toasty by the time you get ready to go, but meanwhile your engine will be running rich, creating additional pollution, damaging your catalytic converter, and using expensive fuel to go nowhere.

And, for many transmissions, you may be damaging the internal components as the engine idles. That’s because some transmissions don’t create l**e flow with the shifter in park. Oil doesn’t start flowing through the cooler and l**e circuits until you put the shifter into drive. So internal transmission components are spinning — ice cold — with no l**e flow. Not good.

If the temperature tends to get really cold in your area, invest in an engine heater that plugs into a wall outlet and warms the engine before you come out in the morning. A timer will allow you to start the engine warming a few hours before you’re ready to leave, saving you money, and your car wear.

Snow and Ice — For much of the country, driving on snow and ice is part of a normal winter. But there are specific hazards to your transmission on those roadways.

One that you may not be familiar with is what can happen if you get stuck. Too often, drivers spin their wheels, in the hopes of freeing themselves from a snow drift or icy patch. This can cause major damage to the transmission; here’s how:

Today’s cars use a computer to control transmission operation. When you spin the wheels, the computer sees the vehicle speed rising; in many cases it has no way of knowing that you aren’t really moving.

When the speedometer registers 40-or-so MPH, the computer sees the speed, and identifies driving conditions as being right to engage the converter clutch. Now the engine is locked directly to the drive wheels. If the wheels regain traction, their speed will drop suddenly. The result can be catastrophic to the transmission.

The best way to get out of a drift or icy patch is to rock the car back and forth… forward and reverse… until you can get moving again. Or, better yet, get someone to push or pull you out of the snow. Avoid spinning the wheels, or you could end up damaging the transmission.

Water in the Transmission — No major component of your car can survive indefinitely with water in its internal components. But no other component can be damaged as quickly as your transmission can by water.

Even a small amount of water in an automatic transmission almost always results in serious failure and major repair bills. The reason is the band and clutch linings are hygroscopic; that is, they absorb water, even if they have to push transmission fluid out of the linings to do it.

This water quickly finds its way down to the metal backings, causing them to rust and lift the linings off of the clutches and bands. The result is metal-to-metal contact, which always means serious damage to the transmission.

To avoid this type of trouble, steer clear of deep puddles. Should you find your car submerged, don’t start the engine. Your only chance of avoiding a big repair bill is to have your car towed into a transmission shop and have all the oil drained out immediately.

If you're lucky, draining and servicing the transmission may be all that’s necessary to save it. If not, your auto insurance may cover part or all of the damage. Your local ATRA Member shop will be happy to supply the necessary technical information to your insurance company.

So whether it’s snow and ice, water, or just plain cold out, winter delivers a whole new set of conditions just waiting to damage your transmission. Whether it succeeds or not depends on how you deal with those conditions.

10/31/2018

The Right ATF for Your CVT or Else!
Posted on March 28, 2011 by atra
The CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) in becoming increasingly popular with both Domestic and Import cars. Historically, these transmissions were limited due to their lower torque capacity; only being used in sub-compact cars with small-displacement engines. Better designs make these transmissions an option for wide range of car models with more substantial engines. The advantages of the CVT is they are compact, have fewer moving parts and have an infinite range of ratios; resulting in better fuel economy. Be careful though when it comes time to service your CVT. Using the wrong ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) can cost you dearly.

CVTs use two steel pulleys and a steel belt made of multiple segments. The pulleys move in a fashion that causes the belt to ride on different locations of the pulleys, resulting in a ratio change. This metal-to-metal contact between the pulleys and belt require a specially-formulated fluid to reduce wear. Using an ATF not designed for use in a CVT will result in premature wear and drivability problems. Although the CVT is simple in design they are very expensive to repair; commonly in the $3,000 range or higher.

If you service your CVT transmission make you use fluid that states “CVT” on the container.

10/31/2018

7 MOST COMMON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS

Transmission Fluid

Your automatic transmission is a critical system in your vehicle and needs proper care and attention by you to ensure long lasting operation. Many people are unaware that the automatic transmission can cost more to replace than an engine. This makes it important that you pay attention to the following symptoms and problems on this page if you want to avoid a major repair.

Automatic Transmission Symptoms In This Page:
Grinding or shaking sensation in gear
Car won't engage or respond when in gear
Makes Noises: whining, humming or clunking, noisy in neutral
Smells like its burning
Gears Slipping
Low or leaking fluid
Check engine light is on
This article may ease your mind, or it may make alarm bells go off in your head. Either way we aim to help you with the information below. Armed with the right knowledge, you can make a well-informed decision about what to do (if anything).

These Automatic Transmission Symptoms Are Telling You to Pay Attention
Your Automatic transmission is a very complex mechanical and computer driven system. Because of that your automatic transmission can be more expensive to repair than your engine (depending on your particular car). That means you are better off paying attention if one of these symptoms appear rather than ignoring or waiting for it to go away. It can cost you a lot of inconvenience and money if you neglect its service.

1. Grinding or shaking sensation in gear
Your automatic transmission normally operates smoothly when shifting from gear to gear. You shouldn't feel any grinding, slipping or shaking sensations as your car switches gears. When a transmission is starting to have problems, these symptoms can seem insignificant. But, it is best to pay attention at this point because it will likely become worse with use. If you are already feeling pretty jarring sensations when the car shifts, it's time to get it in have us look at it. Normally when automatic transmissions have damaged gears they progressively get worse.

Summary: This is a more serious problem and time is very important. Be sure to get your car to a qualified automatic transmission specialist soon.

2. Car won't engage or respond when in gear
When you put your car into drive or reverse does it respond immediately or is there a delay? Does the car's transmission not engage at all when you put it in drive or reverse? These are both issues that may signal a problem. It could indicate a problem with your fluid whose protective properties have degraded and has become thick. In this case a good fluid exchange could help you.

Other times you may be experiencing a computer system problem. Sometimes resetting the car's computer can solve the problem too. You can do this yourself by disconnecting the battery for around 30 minutes. This can allow it to reset. If this doesn't help, it's time to let a qualified transmission mechanic take a look for you.

Summary: When your automatic transmission doesn't engage or delays, it's time to have someone look at it. Most problems from these symptoms are minor, but it's best to find out for sure so that it doesn't cost $1000's later.

3. Makes Noises: whining, humming or clunking, noisy in neutral
If you suddenly start to hear a whining, humming or clunking noise under your car like you've never heard before, you may have transmission trouble. That trouble may likely be minor, but it could signal something worse.

Some noises that come from your transmission can be caused by your automatic transmission fluid breaking down. This fluid has a hefty job of keeping an amazing amount of mechanical gears and components lubricated. With time and use, that fluid loses its protective properties and doesn't stop that friction. Friction is what damages that complex automatic transmission system.

If you hear clunking noises and suspect it's coming from the transmission, your transmission may already have an internal part giving out. If that's the case, it's important to have a qualified automatic transmission mechanic look at it right away.

Summary: Some noises may be simple problems due to your transmission fluid, while other times it maybe more serious. Certainly check your automatic transmission fluid if you can. If you're low, add some and get into the shop soon to talk with one of our transmission mechanics about the issue. If you're not sure and need peace of mind, call or visit the shop right away.

4. Smells like its burning
Your car should NOT have a burning smell and this is something to be concerned about. One of the most common causes of a burning smell from the transmission is overheated fluid. Your transmission's fluid has a super-important role in protecting this very expensive and complex system running properly. Mainly it is lubrication.

When your transmission fluid's lubricating abilities diminish, as it does with time and mileage, it enables damaging friction between all the parts. Friction causes the breakdown of parts and buildup of debris and likely sludge. All of these problems together eventually lead to a complete transmission breakdown. That is expensive and quite inconvenient.

Sometimes the cause is simply low transmission fluid level. That is usually caused by a leak because in most cars unlike motor oil, transmission fluid doesn't lessen with time. Also, this can happen with the wrong type of fluid added to your particular vehicle.

Summary: If you smell burning from your transmission it’s time to act before it’s a big problem. Check your fluid level if you know how and call or visit us to find out the cause and ease your mind.

5. Gears Slipping
Does your car slip out of gear or lose traction when you need it? This is a serious safety problem if so. If your transmission is slipping in and out of gears when you’re behind the wheel, and you need to give it the gas to avoid a problem, that is scary.

Your car’s computer tells the transmission when to shift between one gear and another. It tells your car when to send power to your wheels. If something is malfunctioning here the signal is not being properly sent.

Summary: Slipping gears is a serious safety issue.If your car’s automatic transmission is slipping in and out of gears, call or come by the shop, right away – safely. If you feel like you can’t trust your car to drive it here, call us and we can arrange a tow for you.

6. Low or Leaking Transmission Fluid
Have you seen a bright red or possibly dirty dark red fluid on your driveway or garage floor? You are likely seeing Automatic Transmission fluid. Because transmission fluid should never leak, this could lead to a very serious and complete breakdown of your transmission – which is very inconvenient and costly (often more than a new engine).

Unlike motor oil, transmission fluid does not normally lessen due to time and mileage. So, if you’re seeing that you are low on transmission fluid, then you have a leak somewhere. Low fluid can create great friction in your transmission which will breakdown parts inside and eventually lead to a complete transmission breakdown.

How serious is low or leaking transmission fluid? If you do nothing, it will turn into a very serious problem. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Sometimes a leak is a low cost service just to replace a leaking gasket or possibly a hose. Just remember, don’t neglect a small problem in your transmission unless you want a big problem later.

Summary: Leaks and low fluid are not normal in your transmission. The repair is likely a smaller one if you catch the problem early. Look for red fluid under your car to tell if you have a leak. Get it into the shop right way before it’s a big problem.

7. Check engine light is on
Your “Check Engine” light is there to help you know there is a current or upcoming problem in your car. But the light can indicate a problem from many different systems in your car, not just your transmission.

Your transmission contains numerous sensors that can pick up anything unusual in your transmission – much more than you can. These sensors send signals to your computer that something is wrong. Then, the check engine light passes on that message to you that something is wrong.

Why have the check engine light checked out? Well, that’s because if the problem is related to your transmission and an early detection indicates a problem, your solution may be small. If you wait, you could have just caused yourself a whole lot of unnecessary grief and money.

Summary: If your check engine light is on, have it checked immediately. It may be a very small thing that your computer has sensed and could save you 1000’s due to a repair.

Conclusion
Many problems with your transmission start off small. Ignoring the signals like the symptoms listed above usually lead to super-costly repairs. Some repairs are small and affordable and they can prevent a huge bill later on. If peace of mind and your money is important to you and you experience any of these automatic transmission problems give us a call or bring your car by the shop to get our opinion.

Address

4819 Highway 62 E
Mountain Home, AR
72653

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 4pm
Tuesday 7am - 4pm
Wednesday 7am - 4pm
Thursday 7am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

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