Automatic transmission pans play a vital role in the overall function of a car’s transmission system. The primary job of the transmission pan is to house all of the transmission fluid that is needed to power the vehicle. Along with providing storage for transmission fluid, transmission pans are also responsible for protecting the transmission fluid from foreign contaminants and ensuring that the fluid is properly cooled before it is sent through the system.

Your car’s automatic transmission pan is not designed to hold its full capacity of transmission fluid. Instead, the pan will have enough space to contain up to half of a car’s total transmission fluid. The other portion of the transmission fluid should always remain in your transmission system and torque converter. If your transmission pan is completely empty, you may be experiencing a transmission fluid leak.