How not to break your manual gearbox & burn clutch plates

The transmission is the only component of your vehicle that transfers the power generated by the engine to your wheels. It is the transmission that helps vary the speed of the vehicle and helps you go faster. Maintaining transmission is important. It costs a lot of money to repair, and it is a labour-intensive job.

However, a worn-out transmission is an issue urban drivers come across more frequently than those in the rural areas. With a bumper to bumper traffic, vehicles going at a snail’s pace put a lot of stress on the transmission and clutch. If not maintained well, it can lead to transmission failure and wearing out of gearbox teeth more frequently than not.

There are a lot of ways through which you can maintain your gearbox and keep it in good condition. Educating yourself will help you reap the maximum benefits for starters.

Shifting appropriately:

Almost 90 percent of your maintenance is done if you shift your gears properly. By properly, we mean not abruptly and at right speeds. There is an engine ‘RPM’ which indicates the correct or appropriate shift, which you need to know as it depends on the car you drive. There are some petrol engines which support higher revs and there are some others which do not. So ask your mechanic or the manufacturer for the ideal RPM for shifting between gears. Also, you need your car to be at a complete stop position before changing the gear from ‘drive’ to ‘reverse,’ or vice versa.

Launching the car:

After putting the shifter into drive, it is pertinent that you should launch the car slowly and steadily. Without a doubt, launching your car abruptly and with a sudden jerk is not good for the vehicle. It might not have an impact on your car at the beginning, but over time, it will. Racing, force downshifts and sudden braking also puts a lot of stress on the transmission equipment.

Lubrication of the gearbox:

Changing the oil in the gearbox not only helps in cooling down the heated components and reduces friction between the parts but it also prevents corrosion and lubricates the sub-assemblies to function better.

It is advised by most manufacturers to change the oil in the gearbox almost every 50.000 kilometers, and not more than that. This helps reduce noise and allows smoother transitions by reducing vibrations. Basically, doing so handles all wear-and-tear issues. Made of a synthetic source, the oil helps maintain the temperature throughout and makes the process efficient.

Check for leakages:

Changing gear oil won’t help if it does not stay in the transmission. Checking for leaks becomes more important after your vehicle gets old. Leaks from transmission will render more friction between the gear teeth wearing them out eventually. You will know there is a leak when you seem to be changing gear oil sooner than required.