The transmission of a car centres on the gearbox. It is essential that the gearbox functions correctly for your car to go anywhere. Whilst it is expensive to have car gearbox problems repaired on your vehicle, it can change the way your car drives completely. There are things we can do to increase the number of miles a gearbox will last for, but you need to know the basics of how a gearbox works to understand how these changes help.
The car is propelled forward when gears are changed as the engine’s speed is transformed into torque. How it does this depends on whether you’re driving a manual or an automatic car.
The driver of a manual car has to push on the clutch when they want to change gear, which enables the sliding gear to be released from its original position and be moved up and down the gearbox into a higher or lower gear. Whilst the driver selects the appropriate gear and takes action to move into this gear in a manual car, the transmission system in an automatic car chooses the gear instead. A hydraulics system detects the pressure of fluids in the engine and chooses the right gear based on this pressure. Instead of a clutch, a torque converter engages the sliding gear.
Now you know a little about how gearboxes work, it will be easier to understand how your driving style can damage it and make gearbox problems an unpleasant reality If you buy a car with a good clutch on, it can last for thousands of miles, and a good driver will get a lot of use out of their clutch before it needs any maintenance. Unfortunately, some car models do come with weaker clutches, and they cannot withstand aggressive driving or inexperienced drivers without needing some attention. Your clutch will last longer if you take more time from switching gear to gear and are more gentle on the gear stick.
Professional gearbox and clutch mechanics should be used for your vehicle’s maintenance, even for minor jobs because mistakes can be costly to fix. If you do need work doing on your gearbox, look for a mechanic that offers a courtesy car and a pick up service as this demonstrates that they are professional and offer a good service.
A specialist in the field of gearboxes and clutches will give you the best service and get your car into the best condition possible.
