How to take care of the gearbox and is it really that difficult?

Have you ever depressed the clutch pedal all the way when shifting gears, used the half-clutch, or downshifted from fifth to third? If you answered yes to even one question, be aware that you are shortening the life of the transmission in your vehicle. What mistakes should be avoided to avoid costly repair or replacement of the transmission? We advise!

What will you learn from this post?

• How does the transmission work?
• What mistakes destroy manual transmission?
• How do I care for an automatic transmission?

Shortly speaking

The shortest route to damage to a manual transmission is to partially depress the clutch, hold it stationary, or depress the clutch half way. There is also forgetting to change the transmission oil and incorrect engine braking. In vehicles with automatic transmission, avoid idling, shifting into park, standing in traffic, and starting with a cold engine.

Manual Transmission

The gearbox is one of the most important and expensive components in a car. A manual transmission allows full control of the driving mode, but its failure is always associated with huge costs.... Many drivers are unaware of the mistakes they make when using the clutch or shifting gears. Follow the tips below and your car's gearbox won't be a problem for you.

Squeeze the clutch fully

The basic rule for the correct operation of a manual transmission is the correct operation of the clutch. By depressing the pedal, you can effortlessly start and stop the vehicle, as well as shift up or down.... Remember to always push the clutch fully, however. Even if the transmission setting allows partial pedal downshifts, try not to do so. It does rapid destruction of synchronizersand therefore costly to replace them.

Avoid Half Clutch Riding

Smooth pressing of the clutch while driving causes unnecessary stress on the clutch. This contributes Excessive wear on discs rotating at a speed other than contact pressure.... So avoid half clutch riding. When rolling slowly, it is better to engage in neutral and support the car on the slope with the brake, not the clutch!

Do not keep your foot on the grip while driving.

The left side of the clutch is marked special legroom... Most of the riders do not use it, keeping their foot fully directly above the pedal. This is a big mistake because even minimal clutch pressure causes friction and faster wear of componentsreplacement costs are significant. Also remove your hand from the gear lever - its weight creates an unnecessary load on the operating mechanism.

Do not hold the clutch stationary.

Driving in traffic jams means getting under way and stopping all the time. Keeping the clutch at rest for a few minutes causes the release bearing to wear more quickly.... Therefore, if possible, shift into neutral and depress the clutch only after the yellow warning light comes on.

Downshift one by one

Engine braking, popular in recent years, consists of crawling gears until the minimum speed is reached or the vehicle comes to a complete stop. This technique has its advantages - less fuel consumption and brakes, as well as better control over the car., in the case of, for example, a wet surface. However, this requires the driver to comply with one important rule - downshifting in turnthat is, from the fifth to the fourth, from the fourth to the third, from the third to the second. Their radical translation, for example from the fifth to the second, places a heavy load on the gearbox and can irreversibly damage the synchronizers... On short braking distances, it is better to just use the brake. Also remember to never shift into first gear. - It's just for leaving.

Try when braking shift the engine and transmission to those speeds that will occur in the lower gear... For example, if the tachometer shows 50 rpm while driving at 2500 km / h, then after decreasing it, it will probably show you another thousand. In order not to overload the box, add a little gas before downshifting.... In this way, you will avoid strong jerks and jerks of the engine.

Change transmission oil regularly

Your vehicle's gearbox will not work properly without transmission oil. Many drivers forget about its regular replacement - do not make this mistake and spend it at least once every 100 km. A liter of quality oil costs about PLN 30, and the cost of replacing it with a mechanic is about PLN 50.. It is important that the lubrication parameters comply with the recommendations of the manufacturer of a particular gearbox - check them in the car's operating instructions.

If you are interested why transmission oil has such an important function, take a look at our post. This will dispel all your doubts.

Automatic transmission

An automatic transmission is slightly easier to use than a manual transmission because automatically adjusts the gear ratio depending on the engine load... Drivers praise it for its comfort and smoother driving, and manufacturers provide fewer bounce rates. On some vehicles, you can even select an Economy or Sport driving mode.so you have a little more impact on fuel consumption.

In cars with automatic transmission, the most important thing is switch mode carefully on the USB stick... Applying slack (N) while driving causes a sharp drop in oil pressure, so the transmission is not properly lubricated. This can lead to serious gear failure over time. similar to turning on N or P (stationary) at each instant stop of the vehicle for example, at a traffic light.

Not automatic Starting at high revs with a cold engine is also detrimental.... After starting the car, it is better to wait for the moment so that the speed drops to at least 1000. However, if the car breaks down in the car, be sure to call a tow truck, because even a short towing can cause the box to jamand the cost of repairing and replacing the entire system is enormous. Therefore, when the car refuses to obey you - throw up the slack, move it to the side of the road and patiently wait for help. Remember that in vehicles with automatic transmission, change gear oil more often than with manual transmission.

Beware of the most common mistakes

In a nutshell, we provide a list of the most common driver errors that affect the condition of the gearbox. If you do that too, start work on changing these habits Your wallet will thank you.

guide Transmission:

• the clutch is not fully depressed when shifting gears;
• driving with half clutch;
• keep your foot on the clutch and your hand on the gear lever while driving;
• pressing the clutch pedal in a parking lot;
• mismatch of gears of speed;
• downshifting out of turn;
• forgetting to regularly change the transmission oil.

Automatic Transmission:

• starting on a cold engine immediately after starting the car;
• switching mode N or P to red light;
• slack while driving;
• too rare gear oil change;
• incorrect towing of a car with an automatic transmission.

Driving mode and habits have a huge impact on the health of a transmission, whether automatic or manual.

Even the slightest mistake made repeatedly leads to irreversible defects, and their repair is very expensive.... So avoid mistakes mentioned in the text and remember to check and replace them regularly. transmission oil... Better quality lubricants can be found at I avtotachki.co.

Also check:

Advantages and disadvantages of an automatic transmission

Gearbox - automatic or manual?

How to drive a car to minimize the risk of manual transmission failure?

avtotachki.com,