3 Surefire Indications of Manual Gearbox Failure
Manual gearboxes, or manual transmissions, are typically built to function as powerful mechanical systems in vehicles. Just like all other mechanical systems, however, gearboxes ultimately wear out and stop working as efficiently as they were initially meant to. For that reason, you should constantly watch out for any early signs of transmission trouble so that you can avoid costly repair or replacement costs.
Here are a number of surefire signs that indicate manual gearbox failure is in the offing.
No gear engagement
If your gears fail to engage as they should when you select a new gear, for instance when you are switching from "drive" to "reverse," it is likely that your gearbox is faulty. Gear engagement failure is a serious issue because it causes you to lose control over the movement of your vehicle.
Identifying the cause of the problem is usually not an easy job because it could be that one or more damaged gearbox components is responsible for the problem. These components may include: worn shafts, bearings, pressure plates, gear teeth, and so on.
Due to the complexity of this problem, you should take your vehicle to the auto repair shop for immediate inspection.
Unusual noise
Any strange noises that are heard originating from your transmission should never be ignored. If the noises are left to persist and become louder, they will result in costlier damage to your gearbox. A major cause of these noises is excessive wear of parts such as bearings, shafts, gears and shafts.
Some of the noises that indicate gearbox issues include: buzzing and grinding noise when you are shifting gears, howling noise that occurs suddenly and gets louder over a very short length of time, clunking noise when you are releasing the clutch, rumbling noises as soon as the engine starts running, and so forth. If there are odd noises are coming from your transmission, you will need to have your gearbox checked as soon as possible.
Smell of burning transmission fluid
If you can smell burnt transmission fluid inside your car, it indicates that your transmission is overheating. Possible causes of transmission overheating include: low transmission fluid level; old, dirty transmission fluid, or engine overheating.
To fix the problem, you will need transmission fluid flush service to ensure that the old oil is removed and replaced with new transmission fluid of a brand recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.
There are no shortcuts when it comes to keeping your gearbox in good shape. You have to give sufficient attention to your gearbox every time you sense that it is not working properly. For more information, contact Gearbox Express or a similar company.