Important Things To Know About Manual Transmissions

Transmissions are an essential part of your car. It consists of major components, which can cause a variety of problems if not properly maintained. It is because of this complexity that people are sometimes confused about transmission problems and the cost of the repair. A new transmission cost a lot of money so it might be a good idea to learn as much as possible about transmissions in case you need to replace it at some point.

Types of transmissions

To begin with, there are many types of car transmissions. Cars and trucks can be equipped with either a manual car transmission, an automatic transmission, an automated manual transmission, and continuously variable transmission, just to name a few . In a manual transmission, the driver has the freedom to choose the gear while. an automatic transmission will select it for you. On the other hand, CVT only have one gear to work with.

Possible transmission problems

Clutch problem

One of the most common problems that happen with manual transmission is clutch failures. It’s a bit weird to say that the main problems happen on an external part of the transmission but that’s because manual transmissions are quite reliable.

The clutch is one of the components that wear out the fastest in a transmission and will obviously require to be replaced from time to time.

Once the transmission starts to slip when accelerating, you can safely assume that your clutch needs to be replaced.

Gear problems

Broken gears can also sometimes cause hard-shifts or even lock the transmission in place. It’s not that common but it happens. If this is your case, it’s usually cheaper to replace the transmission altogether.

Shift fork problems

The shirt fork is the component moving the sectors around to select gears. If it breaks, moving the shifter won’t make the transmission shift anymore.

Replacing a broken shift fork required to remove and disassemble the transmission, Such a job can be quite expensive and it may also be cheaper to replace the transmission.

However, on some car models, the shift fork is quite easy to replace and may not be that expensive so always make sure to check the price before reaching a conclusion.

Tips to avoid transmission problems

Since replacing a transmission is quite expensive, your best bet is often to take as much care of it as you can to prevent it from breaking. Hence it is advisable to follow certain things to avoid transmission problems in the future.

For example, drivers should avoid changing the gears vigorously and power shifting. Brutally changing gears may damage the synchronizers and internal gears.

Keeping the transmission well maintained is also important. You should always make sure to have your transmission inspected and to change the fluid based on the manufacturer’s recommendation. Improper maintenance will significantly reduce its durability and overall lifespan.

The cost of replacing a manual transmission

A manual transmission consists of numerous small components all intricately working in unison. When an internal component breaks, replacing it will usually require the transmission to be removed and opened.

Because of this, the total cost of removing the transmission and opening it will often be the same and even lower than just removing it and replacing it with a new one.

Obviously, the cost of replacing a transmission on your car will depend on the kind of car you drive. Bigger pickup transmission costs a lot more than passenger car transmissions. Sports car transmission will also cost more.

In all cases, get ready to expect a total price well over $1000, especially if you get the job done at your local dealer.

What to do when you suspect that there is some issue with your transmission?

Unless you are a professional mechanic, the best thing to do is to bring your car to a certified mechanic. A transmission is an essential component but also a quite complicated one. Removing a transmission also often requires a hoist and specialized tools.

Any mistakes in maintenance or service repairs by an inexperienced DIY weekend mechanic can be of huge loss and turn out to do more harm than good. Troubleshooting a manual transmission also requires a good knowledge of how the system work and a lot of work experience.

If your mechanic says that the car transmission is faulty, ask him what would be the cost of replacing the actual faulty component and compare it with the cost of replacing the whole transmission. You can sometimes find cheap transmission at your local junkyard for a lot less than a new one.

Same thing if he says that the problem lies in the gearbox, shift fork, or any other component.

If you are a DIY mechanic yourself, you can always have a mechanic find out what is the problem first, and then, if the transmission needs to be replaced, you can always do the job yourself.

Last words

Car problems are always troublesome and especially those related to transmissions. We hope that the information that is provided above has been useful and will allow you to make an informed decision if you’re ever faced with the need to have your transmission replaced. Always keep in mind that regular maintenance is the best way to keep your transmission repair cost as low as possible.