How To Take Care Of Your Car Gear Box

Most cars these days have either manual gears or automatic gears. Manual cars are cheaper when compared to automatic vehicles. Most vehicles of the manual version are mostly 5 gears models.

In the late 1960’s, I remember driving in a Ford Prefect which only has 3 gears. Unfortunately, the above type of car is no longer on the road.

Like engines, which a driver should take good care of, the gear box of a car should also ideally be taken good care of.

To keep it working in good condition, an engine should have enough lubricating oil in it. Normal cars have approximately 4 pints of engine oil in it.

The Kancil, which is a small car, possesses some 3 pints of engine oil.

Just like the engine, the gear box oil should also be taken care of. However, there exists two different opinions regarding gear box oil.

The first school of thought suggests nothing should be done to the gear box at all. As such, this school suggests it is not necessary for drivers or owners of vehicles to do anything.

This group seems to have the belief that gear box will not run short of oil. Therefore, they seem to advocate drivers shouldn’t meddle with gear box oil at all.

However, the second group possesses the notion that gear box oil can go short from time to time. Therefore, drivers should inspect and fill up its shortage periodically. This group also feels gear oil should be replaced from time to time.

If you know nothing much regarding cars, what more about gear box oil?

Leave the problem to your mechanic. Leave it to the mechanic whether to change the gear box oil or otherwise.

Mechanic friends advised me that gear box oil normally consists of oil numbered 90W to 140W. Older version of models, which have front wheel drive ideally use gear oil numbered 90W.

The rear wheel drive vehicles usually require gear oil numbered 140W. W stand for “viscosity”, the better protection it provides to the car’s gear box.

How does a driver take good care of his gear boxes?

If no good care is taken of the gear boxes, experts say the gear boxes will end up “whining”. It the gear mechanisms begin to whine, it is considered that the gear box has sustained damage.

A 2nd hand gear box will then have to be obtained. Malaysia possesses 2nd hand yards all across the nation. A 2nd hand gear box for a Kancil 660 cc vehicle can easily cost RM400 – RM450. The fixing service of a mechanic can easily cost anything between RM100 – RM150.

As mentioned earlier, how does one take good care of gear boxes? One should ideally:

i) Change gear oil periodically.

ii) Insert into the gear box additives which makes the gear box smoother to operate. I have used Slick 50 gear oil in my vehicles. It has been found that the above transmission fluid surpass expectations.

Besides the above recommendations, I would also wish to recommend the below mentioned suggestions:

i) Avoid dragging a vehicle too for a distance, especially gear 1 and 2.

ii) Avoid reversing the vehicle too far a distance. This is believed to be responsible for making the gears whine.

iii) If your vehicle end up stuck in a muddy hole for example, you are advised never to engage “reverse” gear, accelerate harshly to attempt getting the wheels out of the muddy depression.

The correct way is to get the assistance of a bull dozer, attached a length of rope or chains to the vehicle being pulled and this will assist the vehicle being successfully pulled out from the depression you are stuck in.

The other alternative to this problem is to get a group of people to lift the car out from whence it was stuck.

Can a manual gear vehicle have its gear system converted into an automatic gear system?

The answer is Yes!

As said earlier, our country has many 2nd hand junk yards all across the nation. Secure a good 2nd hand auto gear system and you will obviously not face much difficulty.

Furthermore, 2nd hand gear boxes have a guarantee period of 1 to 2 weeks. Drive around and test that it is in satisfactory condition prior to settling the amount for your gear boxes.

Best of luck to you in your endeavor! But your should be open minded and accept the fact that at times one can be unlucky to receive gear boxes imported from Japan, which fail to provide satisfactory service.

Do not worry too much about it as most scrap yards honour their words. Should you face the problem of purchasing good gear boxes, get the help of some good mechanics to assist you.

If you should face any problems pertaining to gear boxes, ask your foreman for assistance. I’m sure he will only be too willing to assist you.

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By | 2012-09-22T00:11:38+08:00 March 4th, 2010|Car Maintenance|2 Comments

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2 Comments

  1. Saeed March 10, 2013 at 7:09 pm - Reply

    After Rebuilt of Gearbox, what care i should do there ?

    • Cikgu Yap March 12, 2013 at 4:33 pm - Reply

      Drive carefully. Do not trash the car around. Change gear according to speed specifications. Ensure gear box oil is always sufficient. Also heed mechanic’s advice to change gear oil periodically.

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