Alright, road warriors and casual cruisers, let's have a chat about those little habits we've picked up on the road, shall we? Don't worry, we're not talking “the end of your car” level stuff here, just some important reminder to nudge you guys towards smoother driving…and to make sure your gearbox doesn't break down in the middle of traffic. Sound good? Great, let's start.
Shifting gear while the car is still moving – don't be that guy or gal.
So, you're in a rush and you're reversing out of your parking spot. While still reversing, and the car has not come to a full stop, you suddenly shift it back to “D”. Seem harmless right? And you think that's fine right? Not a big deal right? Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
The gearbox is built to provide smooth gear shifts, facilitate smooth gear changes in different speeds and even save you some fuel by operating at an optimal RPM in various speeds. But, do you know something? It is not dumbass proof. It can't protect itself from people who insist on manhandling it. You gotta show it some love as you would your women – or men, by being gentle with it. Capiche?
Give your brakes a little work. Bring your car to a full stop and then – and only then shift your gear to “D” or “R”.
Neutral dropping – You know you've done it!
Well, me too. I ain't no saint. I'm guilty of this too. But, we learn, correct our mistakes and improve. Hear me out. Picture this: You are at the traffic light waiting for the light to turn green and you can't wait coz you're in such a hurry. – as if everyone else don't have stuff to do.
Then, you keep revving the engine while in neutral and once the light turns green, BOOM – you slam it into drive. That's a giant no-no my friends. Let me tell you why. This can cause great stress on the transmission system. When you shift into drive, the transmission bands are forced to clamp down suddenly, leading to a high level of slip.
This puts extra strain on the transmission components and can lead to damage over time. In short, neutral dropping is an unhealthy practice that will lead to costly repairs and should be avoided. Remember, Its not worth forking out thousands of bucks for repair just to continue your retarded driving.
Unless, your daddy or mommy's rich af, then, by all means, go ahead and bust up that gearbox. Who knows, you might get a new car for that stunt you pulled.
“P” is for problematic parking
Inside your car's automatic transmission, there's a mechanism called the parking pawl. Think of it as a small metal latch. When you shift into “Park,” this pawl engages with a gear connected to the output shaft – means, it is locking it in place. The parking pawl needs a moment to align itself correctly with the gear and lock it. And this is what prevents your car from rolling away when you're parked on an hill road.
Now, here's the thing, when you shift into “Park” while the car is still moving – even moving just a little bit and you don't give it that moment to allign itself and lock, it can jam or even break.
Neutral Coasting? Nah man, cut it out!
I saved the best for last. Ok, we all have at some point in our years of driving, done this. Have you ever driven downhill? You have right? So, while you're coasting downhill, you might have taken your foot off the gas and shift your gear to “N”(neutral).
Now, what's wrong with this? Well, more like everything.
When you're driving and you take your foot off the gas pedal, the car starts to slow down or maintains its speed right? If you leave the gear in drive, the engine helps with the slowing down process. It's like a built-in brake system.
However, if you shift to neutral, you're basically telling the engine to sit this one out and just stand by. Now, the car has to rely solely on its brakes to slow down, and that uses up more fuel. Meaning, your engine has to work harder, and that uses more fuel.
So, coasting in gear means the engine is still doing a bit of work to help slow down, which doesn't use extra fuel. Plus, when you're in gear, if you need to speed up suddenly, you can just do it. But, in neutral, you'd have to shift back into drive first. But what happens when you shift into drive while the car is cruising in neutral???
Read this slowly alright?
When you shift from neutral to drive while the car is cruising, it can lead to a sudden jolt or lurch, especially if you're going at a higher speed. This happens because the gearbox has to quickly engage the selected gear.
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This will strain the transmission components, including the clutch (in a manual transmission) or the torque converter (in an automatic transmission). Over time, this kind of sudden shift can contribute to wear and tear on the transmission – again leading to? You guessed it. Costly repairs down the line.
So, it's best to avoid shifting from neutral to drive while the car is in motion. Coasting in neutral might sound like a genius move to save fuel – I hate to break it to you, it isn't.
So there you have it, guys! Just a few insider tips to keep your transmission in tip-top shape. Remember, your transmission is a crucial part of your car's resale value too. So, treat it nicely.
Happy cruising – using “D' and not “N”.
Peace out!
Keyword: Gearbox blunders: 4 slow death sentences for your transmission