Four Driving Habits That Could Be Damaging Your Gearbox

Did you know that poor driving can affect the condition of your vehicle? If you are cutting corners and not being mindful it’s likely that ongoing damage will occur in your gearbox and other parts.

Here are four driving habits that you should be aware of.

Going from drive to reverse too quickly

There’s no need to rush when changing gears, especially when moving from drive to reverse. Always come to a stop before changing into reverse otherwise you could be putting additional wear on the transmission which can be costly to repair if you continue repeating this way of driving. It only takes a few seconds to stop and this could save you a number of repairs in the future.

Driving in the wrong gear

Surprisingly, driving in the wrong gear is a common occurrence. If you are in a gear that is too high for your speed or too low, you will usually hear a rumbling sound that indicates there is a problem. Be mindful of how you are using your gears or you could be causing internal damage.

Resting your hand on the gear stick

It’s good to get in the habit of keeping your hands away from the gearstick when it is not necessary. Resting your hand on the gearstick can apply added pressure to gearbox and selector fork. The gearstick is connected to a selector fork but is only designed to make contact with a rotating collar for a short amount of time.

Coasting in neutral

Despite many drivers using this trick to save money on fuel, coasting long in neutral is bad practice. By putting your car in neutral you are reducing how much control you have, causing excessive wear and generally not using your gears in the right way. On top of all this, the way fuel systems work in modern cars means that coasting downhill has no real benefit to efficiency.

At Gearbox Specialists in Bournemouth, we offer a reliable and professional repair service for all automatic and manual gearboxes. If you’ve noticed a change in the way your gearbox is performing, our team will take a look and diagnose the problem quickly, getting you back on the road in no time. Get in touch with us today for more information.