3 Ways Motorist Body Senses Promote Timely Gearbox Repairs

The transmission is an essential system in a car; therefore, it is critical to identify a problem and have it repaired in good time. It prevents extensive, irreversible and expensive damages for a car owner. However, making early calls can be a problem for new car owners because they do not know what to make of possible changes in the behaviour of a gearbox. Fortunately, your senses can play a vital role in discovering gearbox issues early on. Here is how you can train your senses to identify gearbox issues early so you can receive timely gearbox repairs.

Sense of Touch for Abnormal Vibrations

It is a good feeling to lay your hands on the steering wheel, seats and the body of your new car. However, how is your sense of touch critical in helping you identify gearbox issues? If you are driving and you experience sudden vibrations, it might be easy to dismiss them, especially if you are feeling the vibrations for the first time. However, such ignorance can cost you if the vibrations occur when the gear keeps slipping out of position. For instance, if you shift to 4th gear, but it slips to 3rd gear, then the vehicle will vibrate, and this might indicate loose parts in the transmission system. Therefore, by using your sense of touch, you can easily identify transmission issues very early on, and this goes a long way in keeping repairs affordable.

Sense of Smell for Burning Gearbox Fluid 

There can be so many different aromas and odours in your car at any given time. Some smells might be sweet, while others are downright repulsive. Therefore, your ability to distinguish the different smells can determine how fast or early you identify your car's transmission problem. Inside the sophisticated transmission is transmission fluid which protects the parts against overheating. When the gearbox is in excellent condition, the fluid smells sweet. However, if it begins to smell like something is burning, especially inside the car, then that is a symptom of gearbox problems. It can be attributed to the fact that this fluid loses its heat absorption properties with time and begins to burn. Therefore, if you train your sense of smell to distinguish the smell of burning transmission fluid from other vehicle fluids, you will take your car for gearbox repairs on time.

Sense of Sight to Identify Fluid's Physical Characteristics 

It is said that regular checks are essential for the good health of the transmission. However, what if you do not know what you are looking for? Ideally, the transmission fluid in a healthy gearbox has a transparent reddish colour, which looks like cough syrup. However, if the oil appears cloudy, then there is definitely a problem with the transmission. Therefore, regular checks can only bear fruit if your eyesight can distinguish between the physical characteristics of transmission fluid.