For those willing to learn how to use a manual transmission vehicle, also known as a stick shift, they may find that with such a vehicle comes more control over both the power and performance of the vehicle. Also, just as you should take an automatic transmission to the shop whenever issues arise, owners of stick shifts must bring their vehicle to a nearby shop whenever they first encounter problems in the vehicle, but they especially must do so when the issues are related to the transmission.
Once you find a transmission repair shop that you can trust, you can be rest assured your vehicle’s manual transmission will be in good condition for every driving occasion. To ensure you’re keeping your stick shift in tip top shape, check out a few crucial tips for preserving your manual transmission.
Carefully Utilize Your Clutch
In the name of maintaining the clutch, whenever you are out driving a vehicle with a manual transmission, it is important that the clutch is used with a lot of care. For instance, despite it possibly being appealing to engage your clutch just a bit of the way while you’re shifting, you need to always be sure you’re pressing the clutch down toward the floor the entire way. By engaging your clutch fully, you can greatly help prevent potential shifting problems from developing in the near future.
Try to Avoid Engine Braking
To describe engine braking, it is a technique of driving that involves using the transmission’s gears to slow down the vehicle. To make sure you are preserving the manual transmission’s lifespan as much as possible, it is best to keep yourself from engine braking if at all possible. Whenever individuals engage in engine braking, they can create excessive strain and wear on the gears. Rather than do this, you would be better off using your brake pedal whenever you have to slow down the vehicle or come to a complete stop.
Schedule Regular Tune-Ups
Another sound way of maintaining a manual transmission (and one of the more obvious) is scheduling regular tune-up sessions with a qualified transmission specialist who is based near you. By ensuring your vehicle receives routine maintenance on its transmission, you can guarantee that your gears and clutch are in smooth working order. By acting on those simple, basic steps, you and drivers just like you can be rest assured that your manual transmission vehicle runs smoothly and without issue for many years into the future.
Have a teen in need of Behind the Wheel Training? Training Wheels driving school is an Atlantic City driving school specializing in teaching new teen drivers the rules of the road. For more information about our lessons, give us a call at 609-241-0118.
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