Why Does Your Car Jump Out Of Gear?
Posted on: 13 October 2020
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If your car is fitted with a manual transmission, you have to get used to its specific demands and ensure that you select the right gear for the conditions at precisely the right moment. To do this, you may have become quite an expert at de-clutching on time and matching the speed of the engine to the forward motion of the car. Yet you may have noticed something rather strange recently if as you performed the perfect gearchange, the lever might have jumped out of its place. What could be causing this anomaly?
Loose Linkage
In an automatic gearbox, all the magic happens electronically, and the system is controlled by a variety of sensors and switches. With a manual gearbox, however, the stick that you shift is connected through a complicated linkage system to the actual transmission. These links are carefully adjusted when the car is first assembled, and there is a certain amount of free play during normal conditions. However, part of the linkage could work itself loose with time, and should this happen, the gear stick may jump out of its allocated spot. In this case, you will need to take the vehicle to a mechanic so that they can replace and readjust the linkage rods.
Mounting Failure
If your car is quite old, then you may find that the rubber mounts have started to wear out. These parts connect the engine and gearbox to the chassis or frame and are designed to flex as you go over any undulation. The mountings will also absorb a lot of the vibration from the engine and keep that away from the passenger compartment. When they start to fail, however, the level of vibration can increase, and this may even disconnect the transmission from the flywheel. While the disconnection may be fleeting, it may nevertheless pull the lever out of gear. In this case, you will need to replace the engine and transmission mountings so that you can avoid that issue in the first place.
Internal Issues
While this type of problem can typically be explained by loose linkage or worn mountings, you may also have issues within the box itself. If the fluid level is particularly low or some of the bearings have sustained some damage, the gears could slip within the casing, and you could lose drive.
Getting Things Fixed
If you're unsure of the cause and want to fix the issue as soon as possible, consult with an auto transmission repair technician.