086 000 3227

OWN YOUR OWN WORKSHOP
FIND A WORKSHOP

e-CAR FAQ

Gearbox Repairs

Get a quote today
We have skilled technicians for every make and model of vehicle. e-CAR has the most experienced gearbox repair specialists in South Africa. Combined we have over 100 years of experience. Our experienced technicians will always provide you with expert advice, no matter how big or small the job is. If your gearbox is making a noise and you are concerned that your vehicle may let you down. Give us a call and let us fix your vehicle and get you back on the road quickly and safely.
We have skilled technicians for every make and model of vehicle. e-CAR has the most experienced gearbox repair specialists in South Africa. Combined we have over 100 years of experience. Our experienced technicians will always provide you with expert advice, no matter how big or small the job is. If your gearbox is making a noise and you are concerned that your vehicle may let you down. Give us a call and let us fix your vehicle and get you back on the road quickly and safely.

There are 3 main symptoms to look out for when diagnosing a manual gearbox:

  1. Jumps out of gear
  2. Gears grating
  3. Noisy

Gearbox: jumping out of gear

When a vehicle jumps out of gear, 99% of the time this is due to a gear being worn. Unfortunately, over time the contact pattern of the gears wears down and the 2 gears no longer mesh correctly. The most common cause of this symptom is high mileage and simple wear & tear.

This is the most basic symptom to diagnose because when you drive the vehicle, the gearbox will jump out of gear.

Steps to diagnosing: jumping out of gear

  1. Drive the vehicle in all gears
  2. Release and compress the clutch quickly and slowly
  3. With the clutch released, play with the throttle… full, release, full, release
  4. Make sure to record which gears are jumping out and when they occurred

Gears grating

This happens when the synchronizers (part of a synchromesh manual transmission that allows the smooth engagement of gears) or synchro-rings are worn and they do not lock onto the gear. When trying to diagnose this fault, be aware that the clutch can also cause a grating into gear.

We determine the difference by which gears grate when engaging. If the grating occurs when engaging 1st gear or reverses while the vehicle is stationary, the grating is usually caused by the clutch. If the grating occurs in any other gear while the vehicle is moving, this is usually caused by the synchromesh inside the gearbox.

Steps to diagnosing: gears grating

  1. With the car stationary, try to select 1st and reverse gears.
    (Should there be grating into 1st or Reverse, it is most likely the clutch. However, the other gears still need to be tested with the car in motion)
  2. Test each gear change for grating (Upshift and downshift)

Gearbox noise

Noise is by far the most difficult problem to diagnose. The main causes of noise can be worn/noisy bearings; gear meshing (wear & tear); lack of oil (Burnt Gears) or Excessive play on the gears/shafts.

Bearing noise

Over time bearings tend to wear down which creates an excess of play inside the gearbox allowing the gears and shafts to move around more than they should. This results in a whining noise.
Over time bearings tend to wear down which creates an excess of play inside the gearbox allowing the gears and shafts to move around more than they should. This results in a whining noise.
Over time bearings tend to wear down which creates an excess of play inside the gearbox allowing the gears and shafts to move around more than they should. This results in a whining noise.
When diagnosing a noise in a gearbox, it is important to test the noise in various states before coming to a conclusive diagnosis.

Steps to diagnosing gearbox repair: noise

  1. Begin driving the vehicle to replicate the noise.
  2. Test for the noise in all gears, especially in 4th
    (If the noise is apparent in all gears but quiet in 4th gear, the fault is on the cluster and spigot shafts and they both need to be replaced. 4th gear is a direct drive @ a 1:1 ratio and does not run through the cluster gears)
  3. Replicate the noise at a constant speed and compress the clutch to see if the noise goes away or stays there. (If the noise goes away when the clutch is pressed in, the problem is most likely in the gearbox. If the noise does not go away with the clutch compressed, this can mean a bearing in the gearbox is noisy or that the noise is coming from the differential or another part of the vehicle. E.g. wheel bearings)

find a workshop near you

Explore our services

Explore all our services

Car service

Comprehensive minor and major car services.

Car repairs

Repairs for all car makes and models with genuine parts.

Fleet maintenance

Service a fleet of cars or trucks with a fast turnaround time.

Truck services

Professional servicing tailored to trucks and heavy-duty vehicles.

Car accessories

Upgrade your car with premium car accessories.

Explore our services

Explore all our services

Car service

Comprehensive minor and major car services.

Car repairs

Repairs for all car makes and models with genuine parts.

Fleet Maintenance

Service a fleet of cars or trucks with a fast turnaround time.

Car Accessories

Upgrade your car with premium car accessories.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

About