Ron Hill Blog

Garage shifts

While selecting gears first thing after starting the engine, take note of the engagement time between moving the selector lever and feeling the engagement. There can be a longer delay in reverse, when compared to drive (due to the extra internal components applied and the higher oil pressure required).

An engagement time of more than 2 seconds should be checked out by a technician.

Variation in shift feel

Shifts feel different from transmission to transmission even within the same brand of vehicle. Soft and firm shifts can be acceptable and considered somewhat normal.

Flare

Watch out for a “flare” which is a partial neutral between one ratio to the next as the transmission shifts. A flare shows up as a momentary rise in engine rpm during the shift and will accelerate clutch wear if ignored and can lead to early transmission failure.

Bind up

Is an opposite to the “flare”. This is a situation where a clutch applies to change to the next gear before the currently applied clutch has released properly. This feels like a jab on the brake pedal at the time of the shift. Both a “flare” and a “bind up” are called shift faults.

Hard Shifts

When a shift (gear change) becomes hard or brutal it is another sign to speak to a transmission shop as it will send a shock through the driveline and accelerate wear in the splined areas inside the transmission such as clutch drums and torque convertor hubs. The shock then continues through the CV joints and differential. This can make driving uncomfortable.

Loss of power

We often get older cars coming in with complaints of sluggish performance. This can be a result of an electrical fault ranging from a poor wiring connection to a computer that develops leaky capacitors. Most of these computers can be repaired. The reason for the loss of power is the transmission has defaulted to a “failsafe mode” which locks the transmission in a high gear to get you home.