Even though most manual transmission vehicles are very reliable, those types of cars and trucks require a little extra work. With a few changes to your driving habits and some preventative maintenance, you can make sure that your manual transmission vehicle continues to run smoothly for years.
Don’t Ride the Clutch
Failing to use your vehicle’s clutch correctly could prematurely damage the transmission and reduce the lifespan of the car or truck. That includes riding the clutch when you aren’t actively changing gears. Even resting your foot on the clutch will partially engage the transmission and put unnecessary strain on the drivetrain. You should also avoid resting your hand on the gear shifter because it could loosen or damage the shifter fork.
Regularly Flush the Transmission
Quite a few vehicles require regular transmission flushes, but that service is particularly important for manual vehicles. Over time, small pieces of metal can flake off and get into the transmission fluid, and that will do an incredible amount of damage. The primary purpose of a transmission flush is to clean out all of the contaminated fluid and replace it with brand new fluid. While every car and truck is slightly different, most manual vehicles require a transmission flush at least once every 30,000 miles.
Have the Transmission Inspected Annually
Whenever you have the transmission flushed, you might also want to have the mechanic carefully inspect that area of the vehicle. During those inspections, the mechanic should be able to catch smaller problems before they result in catastrophic breakdowns. Your transmission shop can also give you more tips and tricks on what you can do to protect your manual transmission vehicle.
Keep Your Vehicle Within the Ideal RPM Range
Keeping your vehicle in the correct gear and within the recommended RPM range at all times will greatly increase its lifespan. Revving too high puts quite a bit of stress on the engine, and it could lead to serious damage. You must also avoid feathering the gas in order to stay in position on a hill. Feathering the gas once you have hit the bite point of the transmission will heat up and strain the moving parts.
As time goes on and you gain more experience with manual transmissions, it will be much easier to properly drive those types of vehicles. Experienced drivers should also be able to tell when their transmissions are acting up, and that is going to allow them to catch minor mechanical problems early on.