They say your car is as strong as it’s weakest link. There are many moving parts involved with transferring the engine power to the road surface and they are highly likely to wear out or break at some point in the vehicle life cycle. Regular and preventative maintenance is important for any drivetrain assembly and important factors to look out for include wear and lubrication.
Why do things break?
Some vehicle types are prone to breakage from factory while others easily yield to abuse. Many of us have had experiences with breaking gearboxes and transfer cases on the likes of Mazda Familias and Subaru Legacys, which used to be renowned for low strain tolerance. If you need that new Subaru gearbox to get your wagon back on the road – give Dodson’s a ring today. Other reasons for powertrain parts failing can include type of usage and load carrying abilities the vehicle is subjected to. For example – if you are towing a large boat or trailer which exceeds your car’s towing capacity, you might get a lot of ‘slippage’, meaning your gearbox, transfer case or clutch isn’t up to the job. Heavy duty driving conditions such as offroading will also test your components in a big way, stress likes to find the ‘path of least resistance’ leading to a failure such as a heavy off road session or hard acceleration might lead to a broken axle. Modern and more complex drive systems have more moving parts which can fail and maintenance is an even more important for them. Where an average front wheel drive hatchback, for instance, may have a very simple system involving only a gearbox and axles, a modern 4 wheel drive system can involve a transfer case, multiple differentials and driveshafts as well as electronic components, all of which operate in unison to haul a vehicle and its load.
What to look out for?
Funny noises and leaks are the easiest telling signs that a drivetrain component is on it’s way out. For instance, over-revving engine between gear changes can mean that your clutch is worn (for manual transmissions) or a internal gearbox / fluid issue (for automatics). If your manual shifter ‘crunches’ into gear or pops out of a gear you previously selected, it might be time to closely inspect your syncros, selector forks or other components. Drivers also often buy the wrong clutch plates and pressure plates for their car which may lead to slippage. For instance a standard clutch kit for a Nissan Pulsar GTIR is almost visually identical to a Datsun 720 ute or a Nissan Terrano D21, all of which have different pressure ratings. If you are unsure what clutch or drivetrain parts your car needs, head over to Glenfield in Auckland or call the lads on 441-3152 to find what you are after.
Keeping your pride and joy immaculately clean can also be a form of preventative maintenance. A clear engine bay and undercarriage can show you specific leaks and ‘talk to you’ before something breaks. A dripping clutch slave cylinder can indicate a clutch fault where a transmission fluid leak could mean that your driveshaft isn’t bedding in correctly or a gearbox seal needs renewal. Dodson’s Japanese PartsWorld can help troubleshoot some of these issues and can definitely help with sourcing the replacement car spares you need to fix and maintain your vehicle. Submit an online enquiry or call us today!