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The gearbox is a major assembly: faults are hard and expensive to fix, and a replacement can cost tens of thousands. Learn to look after it and that bill may never arrive. What does day-to-day care involve?
1. Change the fluid
If shifts become harsh or slow, the fluid is due. A manual gearbox is simpler and tolerates neglect longer; an automatic does not. Change at 20,000 km. Fresh fluid coats the internals in a protective film, so shifts stay smooth. Whether manual or automatic, change at least every 12 months or 20,000 km.
2. Do not idle to warm up
Idling raises oil temperature more slowly than driving gently. The sooner the engine reaches operating temperature, the less wear, and idling only prolongs it while building carbon.
3. Check the fluid level regularly
Unlike engine oil, automatic fluid is checked warm: bring it to about 50°C, move the selector through each gear for two seconds, return to Park, then read the dipstick. It should sit between the marks; top up with the specified fluid.
4. Come to a full stop before selecting
Selecting Drive or Reverse while still rolling shocks the internals. Stop completely first.