Gearbox Repairs in Dartmouth

Dartmouth is a historic port on the River Dart, with steep, narrow streets rising from the waterfront towards the Britannia Royal Naval College. Add ferry queues and visitor traffic and you have a town where a manual gearbox is constantly changing gear on hills.

Automaster is an independent garage at Longcombe Cross near Totnes. We repair manual gearboxes, fit replacement units, service gearboxes, diagnose transmission faults and repair differentials, CV joints and driveshafts. Dartmouth drivers come to us, as do people from Churston, Brixham, Kingsbridge and Totnes.

What gearbox problems do hilly harbour towns cause?

Repeated hill starts and slow queues in first and second gear put heavy, repeated load on the clutch and gearbox. Faults appear as crunching changes, a lever that becomes stiff, whining in one gear or a car that slips out of gear on a climb.

If any of those sound familiar, it is worth having it inspected before the fault grows.

• Crunching on changes
• Stiff or notchy shift
• Whining in a gear
• Slipping out of gear on hills

Is my problem the gearbox or the clutch?

Often it is the clutch. A clutch that fails to release cleanly makes gears difficult to select and noisy, while a slipping one lets revs flare. We test the clutch, its hydraulics and the gearbox before deciding.

That diagnosis stage protects you from replacing a gearbox that was never the cause, and it means the work we propose is based on evidence rather than guesswork.

How is a gearbox repaired or replaced?

Repair involves removing the gearbox, stripping it and renewing worn bearings, synchro rings or selector parts. Replacement means fitting another unit. Which suits your car depends on what inspection shows and what parts exist for that model.

The main cost drivers are labour for removal and refitting, the parts and whether the clutch should be renewed at the same time. We talk you through all of it, and you can ask for a quote before agreeing to anything.

Why does my steering click or the car shudder?

A repeating click on full lock is the classic sign of a worn outer CV joint, usually after the rubber boot has split. A shudder under acceleration may come from an inner joint or a driveshaft. A hum or whine from the axle area can be the differential.

Dartmouth's tight turns, ferry approaches and car parks give these parts plenty of work. We inspect the boots and joints and say what is worn.

Where should Dartmouth drivers take the car?

To Automaster, at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, Totnes TQ9 6PL. We welcome drivers from Dartmouth and its neighbours, and we also handle MOT testing, servicing and clutch work as an RAC Approved Garage.

Please do not drive a car that will not stay in gear or has lost drive. Describe the problem when you ask for a quote and we will advise on the sensible next step, whether that is an inspection or something simpler such as a gearbox service.