Gearbox Repairs in Dawlish

Dawlish is known for the railway that runs along the sea wall, but for drivers the story is the A379, the visitor traffic it carries and the steep hills rising inland. A car here may crawl along the front one minute and climb a gradient the next.

Those changes of pace work a manual gearbox hard. If yours has started to complain, here is how to read the signs, and what Automaster does to find the cause.

What is that noise from my gearbox?

Different noises mean different things. A whine that changes with road speed often means bearings or low oil. A crunch when you select a gear usually means worn synchromesh or a clutch that is not releasing. A clunk or knock may come from the driveshafts or differential instead.

Sometimes the quickest answer is to hear the car being driven.

• Whine that follows road speed
• Crunch on a gear change
• Clunk when taking up drive
• Jumping out of gear
• Fluid dripping from the gearbox

Queues on the A379 and climbs inland: what wears first?

The clutch normally takes the first beating from stop-start queues, then the gearbox synchros from constant changes, then the CV joints and mounts from tight turns and hill starts. A driver's sense of the problem is often one step off from the cause.

That is why we check clutch, gearbox and driveline together.

Can you repair a gearbox, or must it be replaced?

Faults caught early, such as a leaking seal, a worn selector or a single failing bearing, often respond to repair. Extensive internal damage can make a replacement gearbox the more sensible route. The right answer depends on the vehicle, and on parts.

We will explain what we found, including what drives the time and cost, and you decide.

CV joint clicking and driveshaft vibration

If you hear a rhythmic click turning on full lock, a worn outer CV joint is the usual suspect. Vibration that builds when you accelerate can come from an inner joint or a damaged driveshaft. A split gaiter is the typical starting point.

Left alone, the joint may eventually fail, so do not leave a click for months.

Keep in mind that driveline faults tend to get worse rather than better. A joint that clicks only occasionally today may click on every turn in a few weeks, and a vibration that you notice only at one speed can spread across the range. If a driveshaft joint breaks completely the car can lose drive, so an early look is sensible.

Do you cover Dawlish, and how do I ask for a quote?

Yes. Automaster is at Longcombe Cross near Totnes, and drivers from Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Heathfield and Stoke-in-Teignhead bring their vehicles to us.

To ask for a quote, give the make, model and year, the symptoms and when they occur, and tell us about any recent clutch work.