BreakerLink Blog

­It’s important to extend the lifespan of all your car’s parts. However, as your gearbox can often be in constant use on those shorter urban journeys, it needs a little bit more TLC than other parts in the engine. And it’s worth bearing in mind that transmission problems are also painful and expensive. The last thing you want is gearbox failure, when you’re out on a larger road.

Stop the potential hurt with a little bit of vigilance, good driving and simple mechanical checks and procedures, to get a long and healthy lifespan out of your transmission:

Combustion and friction generate a tremendous amount of heat in your car’s engine. To help all that thermal energy dissipate, you need to have a continuous flow of coolant, which is powered by the water pump. When the pump suffers from a fault or failure, this can lead to overheating, poor running of the vehicle, and even put a stop to your travels on the road. And because keeping the engine cool is so important – any issues that are left unchecked can lead to total engine failure.

When you’re out driving, a shaking steering wheel can be irritating. However, it can also be a great way to get an early heads up on problems with your car. Some of the most common causes are likely to be warped discs, causing shakes under breaking, or poorly balanced tyres resulting in shaking under high speed.

There are of course more serious issues with your car that can be revealed by shakes through the steering system. Which signs need a little attention, and how can you spot the serious red flags that mean you need a little hand investigating further?

Many people will tell you knocking sounds are indicative of the big end going. Other screeches and scrapes can tell you about the state of your brakes or the transmission. However, smells are often an underrated method of homing in on car problems that can allow you to suss out the fact your car has a problem, before it becomes a serious issue.

Interestingly enough the mind has no olfactory memory. We can recreate sounds, tastes and even visions in our brains. But not smells. This means that smell can be a powerful, unmissable indicator of problems, and there’s usually no arguing with a whiff in the air. Especially if other passengers can detect it too. So what are the odours you need to be aware of – and more importantly, what do they mean?