You learned how to drive a manual transmission, and want to get a manual transmission equipped vehicle for yourself. That or perhaps you are just curious about the things to look for when the time comes to get another vehicle. Regardless of your situation, this article will help outline the big things to look out for when purchasing a vehicle. Saving you the pain and frustration of having to repair a lemon, or help you negotiate a better price for a project car.
What Will the Vehicle Be Used For?
How you use your vehicle is a good starting point for determining which vehicle to go for. The two main categories I go by are daily driver and weekend car. Aside from the obvious things such as low miles and great over all condition of the vehicle. For a vehicle that will be used as a daily driver, you may want to consider a vehicle that has a lighter clutch feel. However if you want a car to take on the race track, you will want a car that has a stronger clutch. There is trade offs, but if you are buying a daily driver make sure it is a car you are fine driving in traffic in almost everyday.
Synchromesh Assembly
As I mentioned in one of my previous articles, “How a Manual Transmission Works” the synchromesh assembly is what allows the transmission to go into gear in most modern cars. If this part of the transmission is worn, it wont go into gear with out double clutching. The best way to diagnose this issue is by listening to the car. If you hear a grinding noise, then it is not working properly and will need repaired
Shift Linkage
Another common failure that can be found on vehicles equipped with manual transmissions is worn shift linkages. The best way to diagnose this issue is to carefully try moving the shifter from side to side when in gear. You will want to be careful, and only do this when on the test drive to not potentially damage the transmission. If it feels lose that means the shift linkage is worn and will need the rubber bushings replaced. These rubber bushings allows the shift linkage to move as required for selecting a gear. If the gear shifter didn’t move much when in gear, you are good to go.
The other test for this component is to take it for a drive. If the gear changes feel smooth, and there is no slop in the shifter. This means the shift linkage isn’t worn and you are good to go. It also worth mentioning this only applies to older vehicles, newer vehicles should not have this problem. If a newer vehicle has this issue, it could potentially be a lemon or driven by someone who drove the vehicle hard. Either way I would avoid a newer vehicle with this problem, but it is acceptable in an older vehicle. Just be sure to replace it as soon as possible.
Clutch
This is the most important part of any transmission, and it wont work with out it. So you will want to make sure the clutch is in proper working order, or you are prepared to have it replaced. Some of the common symptoms of a bad clutch are: burning smell, not able to shift gears, and slipping. Slipping is when the clutch doesn’t catch the flywheel as needed to transmit the power to the transmission from the engine. You will notice this when the engine revs even letting of the clutch during driving. Make sure to not confuse this with being in neutral, as the engine should be able to rev in neutral.
Buying the Car
With these things in mind, you can now carry out a multi point inspection when looking at vehicles. That can make sure the manual transmission is working properly as it should. If it doesn’t it can help diagnose what needs done if you are buying a project car. Otherwise it gives you a warning to not buy a certain vehicle or negotiate a deal to have it fixed. I hope this helps, and wish you best of luck on your next vehicle purchase.