Motorists warned of £500 effective if caught doing one factor throughout site visitors jam
Drivers could be slapped with a hefty £500 fine just for resting their hands on the gearstick while stuck in traffic. Motorists are being warned to keep their mitts off the gear lever, as experts caution against the habit.
“The gearstick is connected to a selector fork, which is designed to make contact with a rotating collar for a short amount of time,” explained the RAC. “If you rest your hand on the gearstick, you risk applying pressure to the selector fork, causing premature wear.”
They continued: “Some owner’s manuals specifically advise against resting your hand on the gearstick, it’s worth checking yours to see if that’s the case.”
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They also advised: “Shifting between reverse and drive (and vice versa) in a car fitted with an automatic gearbox is really bad for the transmission.”
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“Shifting gear before coming to a stop will cause wear and tear on the transmission band, rather than the brake discs and pads, which are serviceable items. Any work on the automatic transmission will be labour-intensive, and therefore costly.”, reports Birmingham Live.
According to BookMyGarage.com, the average cost of a gearbox repair in the UK ranges from £200 to £500, depending on the vehicle and the extent of the damage. But if you’re looking at a full gearbox replacement, brace yourself you could be shelling out thousands, with costs potentially soaring to £2,000 or more, depending on your car’s make and model.
A blog entry on CarThrottle issues a stark warning, arguing that resting your hand atop the gearshift can transmit forces leading to metal-on-metal contact between the selector fork and rotating collar, causing premature wear and damage to both parts.
Clashing with the caution, Race Seng has confidently rebutted: “Feel free to rest your hand on your gearshift even with a weighted gearshift knob because it truly will not damage your transmission. What does damage transmissions is poor treatment, such as bad rev-matching, aggressive shifting, and neglecting regular maintenance. If you use common sense when driving a manual and keep up the maintenance, you shouldn’t have any major problems.”
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