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Your gearbox is one of your vehicle's most essential components. If your gearbox fails, you may experience grinding, shaking, or jerking, which can eventually lead to permanent gearbox faults and a faulty vehicle.
Checking your gearbox oil level is one of the best ways to prevent a defective gearbox. But do you know how to do it? If not, read on to find out how.
What is a gearbox?
Your car’s gearbox is the second stage of the transmission system. You’ll usually find it bolted to the rear of your engine, and it’s used to change the speed of your motor or to increase the output or torque.
Put simply, a gearbox is made up of a series of gears that are designed to offer more power and less speed, or less power and greater speed if required.
If you let your car run low on gearbox oil, your transmission can shift improperly or not at all. You may find yourself missing gears or feeling a ‘grinding sensation’ when you’re driving. Inadequate oil levels can permanently harm your gearbox, resulting in some costly repairs.
The oil in your gearbox is there to prevent teeth from grinding on gears and metal-to-metal contact, which can damage your car's components. Your gearbox oil level should never drop noticeably between oil changes. If you need to top it up significantly to reach the correct level, check for leaks.
How often should you check your gearbox oil level?
Most manual gearboxes will usually need an oil change every 30 to 50,000 miles. Automatic gearboxes differ and may require changes between 60 to 100,000 miles.
Driving in heavy rain can be tricky and bring extra risks. Check out our guide for top tips to stay safe and avoid breakdowns if travelling in wet conditions.
Is the UK on the verge of ‘the coldest winter for 50 years?’ Even if El Niño doesn't hit the UK this winter, reduce the risk of a winter breakdown by making sure your car battery is winter-ready.
Your tyre size can be found on the sidewall of your current tyre and is a sequence of numbers and letters. The most common tyre size in the UK is 205/55R16 but there are many variations so it’s important to check your existing tyre first before searching for tyres.
Tip: Take a photo of your existing tyre sidewall to make it easier to identify your tyre size using the guide below.
The first three digits. This displays the width of the tyre in millimetres. A tyre marked 225 will measure 225mm across the tread from sidewall to sidewall.
Aspect Ratio
The fourth and fifth digits of the tyre code that immediately follow the tyre width. The aspect ratio or profile height of the tyre sidewall is expressed as a percentage of the tyre width. So an aspect ratio of 55 for example means that the profile height of the tyre is 55% of its width.
Rim Diameter
The next two digits represent the size of the wheel rim that the tyre can be fitted to. It is also the diameter of the tyre from bead to bead. So a tyre marked 16 will fit on a 16-inch wheel rim.
Speed Rating
The speed rating of a tyre is represented by a letter of the alphabet at the end of the tyre size code and indicates the maximum speed capability of the tyre. Tyres receive a speed rating based on a series of tests which measure the tyres capability to handle a set speed for a prolonged period of time.
Select your tyre speed rating to find out the maximum speed your tyres can maintain.
If you are unsure what speed rating you need, be sure to check your vehicle handbook. Choosing a lower speed rating than that recommended by your vehicle manufacturer could potentially invalidate your insurance.
Load Rating
The load index provides information on the maximum weight capability for the tyre. The load index is a numerical code that can be located just after the tyre size marking and before the speed rating.
Select your load index to find out the maximum load capability for your tyres.
Although not illegal, it is not advisable to have tyres with a lower speed rating or load index than the manufacturer recommended tyre specification for your vehicle, or to have a combination of different tyre construction types. Consult your vehicle handbook to confirm your vehicle’s tyre speed rating and load index as well as any additional requirements.
0800 75 76 77 You can reach our customer care team 6 days a week from 9:00am to 6:00pm on Monday and Thursday, 8:30am to 6:00pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm Saturday, and 10:00am to 4:00pm on Bank Holidays.
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Select Tyre Size
Front Tyre Size
Rear Tyre Size
We endeavour to ensure we are displaying the correct tyres for your vehicle. However, we recommend all customers check the tyre size printed on the side wall of their tyres before proceeding with a tyre purchase as occasionally discrepancies do occur. By selecting the tyre sizes above and clicking 'Continue', you are indicating that you have checked your tyre sizes.
Please select your front and rear tyre size before clicking 'Continue'.
We have identified the tyre size(s) that may fit your {VEHICLE}. Please select your front tyre size and rear tyre size below before clicking 'Continue'.
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Please note: There is a slope that the vehicle must be driven up to reach the vehicle ramp at this centre. This may prevent us from being able to work on some high-performance vehicles, Tesla vehicles or vehicles that have been lowered. If your vehicle has low ground clearance, please contact the centre team on 01342 314 111 before booking.
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This is the only appointment time available on this day. To continue with your booking, please select "Reserve Your Appointment" below.
Please note:
Centres do not open until 10:00 on bank holidays. If choosing an earlier appointment time on a bank holiday, please bring your vehicle to centre at 10:00 rather than the time shown.
