Many cars have clutches that work hydraulically. The mechanism that operates them is sturdy and long lasting, requiring only an occasional look in the fluid reservoir (See Checking and removing a clutch master cylinder ) to make sure the level is correct. Read more
Always renew the seals whenever you dismantle the master cylinder or slave cylinder . Read more
Automatic transmission needs little maintenance other than regular checking of the transmission fluid level. Read more
Half shafts, otherwise known as axle shafts, are fitted in rear-wheel-drive cars only. They give relatively little trouble during normal motoring, although they are highly stressed components. Read more
A gearbox contains a great many moving parts. Some of them are submerged in oil and some of them are splashed — that is, the oil is carried to them by other moving parts. Read more
A rear- axle oil leak is easy to miss. The axle works normally until it suddenly seizes up - the expensive and possibly dangerous result of it running dry of oil. Read more
The clutch cable has a steel-wire inner core sliding inside an outer sheath. It should last at least two years, but check it at every main service; if it breaks it may do so without warning. Read more
A propeller shaft, or propshaft, connects the rear axle to the gearbox on front-engined rear-wheel-drive cars. Read more
To work efficiently, the clutch needs the right amount of play in the linkage between the foot pedal and the clutch operating lever (also known as the release arm or fork). Read more
If a clutch fails to disengage fully when the pedal is pressed, the problem may be the clutch itself. In a hydraulic clutch, however, the problem may lie in the master or slave hydraulic cylinders . Read more
There are two main types of oil seal : static and dynamic. A static oil seal fits between two non-moving parts, a dynamic oil seal between a stationary part and a moving one. Most oil seals are made of synthetic rubber. Read more
The hubs of the driven wheels often look similar to those of undriven ones, but there are some differences in the way they are constructed because the driven hubs have to incorporate drive shafts too. Read more
Although they are considerably more complicated than manual gearboxes, with control and operating functions in addition to the gears , modern automatic transmissions are less likely to give problems than their manual counterparts. Read more
If your car has a cable-operated clutch and you find that the gears are difficult to engage, the pedal action is stiff, or there is any sign that the clutch pedal is reluctant to come back up again, then the chances are that the clutch cable is damaged. Read more