Gearbox and driveline durability is always been a sensitive subject from both end user and manufacturer’s point of view. Since powertrain is heart of vehicle, naturally it is expected to long last and perform satisfactorily for the entire vehicle life. Sometimes the driveline aggregates especially gearbox might face some issues because of various factors, but this is distinctively noted by the driver since it is one of the important touch point of the vehicle. The gear slippage is a very typical phenomenon observed in automotive gearbox.
The issue of gear slippage is very sensitive because it leads to compromising safety of the driver, also it deteriorates gear shift quality and thereby performance of the vehicle. Generally, gear slippage is not observed during end of line testing or during early kilometers of vehicle. It is observed after some thousand kilometers, that to initially gear slippage is not observed consistently and that’s why it is difficult to identify at early stage. It is also possible that driving style can contribute in gear slippage i.e. the gear slippage observed by one driver may or may not be observed by another driver.
The detail discussion about gear slippage issue and its resolution is explained in this paper. The paper explains how gear slippage occur, how to detect it at early stages when it is rare, what are the possible causes behind it and how to resolve this with effective solution. The case study explained in this paper throws light on various factors inside and outside the gearbox and how they are interrelated. The conclusion of the experiment includes solutions as well as recommendations to prevent gear slippage in future.