Gearbox questions we get asked most

It depends entirely on the fault and the vehicle, and anyone quoting a figure over the phone without knowing either is guessing.

What we can do on the phone is give you the realistic range for your make and model across the three options - repair, reconditioned exchange unit, or a good used gearbox - so you know roughly what you are dealing with before committing to anything.

Nobody can tell you what is actually worn until the gearbox is out and dismantled, so that is the next step, and you are told what it needs before you are asked to spend.

The deciding factors are how far the damage has spread, what the vehicle is worth, and how long you intend to keep it.

A single bearing that has failed early usually repairs economically. A gearbox that has been run noisy for months has generally sent debris through everything, and the parts bill closes on the price of a reconditioned exchange unit that comes with a guarantee. On an older or lower value vehicle a checked used gearbox is often the sensible answer, and we will say so rather than sell you the bigger job.

An exchange gearbox is the fastest route, because the reconditioning has already been done. A finished unit comes off the shelf and yours goes back as the core, so it is usually a matter of days.

A full repair or recondition of your own unit takes longer, because the strip, the measuring, the parts and the rebuild all happen in sequence on your vehicle. Courtesy vehicles are available to cover either.

Every reconditioned exchange gearbox we supply carries our standard 12 month or 20,000km guarantee, whichever comes first. It covers the complete unit rather than only the part that was replaced, and it applies whether we fit the gearbox or your own workshop does.

Used gearboxes are a different product and are covered differently. We will tell you exactly what applies to a specific unit before you buy it.

It is worth acting on. A whine that rises and falls with road speed is usually a bearing, and a failing bearing sheds metal into the oil. That metal then circulates through every other bearing and gear face in the gearbox.

The repair that is possible while the noise is new can become a full recondition within a few months of driving on it. A noise is the cheapest time to have it looked at, not the time to wait and see.

No. Manual gearboxes are the whole of what we do - repairs, exchange units, used gearboxes and parts.

Automatic transmission work is handled by our sister business Auto Transmissions Ltd, under the same ownership but across the road from us at 133 Antigua Street: conventional automatics, CVTs, dual clutch units, mechatronics, torque converters and valve bodies. They are a separate workshop with their own phone number, 03 379 3692, so ring them directly for an automatic.

If you are not sure which you have, ring us and we will tell you in a minute which of the two workshops you need.

Yes, and a great many workshops do exactly that. We supply reconditioned exchange gearboxes, checked used units and parts to the trade throughout the South Island, and the guarantee on an exchange unit applies regardless of who fits it. Exchange gearboxes go on overnight freight to most South Island destinations.

You receive a gearbox we have already reconditioned, and your old unit comes back to us as the core to be reconditioned for the next customer. Because the rebuilding work has happened in advance, you are not waiting for it.

A reconditioned unit has been completely dismantled, cleaned and inspected, with bearings and seals renewed and worn components replaced, then reassembled to the manufacturer's specification. Oil goes in when the gearbox is fitted, not before.

There is no surcharge if the core you hand back turns out to be damaged beyond repairing.

Yes. Gearbox work is not something you wait for in reception, so courtesy vehicles are available to keep you moving while yours is with us. Ask when you book, because they do get spoken for.

We are approved repairers for extended mechanical warranty insurance providers. If your vehicle is covered by a mechanical breakdown or extended warranty policy, bring the details when you come in and we will work within the policy and deal with the insurer directly where it allows.

156 Antigua Street, Addington, Christchurch 8024, a few minutes from the central city. Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm, and some Saturdays.

Phone 0800 432 726 or 03 366 0421, or see the contact page for a map.