What are the hazards of lugging to a car?
3 Answers
The hazards of lugging to a car are: 1. Wearing out the clutch plate, reducing its lifespan; 2. Wearing out the transmission, shortening its service life; 3. The engine will reduce the use of pistons; 4. Wearing out the drive shaft, causing damage to the bearings inside. Lugging refers to a mismatch between speed and gear. When a manual transmission vehicle is driven at high speed in a low gear, the engine speed is forcibly dragged down, leading to reduced power and damage to the car. The reasons for lugging are: 1. Misalignment of the gear linkage mechanism, not fully engaging the gear; 2. Wear of the reverse gear locking mechanism inside the transmission; 3. Softening or breaking of the gear spring lock; 4. Excessive wear of the gear lock block.
With over 20 years of driving experience, I've seen the significant harm of lugging the engine. When the engine speed is too low with increased load, pistons and connecting rods endure extra stress during low-speed, high-gear operation, which can lead to premature wear or overheating issues. Prolonged operation under these conditions may cause cylinder wall scoring, requiring costly overhauls. The transmission synchronizer also suffers damage, and the clutch becomes prone to slipping, reducing overall powertrain efficiency. Fuel consumption rises due to incomplete combustion, wasting fuel and increasing emissions. From a safety perspective, the lack of power during hill climbs or acceleration causes vehicle shuddering. In emergency overtaking situations, the delayed response increases collision risks. It's advisable to downshift promptly based on vehicle speed, maintaining optimal RPM range to extend engine life and save fuel costs.
As an average car owner, I find gear lugging quite troublesome. When the car runs at high gear with low speed, the engine lacks power and vibrates, acting like a sickly patient. Fuel efficiency plummets, wasting gas for nothing, and stalling frequently in city driving. The transmission suffers, the clutch wears out faster, and repairs cost a fortune. Gear lugging on mountain roads is even more dangerous – struggling to climb slopes risks rolling backward and causing accidents. I’ve developed the habit of checking the tachometer for timely gear shifts to avoid lugging, which prolongs the car’s lifespan. A related tip is maintaining good driving habits: gently pressing the accelerator and downshifting appropriately can reduce maintenance costs and bring peace of mind.
