What is the name of the gear shift area?
2 Answers
The gear shift area in a car is called the gear lever or shift lever, which is used in the car's transmission system. Its main function is to facilitate gear shifting. The gear lever is a rod-like component, commonly categorized into 1-2 gear levers, 3-4 gear levers, and 5-gear levers. A 5-gear lever usually integrates the reverse gear function. The gear lever is equipped with shift forks and shift shaft forks to achieve its combined functionality. In an automatic transmission, the driver does not need to manually shift gears; the vehicle automatically selects the appropriate gear based on driving speed and traffic conditions. In contrast, a manual transmission requires the driver to manually move the gear lever to change the gear engagement inside the transmission, altering the gear ratio to achieve speed variation. While driving, as long as road conditions and traffic allow, the driver should promptly shift to a higher gear. Before upshifting, it is necessary to accelerate ('boost') to ensure sufficient power for smooth driving after the shift. Insufficient 'boost' (low speed) can result in power shortage and jerking after upshifting; excessive 'boost' time can lead to increased engine wear and reduced fuel efficiency due to prolonged high-speed operation. Therefore, 'boost' should be appropriate, and upshifting should be timely. The right moment to upshift depends on engine sound, RPM, and power level. If pressing the accelerator after upshifting causes the engine RPM to drop and power to decrease, it indicates premature upshifting. Operation sequence: Shift from low to high gear, with appropriate boost and throttle follow-up; first press the clutch and disengage, then press the clutch and engage, finally release the clutch and accelerate—don't forget. Key points: Listen for engine sound during boost acceleration, press the clutch and shift to neutral; wait until the engine sound is right, then press the clutch and shift up one gear.
Last time I accompanied my husband on a long-distance truck drive, I noticed that the gear shift handle is called the gear lever, officially known as the transmission control lever. It's that thick, long rod in manual transmission cars that you grab and wiggle left and right. Back in driving school, the instructor always yelled not to look down at the gears—this was what they were talking about. In automatic transmission cars, it's shorter, sometimes replaced by a rotary knob or buttons. The compact electronic gear lever in the Porsche 911 is especially refined; driving my friend's car felt like using a game controller, much more advanced than traditional lever-style ones.
