You may marvel at the smooth ride when you drive your car down the highway, but may not be aware of one significant part that has a considerable role to play in this situation. At the back of the engine where it is mated to the gearbox and the clutch, you will find your flywheel. Flywheels are hidden out of sight, but like many other parts of the car they will eventually wear out over time. What symptoms do you need to be on the lookout for, if things start to go wrong with your flywheel?
Understand the Flywheel
Flywheels are supposed to absorb and store rotational energy so the raw power produced by the engine can be converted into something usable. This raw power is then sent through the gearbox to the transmission. Without this dampening mechanism, it would be very difficult for the vehicle to engage gear, because the engine is constantly in motion. The gearbox needs to be stationary for this moment, to enable the other gear to activate and without the flywheel, your ride would be much less acceptable.
Learn the Tell-Tale Signs
When the flywheel starts to play up, you may notice a certain amount of gear slippage, or an automatic gearbox may seem to have a mind of its own. It may shift up and then back down for no reason, or you may find it particularly difficult to engage first gear if it's a manual car. Some people may think that the clutch plate is at fault, but a faulty flywheel is typically much more pronounced.
You may also notice a considerable vibration that you feel through the balls of your feet, especially when you try to engage the clutch. The spring mounting mechanism contained within the flywheel may have failed and it is no longer able to absorb the vibration when you do depress the clutch pedal.
As things get worse, grooves may begin to form in the surface of the flywheel and mounting pins may become dislodged. It will become increasingly more difficult to engage the clutch and you may find that the pedal remains depressed and will not release properly. Ultimately, the flywheel may fail, and this could cause considerable internal damage within the bell housing.
Get Your Flywheel Fixed
You shouldn't delay if you suspect issues with the flywheel and should take the vehicle in to local car servicing technicians for their prompt diagnosis.
