While it's not unusual to grind a gear every now and then, you should be able to drive your stick shift without grinding gears regularly. If you find that you are grinding gears each time you drive your car, you may have transmission problems that need to be addressed. If there isn't anything wrong with your transmission mechanically, you may the problem. If you shift improperly or fail to maintain your transmission, you may experience grinding while shifting. Following are three reasons why your grinding gears may be your fault.

Failure To Change Transmission Fluid

You must change your car's gearbox oil according to the maintenance instructions outlined in your owner's manual. If you fail to do so, the oil can become thick like sludge. It's also not uncommon for metal shavings to be present in old transmission fluid and gearbox oil. Thick and contaminated gearbox oil can wreak havoc on your manual transmission and may lead to grinding while shifting. Be sure to always have your transmission serviced in accordance with your car's preferred maintenance schedule. 

Shifting Too Fast

It's very easy to shift too fast, especially when you're in a hurry. If you try to change gears without having the clutch fully engaged, you will hear grinding noises. When you're shifting quickly, it's very easy to fail to push the clutch all the way down. For this reason, it's important that you take your time while shifting gears. Engage the clutch and slowly change gears to avoid grinding and damage to your transmission. 

Failure To Adjust Clutch

Clutches are not maintenance-free. They need to be adjusted from time to time, and they also need to be replaced when they wear out. If your clutch isn't adjusted properly, it may not be engaged fully even when it is pressed all the way to the floor. If your car grinds each time you try to shift, you may have gone too long without having your clutch adjusted. To determine whether or not your clutch needs adjusted, have your mechanic check the free play on your clutch pedal. You may also do this yourself if you know how. 

Grinding gears don't necessarily mean that there's a major issue with your transmission. There are several common things that can cause grinding, and you may be one of them. If you start to experience grinding in your car, have it inspected by a transmission specialist like S & A Transmission to diagnose the exact cause. If there's nothing wrong with your transmission, change the way you shift to avoid grinding.