Your car’s transmission is among the most essential
elements of motorized travel, transferring power from the engine to the wheels. Maintaining your vehicle’s transmission properly is vital to proper performance, fuel efficiency, and extending your vehicle’s operating life. Let’s look at the basic transmission types, how they work, and how they differ from each other.
Manual Transmission
The earliest transmissions required the driver to shift manually from gear to gear using a clutch
pedal. When the pedal is pressed, the gearbox employs a friction clutch to connect the energy
from the engine to the transmission’s input shaft, engaging a fixed set of gears. The simplicity
and sturdiness of the manual design made it very popular up through the 1960s. Once
ubiquitous, standard shift vehicles have become a rarity in the U.S. as fewer auto makers are
offering manual transmissions as an option. Some drivers remain faithful to the stick shift, as it
offers greater driver control and improved gas mileage.
Advantages: Inexpensive, hardy, improved gas mileage.
Automatic Transmission
By far the most common transmission type in the U.S. currently is the automatic transmission.
Automatic transmissions use a sophisticated device called a torque converter to transmit energy
from your vehicle’s engine to the wheels. Controlled by your vehicle’s onboard computer, the
automatic transmission uses an array of gears, clutches, and brakes. While the mechanics may
be complex, the driver experience is quite simple. The driver need only select a gear (P-R-N-D)
and the car does the rest. When in drive, the car’s sensors also control when your vehicle
moves to a higher or lower gear. While the automatic transmission cannot match a manual for
performance, control, or fuel economy, it does offer a measure of convenience that for many
drivers is hard to beat.
Advantages: Comes standard with most cars, easy to operate.
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
The continuously variable transmission is relatively new to the automotive industry but uses an
operating concept that’s been around since Da Vinci. Unlike the two transmission types
mentioned previously, the CVT has no gears. That’s right, none. Instead it uses a system of
variable belts and pulleys to create a virtually infinite universe of ratios. Your vehicle’s computer
assesses the driving conditions and vehicle demands and chooses when to raise or lower the
ratio as needed. The principal advantage of CVT is its increased fuel economy. One thing you
may notice when driving a CVT vehicle is the seamless motion. For drivers who prefer more
control (as in a high-performance manual), the experience may be less than thrilling. Another
Draw back is one common to all complex mechanical systems—breakdowns and costly repairs.
Repair prices may come down, however, if CVT transmissions become more popular.
Advantages: Increased fuel economy, seamless shifting, less wear on parts.
Semi-Automatic Dual Clutch Transmission
A sort of hybrid between the manual and fully automatic transmission, the semi-automatic
employs pneumatics and actuators to execute gear changes. In the dual-clutch design, there
are distinct clutches for odd and even gears, allowing for rapid up- or downshifting. Both allow
for control and rapid shifting in high-speed situations and are primarily seen in racing and other
high-performance vehicles.
Advantages: Extremely rapid shifting, responsiveness at high speed
We hope this information helps you better understand your car’s transmission. Regular
transmission checkups are an important part of keeping your vehicle operating at peak
performance. Whether you own a manual, automatic, or one of the more innovative designs,
Main Line Transmission can help ensure that your transmission is operating as it should. Don’t
risk driving with a damaged or underperforming transmission. Come in to Main Line
Transmissions today!