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!