GUEST – Understanding your car – Vol. 3

Transmission

The transmission is a mystery box to most people. The majority of car owners don’t know their vehicle even has a transmission, let alone where it is. That is until it fails.

The transmission on a vehicle can be an automatic transmission or a standard transmission. The standard transmission has a large clutch and needs to be manually moved into each gear by the driver. There is a third pedal in the driver compartment called the clutch pedal and shifter to push the transmission thru each individual gear. This used to be the most common transmission on the road when cars were first invented; but the introduction of the automatic transmission in the 60s began a trend that has made the standard transmission a rare item.

An automatic transmission is a type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually. Most automatic transmissions have a defined set of gear ranges. An automatic uses a torque converter instead of a clutch to manage the connection between the transmission gearing and the engine. The torque converter is a fluid coupling that connects the engine to the transmission. As the engine crankshaft turns, it turns the torque converter, which will move the fluid inside it and spin a fan inside to help generate power that will turn the transmission input and output shafts.

The modern automatic transmission has over 300 parts inside it, some of them simple rubber o-rings and others large complicated metal components. The transmissions job is to literally control and transmit the power coming from the engine into something that the tires can handle. It uses various gear ratios to help the car run efficiently because the same amount of power and torque are not needed at all times. The transmission makes sure that the appropriate power output is being used at the right times. When the transmission fails, it will affect how a vehicle drives or even how fast it will move and how it moves. The transmission should be repaired by a specialist; many shops do not have the knowledge or the tools to do so.

Please do your research before you allow someone to work on your transmission; a bad mechanic has the ability to cause problems for both your vehicle and your pocketbook.

Author: Tanvir Suri – Owner/Operator
T&K Transmission & Automotive Specialists 
Addison | Irving | Arlington TX