Transmission Repairs
AutoTech service and repair all types of transmission. There are four types of modern transmission, manual. automatic, CVT and dual clutch. Modern vehicles tend to use either a CVT or dual clutch as they are more efficient.
Servicing
Servicing of a Transmission would normally include an oil and filter change.
Manual Transmission
The simplest and oldest type of transmission still in use is the manual gearbox. This gearbox uses a friction clutch modulated by the driver’s foot to connect the engine’s rotational energy to the transmission’s input shaft. From there, a fixed set of gears are engaged using a syncromesh and gear-selector fork connected to the gear lever operated by the driver’s left hand.
Automatic Transmission
The automatic transmission is by far the most common transmission on the road today. It uses a highly-complex torque converter to transmit the engine’s rotational energy, while gear shifts are controlled by the vehicle’s computer and accomplished with a planetary gear set and a series of clutches and brakes.
Though the behind-the-scenes action is quite complicated, all the driver has to do is select from the familiar P-R-N-D-L choices on the gear selector. The advantage is, of course, a simplified driving experience and a gentle learning curve. The trade-off for the driving simplicity is mechanical complexity, which makes the automatic more prone to failure and pricier to fix.
CVT
The CVT offers a similar driving experience to an automatic, but operates using a completely different mechanism. In fact, the CVT doesn’t have gears at all — instead, it uses a system of belts and pulleys to produce an infinite range of ratios. The car’s computer decides how to adjust the pulleys to create the optimal ratio for the particular driving situation. This creates the CVT’s primary advantage: fuel economy. No other transmission type can offer more MPGs than a CVT (yet).
Since they’re not as complicated as automatics, CVTs are less prone to failure and costly repairs (though not as much so as manuals). Their biggest drawback may be a subjective one — the driving experience. Since there are no gearshifts, just smooth and seamless acceleration, CVTs may leave a true driving enthusiast feeling like he or she is operating an appliance instead of driving a car.
Dual Clutch Transmissions
Think of it as a hybrid between a fully automatic and manual transmission. A semi-automatic uses a similar mechanical layout to a conventional transmission, but uses a system of pneumatic s and actuators to change gears. In a Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT), there are separate clutches for both odd and even gears, which allows for incredibly fast shifts. These gearboxes can generally be operated in a fully automatic mode, or manually shifted via paddles on the steering wheel.
Semi-Auto and DCT transmissions offer cutting-edge performance with lightening fast gear changes that a pure manual just can’t match. Currently, these gearboxes are mainly found on race and high-end sports cars, and are, therefore, quite expensive. This disadvantage is magnified by their extreme complexity, which leads to more frequent and costly repairs.
