Automatic cars are some of the most popular vehicles on the market. You need to make sure you know about automatic transmissions vs manual transmissions. Although there isn’t as much difference between transmission types as there once was, when choosing a car, it’s helpful to know what the differences are and how automatic car works.
Related: How to Clean Car Engine
What is an automatic car?
According to State Farm, an automatic transmission car is a car with an automatic transmission that does not require the driver to manually shift gears. The gearbox helps control the torque and speed of the car. Thus, an automatic transmission changes gear ratios depending on how the vehicle is travelling.
Automatic transmissions use sensors and utilize internal hydraulic pressure to change gears at the right time. When changing gears, the transmission is temporarily disconnected from the engine. This is done by a torque converter. You can tell if a car is automatic by looking at the pedals. If a car has two pedals, it’s an automatic.
Manual cars have a third pedal called the clutch pedal, which is slightly smaller than the brake pedal.
Types of automatic transmissions in cars
CarYanams explains that there are different types of automatic transmissions in modern cars. Some types of automatic transmission are
Torque converter automatic transmissions:
This type of transmission is the most common type of automatic transmission in automobiles. Torque converter automatic transmissions work using a hydraulic fluid clutch or torque converter that is connected to the engine’s electronic control unit, allowing the transmission to control the vehicle.
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT):
CVTs offer “infinite” gear ratios that seamlessly aid in vehicle acceleration without interrupting gear changes. CVTs use variable-width pulleys and belts instead of fixed gears.
Semi-automatic transmission (SAT):
Semi-automatic transmissions have a clutch similar to a manual transmission, but the clutch is electro-hydraulically operated and uses sensors, air pressure, processors, and actuators.
Dual Clutch Transmission:
Dual Clutch Transmission or Direct Shift Transmission is very similar to a manual transmission. The difference is that a dual-clutch transmission is controlled by the car’s computer and contains two clutches instead of one.
Tiptronic Transmission:
These automatic transmissions give the driver the option to turn off the automatic mode for more control over the vehicle’s performance. It relies on the driver to change gears while the vehicle is moving, just like an automatic transmission. Tiptronic transmissions were developed by Porsche.
History of the Automatic Transmission
According to the San Antonio Automotive Repair Bureau, a little over 100 years ago, manual transmissions were drivers’ only option until the Sturtevant Brothers of Boston developed the first automatic transmission in 1904. Their two-speed transmissions for “horseless carriages” were operated by weights and bands.
The automatic transmissions they developed were often unreliable because the weights would frequently fly off and cause the transmission to fail. A key development that helped inventors develop the automatic transmission was the planetary gear used in vehicle transmissions. And the first planetary gears used were at Wilson-Pilcher.
Transmissions built between 1900 and 1907 were based on two planetary gears and allowed the selection of four forward gears by adjusting a single shift lever.
Canadian steam engineer Alfred Horner Munro designed the first automatic transmission in 1921 and patented it in 1923. He developed an automatic transmission with four forward gears, but no reverse or parking gear, and used air pressure instead of hydraulic fluid.
General Motors used this transmission in Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac from 1937 to 1938.
The first hydrostatic transmission was invented in 1932 by Brazilian engineers Fernando Lely Lemos and José Braz Araripe. General Motors purchased the prototype and further developed the transmission to create the Hydra-Matic transmission. This transmission went into mass production in 1940 and changed the development of the automobile industry.
During World War II, General Motors built tanks and other military equipment with the new automatic hydrostatic transmission. In 1948, Buick introduced the first hydrostatic transmission with a torque converter. They called this transmission the Dynaflow.
When was the semi-automatic transmission developed?
According to sources, REO and General Motors began producing semi-automatic transmissions in 1934, which were easier to operate than fully manual transmissions. Their groundbreaking transmission designs continued to provide the driver with a clutch that connected the engine and transmission.
Benefits of Owning a Car with an Automatic Transmission
Budget Direct explains that both transmissions have their fits and different drivers may have different preferences. Here are some benefits that an automatic transmission car offers to drivers:
- Easier handling in traffic jams.
- When traffic is heavy, it can be difficult to start and stop your car.
- Starting and stopping an automatic car is easy, just by pressing the pedal.
- The transmission shifts quickly and smoothly.
- In an automatic car, the driver does not have to do anything special to shift the transmission because the transmission shifts for the driver.
- With an automatic car, the driver and passengers usually do not feel when the transmission shifts.
- Learning to drive an automatic car is easy.
- Driving a manual transmission vehicle requires more practice than driving an automatic transmission vehicle.
- Driving a manual vehicle requires more hands and feet. In addition, it takes less time to learn to drive with an automatic transmission.
- Reduced risk of stalling.
- Vehicles with manual transmissions can be prone to drivers accidentally stalling at traffic lights.
- Automatic cars are less likely to stall unless the car has a mechanical problem.
- They are better suited for hilly areas.
Disadvantages of Automatic Cars
According to the AA, there are many advantages to owning an automatic car, but automatic cars also have some disadvantages. Here are some problems that can come with owning an automatic car:
- They can be expensive to buy Automatic cars can be around $4,000 more expensive than manual cars, although this depends on the make and model of the vehicle.
- Also, some vehicles are only available with automatic transmissions.
- It can affect the driver’s concentration.
- Driving a car with a manual transmission requires more concentration as the driver has to change gears himself.
- An automatic car does not require as much concentration.
Read Also: