Car Transmission 101 & Common Issues
You can have the world's most powerful engine, but without a working transmission, you and your car would not be moving anytime soon. A part of your vehicle's powertrain the transmission moves the power from the engine to your wheels. With all that responsibility, it's no wonder folks get nervous when they suspect car transmission problems. What Does a Car Transmission Do? Your car's transmission has a lot going on. Using different mechanical components, it transfers the power created in your engine to your drive axle (or axles depending on your vehicle) to propel you forward or backward. Controlling Power and Speed Gear ratios determined automatically or manually dictate the amount of power transferred as well as the speed. Lower gears transfer more power, but less speed. With higher gears, less energy is transferred as the vehicle is already traveling at a higher rate. The higher the gear, the lower the gear ratio. Automatic Versus Manual Transmission The difference in automatic and manual transmissions comes down to how that gear ratio is dictated [...]