I'm in an automatic transmission course right now and, man, once you understand how these things actually function its pretty amazing. Engineers can do some awesome things.
This is amazing. Thanks for posting. Amazing how complex these transmissions are. I am sure you will agree that transmissions are some of the most complex things made by humans. The number of components that must be precision-made and interconnected are awe-inspiring.
DjRjSolarStar I thought the same thing. Not only are these things hard to fix, they're hard to explain, period, without some passing knowledge of engineering.
Many people think the engine is the most complex item in a car. Not even close. When you think of all the hydraulics and gear sets, clutches, solenoids, and all the other components that must work in perfect harmony...the transmission is the king of complexity, hands down. Like the coasting clutch. It allows the car to coast at low speeds, and brakes you at higher speeds. How? I have no idea, but I do know that it must work perfectly of the car will be undrivable. Amazing.
For anyone who is interested this unit is a 4t80e. It comes behind the northstar in cadillacs. It is a very hd unit but still has problems with the torque converter clutch wearing out.
Bring on the electric car revolution. One motor, one planetary reduction gearbox, and one battery pack. No gear changes, no clutches, no stick shifting :)
It's simple in concept. You have gears to set a gear ratio. (Planetary gears) You have a clutch, not so different from a manual clutch. You have a torque converter. And you have synchronizers on the gear assemblies. In an auto, you simply have MORE gear assemblies, controlled by hydraulics. There are some really good online animations showing how it works. Nothing is complicated, it's just that there's a lot in the case. But only some of it is active at any given time.
It consists of magic and friction and a lot of clutches, I shall join too of not fully understanding how it works. I still prefer having a regular gear box and 1 clutch, manual gear shifting isn't to hard when you learn how to do it effectively. Then again America has to be different than the rest of the world.
EFLCModder It's actually pretty simple, but there are various ways of transfering power from the crankshaft to the wheels. Older systems uses brake bands, the newer ones use cluthes. The shift control is the same hydraulic system. If you think of the auto transmission as a 5 speed manual gearbox with a clutch for each gear acting as the gear lever in a manual and the hydraulic system as the driver shifting, you are not far off how it works.
Stefan Asmussen Thanks Stefan. I have to say that this is the best explanation I have ever heard that's describes the principles of an automatic gearbox. I shall be remembering this for a long time. Did you know that cars with auto boxes in the UK tend to one or two brackets higher road fund licence than the same car with a manual box due to their inefficiensy as UK road fund fees are based on emissions.
Nice Demonstration !! I feel lot of effort and work is done in order to bring our car in running condition....Nice Job all Engine & Car Manufacturers.......
These transmissions are a lot simpler than they used to be because of computer control. They used to have an extraordinarily complex hydraulic servo system which controlled everything.
True. One thing i've noticed from watching "how it's made" on the Science channel. Is that they actually TRY to make it sound as complicated as possible. That, and the fact that they only have a few mins. to explain the topic at hand. So almost definitely something is going to get left out. This is one of those things thats easy to understand, but hard to master. I have a college degree in Automotive.
They forgot to add the most crucial pert of all... the Kanuten Valve, which, in conjunction with the Turbo Encabulator, allows the car to operate properly. Next, we discuss the importance of checking the Blinker Hydraulic Fluid... and the other critical components, including the Tire Pressure Compensator Relay...
@tayedrummer14 You will only find a fly wheel on a stick shift (manual transmission). As Tayedrummer14 said, it smooths out engine pulses and is used to retain kinetic energy. But it is also used to start the car. Along the edge of the fly wheel, are spokes, alot like a cog, which is connected to the starter motor. When the starter motor receives electricity from the generator or battery, a little cog in the starter moter turns, which in turn turns the fly wheel, starting the engine.
With the appropriate configuration, the continuously variable transmission CVT Edyson can transmit any ratio, with high efficiency (more then 95%), so even (or more) then 4:1. Naturaly that will increase a little the volume of the gearbox.
@reddot44 some had vacuum, like the zf 4hp`4, or was it 3hp14, while my current 4hp18 just uses ATF pressure and rotation speed of a govenor on spring weights, throttle position is sensed by a variable pressure feed
This is another reason why I prefer manual transmissions. I actually understand how they work. Whenever I set out to learn how an automatic works, it's all a bunch of gibberish. The fact that they managed to figure out how to do this shit in the '50s with the old Torqueflite (the first automatic transmission that was worth a damn) still amazes me.
@0123Brock It's because the more splines (the notches and grooves) you have, the less pressure is on each groove. It's divided up between them. Up until a point that is. And by the way, most can't handle 300+ WHP without upgrades. They're generally designed to barely handle what the engine puts out from the factory.
it is easy to understand once you have worked on one! automatic transmissions are very different and hard to understand I am an agricultural mechanic too!!
What's really crazy is how little difference there really is in these modern units, and the GM hydramatics produced in the 40's. Obviously the electronics, but the fundamentals are the same.
I don't think ANY year was a good year for the Ford Taurus. I have three friends that took their Tauruses to the scrap yard, and a fourth that just plane abandoned it in a small town gas station. Best of luck to you. Times must be tough if your trying to keep a '97 Ford Taurus alive. Godspeed, brave soldier.
This is actually a transaxle, which is a transmission and differential in one integrated unit. Mostly used for front wheel drive cars, though some rear wheel drive cars use one to help with weight balance.
@radoslavnikolic Yea lots of stuff but the basics is the hydralics fluid sent by the computer is what tells those clutches what to do. And those clutches in turn control there set of gears and that tells that the car what to do! Automatic transmissions are more complicated and therefore more expensive but they make driving a lot easier!
@dotcombatgames I would say go for it, the more knowledge you have the better off you are. Transmissions by themselves are as complex as the engine itself. They aren't all that complex in the grand scheme of things, but it would be good to know and understand how things work with each other. You may never work on a transmission, but it helps so much to at least understand both the engine and transmission and what they're doing together. It will help you understand why certain things are so.
What about the third option?: I just got a kit from TCI for 500 bucks, and rebuilt my 4L80-E into what they call a "streetfighter", which they sell for over 3 grand. Funny, this vid is about a transverse engine, front wheel drive car... but all the pieces are recognizable and comparable to my trans in my truck. If you are a trans tech, you are a wizard !
holy fucking confusingness!! thats amazing! I had no idea that a automatic transmission had so many parts, gives me more respect for the inverter of that thing, dispite that I drive manual
And in regards to drag racing, you are absolutely right, in a straight line, when simply accelerating, a computer can shift much faster then a person. But track cars, such as grand prix, touring, and F1, are usually in someway manual. very few still use the classic "H" pattern shifter, but most have gone the route of the sequential manual (gear up/gear down) because it allows them to enter a turn in the correct gear. Automatics are "reactive" and Manuals are "proactive"
That's actually the same 6 speed automatic transmission used in the Ford Escape, Ford Fusion, and a number of other vehicles. It was jointly developed by GM/Ford.
If you ever se a manual transmission being disassembled you will surely understand how they work :P and some automatic transmissions use 2 sprockets where one (the drive sprocket) has weights in it an will expand when it spins fast enough that means that the higher the speed the sprocket spins the higher the transmission ratio.
Anybody know of a video from the manufacture that takes you thru the complete process of a transmission all components and tools used as well as the time it takes to pump out how many transmissions per hour say
Just know not all automatic transmissions function the same. Honda automatics work more like manual transmissions that are controlled automatically. The internals favor a Honda manual transmission. 5 minutes isn't long enough to really explain how they work, but the video did a good job focusing on the main point. Hyrdraulics that are controlled electronically. Without fluid it is a hunk of metal.
I found an old automatic transmission under the house as a teenager, gee I had fun pulling it all apart, but putting it all back together well.......took 5 times longer, but I learned heaps. The narrator refers allot to electronics in this clip, but electronics still need mechanical interfaces, like how does the electronics ascertain the hydraulic pressure in each segment of the transmission?
A 4L60E is one of the best automatic transmissions there is. They are used for drag racing all the time. It's an extremely durable medium-duty transmission. There is a reason GM has been building them for over three decades.
@joelanderson000 Good point...it seems as though the cars themselves are more a mix from different countries than a lot of the people that drive them. It doesn't seem like a single car really lays claim to a single country or heritage. In the end some amazing examples have been created.
@ineurodreams i didnt see the original comment but today Lamborguini and Bugatti are both owned by VW and the cars are designed in Germany. they may be assembled in France and Italy but thats about it. so although Bugatti and lamborghini arent German, you could argue that the Gallardo and the Veyron are in fact both German cars. Cheers.
@kakureru i was talking about the actual car's transmission. basically when it shifts into a higher gear it takes allot more effort to bring car to speed. The manual version is worst..
one of the main reasons it cost's so much for overhauls is the liability if it does not work correctly,as they are not always easy to tear apart and figure out "why" they don't work..
@ItsMrWinters I don't know what German car you have been around that breaks. My 1989 bmw 750 has almost 300,000 miles and the transmission changes fine. Plus it has had a lot of abuse from the big V12 powering it.
@TheGrahamDillon Same here. I get engines, manual transmissions, and even some continuously variable transmissions, but automatics are a mystery to me.
This is a Canadian show. taken from wiki "a different voice-over track is recorded for U.S. audiences by Brooks T. Moore (Seasons 1-8, 2001-2007, 2008-present) or Zac Fine (2007-2008)." and " In the UK, rest of Europe and S.E. Asia, the series is narrated by Tony Hirst " So I am assuming this is the Canadian version and not one of the other English versions.
A lot of people here are complaining about how the video doesn’t explain how it works, it’s not supposed to, the show is called “How It’s MADE”
Suddenly all the GM transmission problems make sense; just look at the amount of fucks not given during assembly.
lol
Not one part pre-lubed!
That video didn´t make me any smarter. Now I even have more questions.
I'm in an automatic transmission course right now and, man, once you understand how these things actually function its pretty amazing. Engineers can do some awesome things.
Great informative video. Excellent video. Regards,
This episode was filmed in the General Motors Transmission Plant in Windsor, Ontario. My dad worked there at the time and remembers them filming haha
After watching this 10 times.... I now understand.
Transmissions don't last long, but their blocks sure do last forever. 1979 El Camino, original 305. Still going strong.
This is amazing. Thanks for posting. Amazing how complex these transmissions are. I am sure you will agree that transmissions are some of the most complex things made by humans. The number of components that must be precision-made and interconnected are awe-inspiring.
I was lost after "the transmission in your car......" lol and i was so willing to learn!
Every time I watch videos on automatic transmissions I want to put a manual transmission into my car.
This video has just reminded me why I drive a manual... :)
Its good, i feel i learned a lot especially from my drivetrain class. I graduate june 09.
Fuck this, I'm glad I have a 6 speed manual
DjRjSolarStar I thought the same thing. Not only are these things hard to fix, they're hard to explain, period, without some passing knowledge of engineering.
Many people think the engine is the most complex item in a car. Not even close. When you think of all the hydraulics and gear sets, clutches, solenoids, and all the other components that must work in perfect harmony...the transmission is the king of complexity, hands down. Like the coasting clutch. It allows the car to coast at low speeds, and brakes you at higher speeds. How? I have no idea, but I do know that it must work perfectly of the car will be undrivable. Amazing.
WOWWWW, GREAT VID, I HAVE TO HAVE MY TRANS RE-BUILT!!! :-(
Damn I had no idea transmissions were so complicated. The level of complexity in a transmission is insane.
I abslutely loved it.
For anyone who is interested this unit is a 4t80e. It comes behind the northstar in cadillacs. It is a very hd unit but still has problems with the torque converter clutch wearing out.
Bring on the electric car revolution. One motor, one planetary reduction gearbox, and one battery pack. No gear changes, no clutches, no stick shifting :)
and no fun ...
Mathieu Thomas Welcome to the real world
I have a diesel car for every day driving and a v8 corvette c3 fuck polar bear and electric cars
Brilliant
ther eis no way that in my life i will owned an electric car i drove a leaf few weeks ago its is awful
It's simple in concept. You have gears to set a gear ratio. (Planetary gears)
You have a clutch, not so different from a manual clutch. You have a torque converter.
And you have synchronizers on the gear assemblies. In an auto, you simply have MORE gear assemblies, controlled by hydraulics. There are some really good online animations showing how it works. Nothing is complicated, it's just that there's a lot in the case. But only some of it is active at any given time.
I love engineering but I will never understand how an automatic gearbox works. And this video didn't help. Annoyingly.
It consists of magic and friction and a lot of clutches, I shall join too of not fully understanding how it works. I still prefer having a regular gear box and 1 clutch, manual gear shifting isn't to hard when you learn how to do it effectively. Then again America has to be different than the rest of the world.
EFLCModder It's actually pretty simple, but there are various ways of transfering power from the crankshaft to the wheels. Older systems uses brake bands, the newer ones use cluthes. The shift control is the same hydraulic system.
If you think of the auto transmission as a 5 speed manual gearbox with a clutch for each gear acting as the gear lever in a manual and the hydraulic system as the driver shifting, you are not far off how it works.
Stefan Asmussen Thanks Stefan. I have to say that this is the best explanation I have ever heard that's describes the principles of an automatic gearbox. I shall be remembering this for a long time.
Did you know that cars with auto boxes in the UK tend to one or two brackets higher road fund licence than the same car with a manual box due to their inefficiensy as UK road fund fees are based on emissions.
omg thinking the same thing! I had a feeling I wasnt the only one effected! lol
Nice Demonstration !! I feel lot of effort and work is done in order to bring our car in running condition....Nice Job all Engine & Car Manufacturers.......
These transmissions are a lot simpler than they used to be because of computer control. They used to have an extraordinarily complex hydraulic servo system which controlled everything.
Nice explanation about automatic transmission.
Everyone should watch. See how fragile a transmission is. Drive easy, make it last!
Or don't buy a GM. :)
Scott Bates am lookng for type of oil transmission for mazda attenza
thanks to who have made and think about all of these.
This woman narrator knows so much about Transmission.
that went right over my head.
GREAT ONE THX
It is amazing to me that these small notches, grooves, and other components can withstand 300+ WHP. Very interesting....
thank you so much
Now I know how it's made ! :D
True. One thing i've noticed from watching "how it's made" on the Science channel. Is that they actually TRY to make it sound as complicated as possible. That, and the fact that they only have a few mins. to explain the topic at hand. So almost definitely something is going to get left out. This is one of those things thats easy to understand, but hard to master. I have a college degree in Automotive.
According to the website, this was filmed at GM's Windsor, Ontario transmission plant.
They forgot to add the most crucial pert of all... the Kanuten Valve, which, in conjunction with the Turbo Encabulator, allows the car to operate properly. Next, we discuss the importance of checking the Blinker Hydraulic Fluid... and the other critical components, including the Tire Pressure Compensator Relay...
@tayedrummer14
You will only find a fly wheel on a stick shift (manual transmission). As Tayedrummer14 said, it smooths out engine pulses and is used to retain kinetic energy. But it is also used to start the car. Along the edge of the fly wheel, are spokes, alot like a cog, which is connected to the starter motor. When the starter motor receives electricity from the generator or battery, a little cog in the starter moter turns, which in turn turns the fly wheel, starting the engine.
With the appropriate configuration, the continuously variable transmission CVT Edyson can transmit any ratio, with high efficiency (more then 95%), so even (or more) then 4:1. Naturaly that will increase a little the volume of the gearbox.
Hats off to the engineers :)
Wow lol.
That sounds fun though. It's a great field to get into. I love cars. So how is it? Did you graduate?
@reddot44 some had vacuum, like the zf 4hp`4, or was it 3hp14, while my current 4hp18 just uses ATF pressure and rotation speed of a govenor on spring weights, throttle position is sensed by a variable pressure feed
This is another reason why I prefer manual transmissions. I actually understand how they work. Whenever I set out to learn how an automatic works, it's all a bunch of gibberish. The fact that they managed to figure out how to do this shit in the '50s with the old Torqueflite (the first automatic transmission that was worth a damn) still amazes me.
@0123Brock It's because the more splines (the notches and grooves) you have, the less pressure is on each groove. It's divided up between them. Up until a point that is. And by the way, most can't handle 300+ WHP without upgrades. They're generally designed to barely handle what the engine puts out from the factory.
Holy S&@;! That's complicated, it definitely a sophisticated piece of machinery
it is easy to understand once you have worked on one! automatic transmissions are very different and hard to understand I am an agricultural mechanic too!!
What's really crazy is how little difference there really is in these modern units, and the GM hydramatics produced in the 40's. Obviously the electronics, but the fundamentals are the same.
yet the best marvel available on cars. LOL when I was in NY driving, past year... I was once again thanking GOD for automatic transmission!
XD
I don't think ANY year was a good year for the Ford Taurus. I have three friends that took their Tauruses to the scrap yard, and a fourth that just plane abandoned it in a small town gas station.
Best of luck to you. Times must be tough if your trying to keep a '97 Ford Taurus alive. Godspeed, brave soldier.
it's amazing to find out that some woman know something about cars (and even more rarely to see them interested on them)
This is actually a transaxle, which is a transmission and differential in one integrated unit. Mostly used for front wheel drive cars, though some rear wheel drive cars use one to help with weight balance.
damn Automatic has so many parts and the way they are setup,
@radoslavnikolic Yea lots of stuff but the basics is the hydralics fluid sent by the computer is what tells those clutches what to do. And those clutches in turn control there set of gears and that tells that the car what to do! Automatic transmissions are more complicated and therefore more expensive but they make driving a lot easier!
@dotcombatgames I would say go for it, the more knowledge you have the better off you are. Transmissions by themselves are as complex as the engine itself. They aren't all that complex in the grand scheme of things, but it would be good to know and understand how things work with each other.
You may never work on a transmission, but it helps so much to at least understand both the engine and transmission and what they're doing together. It will help you understand why certain things are so.
What about the third option?:
I just got a kit from TCI for 500 bucks, and rebuilt my 4L80-E into what they call a "streetfighter", which they sell for over 3 grand.
Funny, this vid is about a transverse engine, front wheel drive car... but all the pieces are recognizable and comparable to my trans in my truck.
If you are a trans tech, you are a wizard !
holy fucking confusingness!! thats amazing! I had no idea that a automatic transmission had so many parts, gives me more respect for the inverter of that thing, dispite that I drive manual
And in regards to drag racing, you are absolutely right, in a straight line, when simply accelerating, a computer can shift much faster then a person.
But track cars, such as grand prix, touring, and F1, are usually in someway manual. very few still use the classic "H" pattern shifter, but most have gone the route of the sequential manual (gear up/gear down) because it allows them to enter a turn in the correct gear. Automatics are "reactive" and Manuals are "proactive"
79 Cutlass, 0 problems.
That's actually the same 6 speed automatic transmission used in the Ford Escape, Ford Fusion, and a number of other vehicles. It was jointly developed by GM/Ford.
If you ever se a manual transmission being disassembled you will surely understand how they work :P
and some automatic transmissions use 2 sprockets where one (the drive sprocket) has weights in it an will expand when it spins fast enough that means that the higher the speed the sprocket spins the higher the transmission ratio.
Anybody know of a video from the manufacture that takes you thru the complete process of a transmission all components and tools used as well as the time it takes to pump out how many transmissions per hour say
@soco13466 - ah the Kanuten Valve mmm that explains a lot. Thanx
i understand everything now XP!!!
I make those plates at 2:30 its kinda cool to see how there used.
Just know not all automatic transmissions function the same. Honda automatics work more like manual transmissions that are controlled automatically. The internals favor a Honda manual transmission. 5 minutes isn't long enough to really explain how they work, but the video did a good job focusing on the main point. Hyrdraulics that are controlled electronically. Without fluid it is a hunk of metal.
damn all those words just flew over my head
its pretty easy man .. after watching this i can make my own car ..
i agree with you , to actually think of all this is truly a work of genius...i wonder if they were from MIT.
That is actually GMs 4T45e trans.
The vehicle at the end is a chevy HHR
Hey, I made these transmissions. In fact, this was shot at the plant I worked at.
Pretty cool stuff. I'll always prefer my standard though.
this video changed my view on life
I found an old automatic transmission under the house as a teenager, gee I had fun pulling it all apart, but putting it all back together well.......took 5 times longer, but I learned heaps. The narrator refers allot to electronics in this clip, but electronics still need mechanical interfaces, like how does the electronics ascertain the hydraulic pressure in each segment of the transmission?
@fenixans
Is a 4T60E chevy one
A 4L60E is one of the best automatic transmissions there is. They are used for drag racing all the time. It's an extremely durable medium-duty transmission. There is a reason GM has been building them for over three decades.
And yet - watching being assembled there, it looks a bit cheap.
@programzor well said!!
These aren't specialists, this is assembly line work. The slowest death there is.
@joelanderson000 Good point...it seems as though the cars themselves are more a mix from different countries than a lot of the people that drive them. It doesn't seem like a single car really lays claim to a single country or heritage. In the end some amazing examples have been created.
i used to work for aplace that made transmissions and the transmission cases were made out of magnesium alloys i have allot of magnesium scraps still
Its simple really. Automatic transmissions are magic.
how are some auto transmissions able to shift gears faster?
Yes. You will wisen up by the time you start driving.
@ineurodreams i didnt see the original comment but today Lamborguini and Bugatti are both owned by VW and the cars are designed in Germany. they may be assembled in France and Italy but thats about it. so although Bugatti and lamborghini arent German, you could argue that the Gallardo and the Veyron are in fact both German cars.
Cheers.
@kakureru i was talking about the actual car's transmission. basically when it shifts into a higher gear it takes allot more effort to bring car to speed. The manual version is worst..
Best tran's video on youtube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
over engineered, maintenance cost is a nightmare.
amilom007 not really th350s are pretty bullet proof
That's a 4t40e
sweet.
one of the main reasons it cost's so much for overhauls is the liability if it does not work correctly,as they are not always easy to tear apart and figure out "why" they don't work..
Those transmissions are used in the daewoo cars and gm cars. I have a lanos and it's still pulling hard with only 94.000miles on the clock! ;)
@ItsMrWinters I don't know what German car you have been around that breaks. My 1989 bmw 750 has almost 300,000 miles and the transmission changes fine. Plus it has had a lot of abuse from the big V12 powering it.
what do the fast cars use at the dragstrip?
This technology wipes my head out
@soco13466 its all so clear now... i finally understand!
@yvesttt so what if they use more gas? they are bigger and have more power :)
I Like Automatic transmission . Realy ites Good . i work on 1998 t0 2000 . on this Transmisson on totoya ,Vehicles.
the guy who invented this...is a genius!
@APontiacof455cubes
is towing max capacity only for the tranny not the chassis and engine, like the 4l80e has more
@TheGrahamDillon Same here. I get engines, manual transmissions, and even some continuously variable transmissions, but automatics are a mystery to me.
@yvesttt the number one car in gas mileage is the Chevy Cruz Eco actually. 42mpg
This is a Canadian show. taken from wiki "a different voice-over track is recorded for U.S. audiences by Brooks T. Moore (Seasons 1-8, 2001-2007, 2008-present) or Zac Fine (2007-2008)." and " In the UK, rest of Europe and S.E. Asia, the series is narrated by Tony Hirst "
So I am assuming this is the Canadian version and not one of the other English versions.