Interesting facts about a Car Transmission

In today’s blog, we are showing you some of the most interesting facts about a car transmission that you may have not known before.

The First Mass-Produced Automatic Transmission Came on the Market in 1939

Manual transmission vehicles owned the car market for the first 39 years of the 20^th Century. Then, right between the two World Wars, the first automatic transmission vehicles became available to the masses in 1939. These first automatic transmission vehicles had a Hydra-Matic gearbox, which could be found in General Motors’ Cadillac and Oldsmobile cars. It worked thanks to a hydraulic-powered planetary gearbox system, which meant there was no need for a clutch pedal.

However, while this was the first mass-produced automatic transmission, it was not the first to be developed. In fact, the 1924 Vulcan prototype featured a torque converter, which is used in modern automatic transmissions.

The Preselector Gearbox

A type of transmission called “the preselect” was quite common from the 1930s to the 1950s. When operating this kind of transmission, the driver would select the gear that they wanted to shift to before actually stepping on the clutch pedal. Then, once you engaged the clutch, the vehicle would automatically shift to the preselected gear.

Manuals No Longer Always Get Better MPGs

In years past, it was true that manual models regularly got better gas mileage than automatics. However, innovations in industry technology have led to automatic transmissions that get similar or better MPGs than the same models that have manual transmissions. 

Most Americans Today Can’t Drive Manual Transmission Vehicles

Even by the 1930s, many people did not like the fact that they had to manually engage or disengage the clutch and shift gears while driving. They desired a simpler driving experience, pushing car manufacturers to develop the first automatic transmissions. Over the years, these automatic transmission vehicles became increasingly popular – so much so that today, many Americans have not even learned how to drive a manual transmission vehicle.

At this point, it’s a catch-22 of some car owners switching to automatic transmissions because of the limited availability of manual transmissions, while car manufacturers continue to produce more automatics than manuals due to popularity.

You Have to Get Specifically Licensed to Drive a Manual in the U.K.

For residents of the United Kingdom, you can’t just breeze through your drive test in an automatic transmission and then jump behind the wheel of a stick shift. Rather, if you want to legally drive a manual, you have to pass a driver’s test in a manual transmission vehicle. 

U.S. Manufacturers Started Producing Automatics on a Commercial Scale Due to WWII

Just a year after GM introduced the Hydra-Matic, we saw the United States become involved in World War II. At this point, they began manufacturing automatics to power military tanks and vehicles. We also saw the very early development of the Dynaflow transmission, which actually underwent early testing in the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer during the Second World War (though it wasn’t actually used in a car until 1947).

Changing The Transmission Fluid

If you ask any mechanic or car enthusiast if you need to change your vehicle’s transmission fluid, the answer will always be yes. Transmission fluid is the lifeline to all moving parts in your vehicle’s transmission. It lubricates and keeps your transmission cool. Over time, transmission fluid deteriorates, especially when your vehicle is involved with stop-and-go city driving and pulling heavy loads. So, when should you think about changing it?

First, refer to your owner’s manual. You should usually change your transmission fluid around 100,000 miles. We know this sounds like a lot, especially if you don’t plan on having your vehicle for very long. But if you buy a car that’s used, has high mileage, or you decide to drive it over 100,000 miles, think seriously about changing your transmission fluid.

The fluid’s color will also be a tell-tale sign of a needed change. Transmission fluid tends to get darker and emits a burnt odor when it is ready to be replaced. For a routine check, pop the hood and locate the dipstick next to the engine. Your manual will help guide you.

For an average car owner, changing the transmission fluid can be a messy and tricky procedure. We recommend you bring your vehicle to a dealership and have them give you their expert opinion.

Some newer models have a sealed transmission, and require a mechanic to change its fluid. If your transmission is sealed you can tell the fluid may be bad if the gears grind or have delayed engagement when shifting.