An automatic transmission is a multi-speed transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. Vehicles with internal combustion engines, unlike electric vehicles, require the engine to operate in a narrow range of rates of rotation, requiring a gearbox, operated manually or automatically, to drive the wheels over a wide range of speeds.
A semi-automatic transmission is a multiple-speed transmission where part of its operation is automated, but the driver's input is still required to launch the vehicle from a standstill and to manually change gears. Semi-automatic transmissions were almost exclusively used in motorcycles and are based on conventional manual transmissions or sequential manual transmissions, but use an automatic clutch system. But some semi-automatic transmissions have also been based on standard hydraulic automatic transmissions with torque converters and planetary gearsets.
Hydramatic is an automatic transmission developed by both General Motors' Cadillac and Oldsmobile divisions. Introduced in 1939 for the 1940 model year vehicles, the Hydramatic was the first mass-produced fully-automatic transmission developed for passenger automobile use.
TorqueFlite is the trademarked name of Chrysler Corporation's automatic transmissions, starting with the three-speed unit introduced late in the 1956 model year as a successor to Chrysler's two-speed PowerFlite. In the 1990s, the TorqueFlite name was dropped in favor of alphanumeric designations, although the latest Chrysler eight-speed automatic transmission has revived the name.
Ford-O-Matic was the first automatic transmission widely used by Ford Motor Company. It was designed by the Warner Gear division of Borg Warner Corporation and introduced in 1951 model year cars, and was called the Merc-O-Matic when installed in Mercury branded cars and Turbo-Drive when installed in Lincoln branded cars. In contrast to Detroit Gear Division's three band automatic originally designed for Studebaker which became superseded by this unit, a variation of Warner Gear's three-speed unit named Ford-O-Matic continued to evolve later into Cruise-O-Matic named transmissions in 1958 and finally the FMX named transmissions in 1968. This line continued in production until 1980, when the AOD was introduced. Like Ford, variations of this same Borg Warner design were used by other automobile manufacturers as well, such as AMC, International Harvester, Studebaker, Volvo and Jaguar, each of them having the necessary unique adaptations required for the individual applications.
A direct-shift gearbox is an electronically controlled, dual-clutch, multiple-shaft, automatic gearbox, in either a transaxle or traditional transmission layout, with automated clutch operation, and with fully-automatic or semi-manual gear selection. The first dual-clutch transmissions were derived from Porsche in-house development for the Porsche 962 in the 1980s.
DEXRON is the trade name for a group of technical specifications for automatic transmission fluid (ATF) created by General Motors (GM). The name was first registered as a trademark and later evolved into a brand of GM. GM licenses the name and specifications to companies that manufacture the fluid and sell it under their own brand names. Not all DEXRON fluids are licensed by GM for reselling under another brand name. To be licensed, the product must have a license number that begins with the letters B through J and include a "DEXRON Approved" sticker on its container. Like many automobile manufacturers, GM uses transmissions sourced from other suppliers or transmission manufacturers around the world; many of these may use their own unique fluid.
Roto Hydramatic was an automatic transmission built by General Motors and used in some Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Holden models between 1961 and 1965. It was based on the earlier, four-speed Hydramatic, but was more compact, providing only three forward speeds plus a small 8" fluid coupling with a stator inside of the fluid coupling. Oldsmobile, one of the companies that used this transmission in some of its cars, called the fluid couplings stator the "Accel-A-Rotor." The lightweight, aluminum-cased transmission was sometimes nicknamed the "Slim Jim." HydraMatic Division calls the Roto a four-range, three-gear HydraMatic.
The AXOD was a 4-speed automatic transaxle for transverse front wheel drive automobiles from the Ford Motor Company. It was introduced in the 1986 Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable. The AXOD and its successors are built in Ford's Van Dyke Transmission plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Production of the final member of the family, the 4F50N, ended in November 2006.
The 6R is a 6-speed automatic transmission for longitudinal engine placement in rear-wheel drive vehicles. It is based on the ZF 6HP26 transmission and has been built under license by the Ford Motor Company at its Livonia Transmission plant in Livonia, Michigan. The 6R debuted in 2005 for the 2006 model year Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer.
The Ultradrive is an automatic transmission manufactured by Chrysler beginning in the 1989 model year.
The Ford C3 transmission and its descendants are a family of light-duty longitudinal automatic transmissions built by the Ford Motor Company.
The AOD is a four-speed automatic transmission, with the 4th gear as overdrive. Introduced in 1980, it was Ford's first four-speed automatic overdrive transmission. The gearset design is based on the Ford "X" automatic transmissions used during the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. The AOD replaced many of Ford's older transmissions, such as the C4, C5, and light duty applications of the FMX.
A transmission control unit (TCU), also known as a transmission control module (TCM), or a gearbox control unit (GCU), is a type of automotive ECU that is used to control electronic automatic transmissions. Similar systems are used in conjunction with various semi-automatic transmissions, purely for clutch automation and actuation. A TCU in a modern automatic transmission generally uses sensors from the vehicle, as well as data provided by the engine control unit (ECU), to calculate how and when to change gears in the vehicle for optimum performance, fuel economy and shift quality.
The F3A is a 3-speed automatic transmission from Mazda. The transmission is hydraulically controlled, and used on front wheel drive vehicles which have small engines. Later models, such as the Ford Aspire, were equipped with a centrifugal type torque converter clutch.
Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) is a hydraulic fluid that is essential for the proper functioning of vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. Usually, it is coloured red or green to differentiate it from motor oil and other fluids in the vehicle.
The Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual transmission features six forward speeds and one reverse speed. It is derived from the Tremec T-56 6-speed manual transmission. As usual, the forward helical cut gears are synchronized. However, the reverse gear operates through a fully synchronized constant-mesh system. The TR-6060 contains removable wear pads on the shift forks, and uses aluminum alloys for the main case, extension housing, and clutch housing. It is a double overdrive transmission. The TR-6060 is manufactured by TREMEC and is rated for 430 lb⋅ft (580 N⋅m) to 650 lb⋅ft (880 N⋅m) of torque, depending on gearing.
The Ford PowerShift are 6 and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions, produced for the Ford Motor Company. The 6 speed PowerShift gearboxes were built by Getrag Ford Transmissions, a joint-venture with Getrag,. PowerShift improves fuel efficiency by as much as 10 percent when compared to a conventional automatic transmission.
Mercon represents a series of technical standards for automatic transmission fluid, developed and trademarked by Ford Motor Company. This designation serves as a mark of quality that Ford has established for fluids used in automatic transmissions. The Mercon name, which has evolved into a brand, is licensed by Ford to various manufacturers. These companies are authorized to produce the fluid according to Ford's specifications and market it under their own brand names.
