automatic – Byri

Night road – The automatic gearbox, this French invention

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 19:05:16 +0000

As indicated by Florien Ferrière, on Caradisiac, on September 1, the automatic transmission is now the majority in new cars sold in France in 2021. It equips 54%, against 8% in 2004. It owes this success in particular to tremendous progress she has made.

How long ago are the days when people thought they should despise it, at least publicly, for fear of being considered incapable of driving properly! Conversely, in the United States, it has been used in the overwhelming majority of automobiles for several decades.

So much so that we think it was created there. If the first car to be equipped with it was indeed American (an Oldsmobile in 1939), the patent for the 100% automatic transmission (using planetary gears, hydraulic pressure, vacuum in the intake manifold and the position of the accelerator pedal) requiring no pilot operation neither to set off nor to change gear (unlike the Cotal or Wilson systems, for example), was deposited on December 20, 1935 by a Frenchman: Gaston Fleischel, born in 1885 .

This patent follows several others, covering the various elements of the said transmission, which he began to develop satisfactorily in 1923 on a Citroën B14. At the time, he owned a factory manufacturing precision mechanisms, in Bléneau, in Yonne, but had to close it in 1931 because of the Great Depression. He then devoted himself to pure research and in 1934 created the “Société des Transmissions Automatique Fleischel”.

The Peugeot 402 was almost marketed with a Fleischel automatic transmission in 1935.

From 1935, Peugeot presented at the Paris Motor Show a 402 equipped with the Fleischel gearbox, which nevertheless presented two major pitfalls. It swallows a lot of power and is very expensive, representing nearly 25% of the price of the Sochaux sedan! Also fans of automation will prefer the Cotal transmission, less expensive, leading Peugeot not to market the 402 with Fleischel gearbox.

In the meantime, our wise man made contact with many companies, including Chrysler, even filing his patents in the United States at the start of the decade. These do not go unnoticed: many American manufacturers are interested in them.

In 1938, Fleischel created the TAF (Automatic Transmissions Fleischel) which held all his patents, and in 1939, he was sent by the Government on a mission to the United States then, surprised by the armistice, remained there, supporting the combatants. of free France.

Only, Uncle Sam, who went to war against Germany in 1942, considers occupied France an enemy territory and, as a result, monopolizes all the patents that the TAF has filed in the USA.

They were not returned until 1947 to the Fleischel company, which set out to prosecute all these American manufacturers who had exploited them without asking its opinion. But, how can a little Frenchman face such behemoths? It’s David against several Goliaths!

To do this, the TAF sells its patents to an American company headed by a Frenchman, the Specialty Equipment and Machinery Corp. After a long legal battle, she won her case: in 1953, the leaders of major US brands (Chrysler, Ford, GM, Hudson, Packard, but also Bendix and Borg-Warner) signed an agreement in which they recognized that they had well used Fleischel patents. Excuse the little!

The judgment showing the agreement signed between the American manufacturers and Gaston Fleischel. Photo : ensemblepourbleneau.com

However, the inventor will not achieve notoriety and will die in 1965 in Nanterre. As for automation in France, Renault will try with some success to restore its image by developing the first French automatic transmission to be mass-produced.

The Renault 16 TA was the first French car on the market to be fitted with a French automatic transmission.

Innovative, it is equipped with an electronic management, and is seen mounted first on the R16 from 1969. The manufacturer estimates that in 1975, 25% of cars sold will be fitted with an automatic transmission. However, the market for this did not begin to really increase in our region until the middle of the 2000s …

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The automatic gearbox overtakes the manual gearbox in France

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 10:06:16 +0000

A great first for the French market: more automatic gearbox cars are now sold than manual gearbox cars. According to a figure revealed by our colleagues at RTL, 54% of new cars sold in France in 2021 have such a gearbox.

The auto gearbox has been gaining followers in France for several years. In 2016, this type of transmission represented 25% of sales. In 2004, it was only 8%! A change which is explained first by the arrival of boxes much more convincing in use, with in particular the double clutch.

Chaotic gear changes and screaming engines are (almost) a very old memory. Thanks to these improvements which give a good driving pleasure, the French are easily convinced. And very often, to try it is to adopt it for life. It is also to promote it in its entourage, the famous “but you know, it is not so bad”.

The increase in sales is also driven by supply. Having become essential, the automatic transmission is offered at all levels of the range. Even Dacia has CVT and EDC! Above all, it begins to be imposed! A generalization that began with the most upscale models, but which is now found on vehicles in lower segments. Thus, the new DS4 will only be offered with automatic.

The brands know that the manual gearbox is becoming a minority. You might as well ignore it, which has several financial advantages. This makes it possible to direct the customer towards a more expensive model, the automatic transmission always adding a big additional cost (of 1,500 to 2,000 € on average). It is also a development economy, with manual variants not to be developed. At a time when brands like to clean catalogs, this is also a good point for them. Finally, the designers find their account there, with more freedom to imagine an interior without the lever of the manual gearbox.

We should not of course forget another important aspect of the rise of automatic transmissions: the sharp rise in sales of electrified cars. With hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electrics, the automatic transmission… is automatic. But this time, these engines already represent more than 20% of sales.

And the increasingly stringent CO2 regulations will gradually lead to a 100% market share for these engines… which will result in 100% automatic gearboxes! Volkswagen is also planning to abandon the manual transmission in 2030.

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Ford Bronco will receive automatic transmission from Explorer

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 07:21:11 +0000

Ford has confirmed that the Bronco will have the same automatic transmission as its sister SUV Explorer.

It’s been a year since Ford unveiled the all-new Bronco. Its production is only just beginning after a painful amount of problems delayed the start of assembly. One tidbit new piece of information coming from TheBroncoNation.com shows that the new Bronco will share the powertrain with the Ford Explorer.

Ford has never specified which 10-speed automatic transmission will control the Bronco’s power to the wheels. Ford has now confirmed that the Bronco is using the same 10R60 gearbox as the Explorer.

The concern raced the NORRA Mexican 1000 off-road rally this year in a standard Bronco with a standard gearbox and finished third. Therefore, buyers should not worry about its agility.

Ford is building the Bronco alongside the Ranger, which uses an older 10R80 gearbox. Ford uses it in the Ranger for specific reasons. The 10R60 in the Bronco is rated to handle the horsepower of the two available Bronco engines, the 2.3-liter and the 2.7-liter. The Bronco transmission is lighter, has less internal mass, which reduces parasitic losses, and is also more efficient than the 10R80. Those looking to shift gears on their own can opt for the available seven-speed manual transmission.

Bronco faced multiple delays due to COVID. Supply chain problems continue
interfere with what Ford has to offer customers. Now it’s nice to see the new SUV off the assembly line.

The automaker announced the return of the Bronco over four years ago at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show. The off-road fans waited patiently for the nameplate to be returned.

It also became known that Ford is recalling 774,000 previous-generation Explorer SUVs due to suspension problems.

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Renault will reduce the price of the Koleos crossover with a gasoline engine and automatic transmission

admin — Thu, 13 May 2021 20:55:01 +0000

Renault Koleos crossover will receive new versions. TCe petrol engine with 160 hp output in conjunction with an automatic transmission is now available on the Intens and Zen trim levels. This will significantly lower the starting price of the model.

Diesel is the protagonist of the Renault Koleos mechanical proposal. To stimulate sales of Koleos, the company has added several new and very interesting versions to the range. Their appearance will significantly reduce the starting price of the gasoline model.

There is only one gasoline engine in the Koleos lineup. It is a 1.3-liter TCe four-cylinder that develops 160 hp. and a maximum torque of 260 Nm. Last but not least, it is associated exclusively with the 7-speed EDC automatic transmission and front-wheel drive system. The brand claims an average fuel consumption of 6.8 liters per 100 kilometers and CO2 emissions of 151 g / km according to the WLTP cycle.

Renault has focused on the most basic trim levels for its new petrol versions. This block is now available for Intens and Zen versions.

In the “base” of these versions there will be several airbags (front, side and curtain), 18-inch alloy wheel, full LED taillights, power windows, driver fatigue detector. The cabin features a 7-inch touchscreen and a 3D navigation system.

Read also that Renault and Nissan will develop cheaper batteries for electric cars.

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Second-hand: 5 automatic for less than 10,000 €

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 09:47:56 +0000

Undeniably, the automatic transmission is becoming more and more popular for new vehicles. Good news: on the second hand side too, the choice of automatic transmission becomes very important.

For a long time, automatic transmissions were not very popular with us and rather evoked American cars. But in recent years, automatic transmissions have greatly improved. They have become faster and sometimes even allow you to consume less. On occasion, it is now easy to find a model equipped with an automatic transmission for less than 10,000 €. In addition to gasoline or diesel models with automatic transmission, you should know that all electric, hybrid or plug-in hybrid models will also exempt their driver from having to change gears.

On the same subject

Citroën C4 Picasso

This Citroën C4 Picasso from 2014 has only 120,000 km on the odometer. Its diesel engine is associated with a robotic box which has the particularity of being controlled by a lever behind the steering wheel. Like the Americans or the Mercedes.

Volkswagen Touran

The Touran was one of the first models equipped with the famous double clutch gearbox. DSG in 2003 which was subsequently offered on many models of the VW group. For € 9,900, here we have a model from 2011 equipped with a 1.6l TDI 105 horsepower diesel engine.

Skoda Octavia Combi

For less than 10,000 €, here we find the excellent Skoda Octavia Combi. Its 1.4l TSI 140 horsepower petrol engine is associated with the famous DSG gearbox of the Volkswagen group. Often fast, it lacks responsiveness in urban (re) starts..

Smart Brabus

This Smart Brabus, the most powerful of the range, is offered here for € 9,900. Unfortunately, the robotic box is not the most convincing on the market. Better to use it in manual mode.

BMW 318 there

This BMW 3 Series Estate is also offered right in the budget. Its 143 horsepower diesel engine is associated with an automatic gearbox. A combination that should certainly appeal to heavy riders.

Manual and automatic gearbox: advantages

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 17:19:28 +0000

For all motorists, the same question arises when buying a car: manual or automatic gearbox? To facilitate the choice, it is necessary to know the advantages and disadvantages of each of these options.

Cars equipped with an automatic gearbox are becoming more and more common. They are taking the place long acquired by models with a manual transmission. There are several reasons for this trend. Indeed, automatic cars are very practical, especially in urban areas. They ignore the clutch. The pedal is completely removed from the passenger compartment. As a result, it becomes easier to deal with complicated starts. In addition, the driver no longer takes care of changing gears. The car takes care of revving up or downshifting depending on the pressure exerted by the driver on the accelerator. So the driving is less stressful in traffic jams. Maintaining the steering wheel is more important since it is no longer useful to constantly change gear. In addition, automatic transmissions are known to be reliable.

On the other hand, vehicles equipped with this type of system are energy intensive. The more fuel consumption than that of classic cars. In addition, the vehicle’s brake pads can wear out quickly if the gearbox does not have a manual position. In addition, the purchase price is expensive, not to mention the relatively expensive maintenance cost depending on the model.

The advantages of a manual gearbox

As for the cars equipped with manual gearbox, they are the most numerous on the roads. The gearbox can be four, five or six gears. Changing gears requires the intervention of the driver. To do this, he must depress the clutch pedal and operate the lever. Moreover, this is one of the most important constraints of a manual gearbox. The motorist must play on the clutch and the gear lever to go up or downshift. In addition, its learning is more complex. However, it allows you to benefit from many advantages:

Manual transmissions are very popular in the market. If there is a problem, it is easy to find it. In addition, they are offered at a lower price than automatic models.
Repairing a manual gearbox is easier. Therefore, the intervention remains less expensive.
Fuel consumption can be regulated for a car equipped with manual gear. It is enough to adopt a suitable behavior.
For people who are used to driving a manual car, adopting an automatic vehicle is easier. Moreover, experts recommend mastering the driving of a manual car before switching to an automatic gearbox.