How auto gearboxes went from zero to hero

[konfab]

Dealership eh? Someone could then argue your old man was crazy for paying the extortion fees to replace the entire thing.

Odds are it could have been done much cheaper.

Same odds are that the same situation would have cost the same or very similar money at the dealership as well.

Ergo, dealership pricing shouldn’t be used when debating these things as they aren’t representative.

You managed to get all of that from me saying that the warranty expired? :wtf:

He shopped around and did the due diligence required and unfortunately the gearbox was f__ked. The non-dealership mechanic said it was a rare problem to begin with.

Which goes back to what I said:
Call me paranoid but I would rather take R9k risk more often than a less likely R40k risk.

 

[SauRoNZA]

You managed to get all of that from me saying that the warranty expired? :wtf:

He shopped around and did the due diligence required and unfortunately the gearbox was f__ked. The non-dealership mechanic said it was a rare problem to begin with.

Which goes back to what I said:
Call me paranoid but I would rather take R9k risk more often than a less likely R40k risk.

Fair enough.

As you say though it’s a rare problem and not the norm.

I’ve just seen too many stories of massive overcharging or complete gearbox replacements for no good reason other than them not wanting to really work on it.

It’s certainly not something I would “pay for” by having to struggle with a manual to avoid a potential problem.

But then I have almost 200k on a DSG with no drama.

 

[Rouxenator]

Just to be clear, in my case the R9k I paid was for the clutch, not the gearbox. Half of the cost was probably labour.

My autobox is a run of the mill Aisin 80-40LE, it is used in a number of cars so getting a rebuilt one should not be too hard or expensive. The manual on the other hand was only used in a handful of PSA vehicles. That said I checked on eBay and without import duties I can get either of those for about R8k.

Bottom line is if you look after your transmission, regardless of the type, it should last for the lifetime of the car.

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

The antithesis of seamless shifts were the automated-manual gearboxes used in cars such as the BMW SMG and Alfa-Romeo Selespeed, and I’m glad we’ve seen their demise.
..........................
The best of the automatic breed today are the dual-clutch transmissions such as Porsche’s PDK

Errrrm, dual-clutch transmissions ARE automated manuals, just modern versions of it, there was no "demise".

Who in this day and age still drives a manual ?

Any Subaru driver that doesn't like CVT ... modern autos are great, CVT is still weird as hell.

 

[Craig_]

Errrrm, dual-clutch transmissions ARE automated manuals, just modern versions of it, there was no "demise".


Any Subaru driver that doesn't like CVT ... modern autos are great, CVT is still weird as hell.

I think they meant single clutch auto gearboxes.

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

I think they meant single clutch auto gearboxes.

You're probably right, but the wording is ambiguous.

Oh and while I'm nitpicking ... it isn't really fair to rave about PDK / dual clutch automated-manuals in a discussion of auto boxes vs manuals.

The vast majority of auto boxes today are still torque converter boxes, not dual clutch. They have also become very good in their own right though.

 

[dlk001]

Is a dual clutch really worth it? I drive a manual.

If you look at Ignitions review of the Lexus LC500 they say its its single clutch is just as fast as a dual clutch.

My opinion its worth it if it's a good dual clutch, good programming and you often prefer to change gears yourself.

Although car makers can source a gearbox from the same manufacturer e.g. GETRAG Dual-Clutch Transmissions and ZF 8-Speed Automatic Transmission, they will not behave the same.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Why would hydrogen not use a gearbox?

It works just like a petrol car...just with a replacement for the petrol.

It’s much like diesel is to petrol. Just another method of combustion.

its electric, just with an on board generator, so once again, no need for a gearbox?

 

[SauRoNZA]

its electric, just with an on board generator, so once again, no need for a gearbox?

Aaah yes I completely forgot about the fuel cell based versions.

Although I would imagine those will still have gearboxes as they would be fairly low in power/torque and would need the gearing to make it go anywhere.

****

I see the Honda FCX does in fact have a Single Speed Direct Drive.

 

[konfab]

Aaah yes I completely forgot about the fuel cell based versions.

Although I would imagine those will still have gearboxes as they would be fairly low in power/torque and would need the gearing to make it go anywhere.

They would be no different from electric cars in terms of drivetrain.

The only gearing an electric car needs is the steering mechanism and differential.

 

[Swa]

I like manuals for the reason that they are mechanically simple. This allows them to be cheaper, more reliable, more efficient and cheaper to fix if something goes wrong. So for someone who doesn't like spending money on cars, they are the thing to go for.

Tell that to the manufacturers. When we were shopping all the auto models were R10k more expensive than the exact same one in manual. It could be different now but at the time I guess they were taking advantage of the demand.

You managed to get all of that from me saying that the warranty expired? :wtf:

He shopped around and did the due diligence required and unfortunately the gearbox was f__ked. The non-dealership mechanic said it was a rare problem to begin with.

Which goes back to what I said:
Call me paranoid but I would rather take R9k risk more often than a less likely R40k risk.

Yes you are. This is an anecdote. Might have just been him being unlucky and it could have well been a manual gearbox.

 

[SaiyanZ]

Who in this day and age still drives a manual ?

If you prefer auto you might as well just take an Uber and have a more relaxed drive as you don't need to operate a clutch and a gear lever.

 

[Splinter]

Actually considering going auto for my next car. Question for those who've made the change: how long was it before you stopped looking for the clutch, or forgot that your left foot was near the brake and not the clutch and pressed it accidentally? Asking because a co-worker almost went through his windshield the first day.

About 10 seconds to adjust.

 

[Splinter]

Fair enough.

As you say though it’s a rare problem and not the norm.

I’ve just seen too many stories of massive overcharging or complete gearbox replacements for no good reason other than them not wanting to really work on it.

It’s certainly not something I would “pay for” by having to struggle with a manual to avoid a potential problem.

But then I have almost 200k on a DSG with no drama.

You have seen to many stories on to many stories you tell. And here we go with your old Gti again...

 

[Captain Beer]

TRIGGER WARNING

 

[Captain Beer]

TRIGGER WARNING



Also considering an auto on my next car.

 

[Hamster]

TRIGGER WARNING

View attachment 470491

*poor people

:twisted:

 

[SauRoNZA]

Tell that to the manufacturers. When we were shopping all the auto models were R10k more expensive than the exact same one in manual. It could be different now but at the time I guess they were taking advantage of the demand.


.

Except in the case of Mercedes where the default configuration is an automatic and you have to pay more to get a manual.

Not sure if it’s still the case (probably don’t even offer manual at all any more) but it was a few years ago.

Many manufacturers now don’t offer manual any more as it brings their total costs down as nobody buys them anyway.

 

[SauRoNZA]

You have seen to many stories on to many stories you tell. And here we go with your old Gti again...

Must I apologise for my exposure being bigger than yours and my ear being on the ground?

I hang out with a lot of car people. And non-car people come to me for advice. Should I just ignore them and block out their issues?

Not sure what exactly you want in response to these comments, but meanwhile you add nothing of value.

 

[satanboy]

TRIGGER WARNING

View attachment 470491

Yeah, the one is just a footrest.