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40-745: In February 2021, Toyota Motor Corp announced it would invest $ 210 million to expand engine production in West Virginia and add 100 new jobs. The Japanese automaker said it would boost capacity by 70,000 engines a year at the Buffalo, West Virginia plant, up from the nearly 1 million transmissions and engines it produces annually for vehicles assembled in North America. 38°35′43″N 81°59′37″W  /  38.59529°N 81.99356°W  / 38.59529; -81.99356 This article relating to an automotive factory or manufacturer facility

80-715: A transmission lever , is a metal lever attached to the transmission of an automobile . The term gear stick mostly refers to the shift lever of a manual transmission , while in an automatic transmission , a similar lever is known as a gear selector . A gear stick will normally be used to change gear whilst depressing the clutch pedal with the left foot to disengage the engine from the drivetrain and wheels . Automatic transmission vehicles, including hydraulic (torque converter) automatic transmissions , automated manual and older semi-automatic transmissions (specifically clutchless manuals), like VW Autostick , and those with continuously variable transmissions , do not require

120-419: A central "neutral" position. Some vehicles have a special button to prevent accidental engagement of reverse. Others require that the lever be lifted (e.g. Nissan ), pressed down (e.g. Volkswagen ), or moved with extra force (e.g. BMW ) to engage reverse. In transmissions with reverse directly below fifth, there may be a mechanical lock-out preventing selection of reverse other than from neutral, thus preventing

160-471: A driver used to a six-speed transmission from engaging reverse while trying to select sixth. Some transmissions also have an electronically controlled error-prevention safeguard that blocks the first and sometimes the second gear from being selected if the vehicle is moving fast enough to exceed the engine's maximum RPM. This gear pattern can also be found on some heavy vehicles – such as lorries and tractors – in which first gear

200-513: A fixed ratio to provide either a gear reduction or increase in speed, sometimes in conjunction with a change in the orientation of the output shaft. Examples of such transmissions are used in helicopters and wind turbines . In the case of a wind turbine, the first stage of the gearbox is usually a planetary gear, to minimize the size while withstanding the high torque inputs from the turbine. Many transmissions – especially for transportation applications – have multiple gears that are used to change

240-440: A physical clutch pedal. Gear sticks are most commonly found between the front seats of the vehicle, either on the center console (sometimes even quite far up on the dashboard ), the transmission tunnel (erroneously called a console shifter when the floor shifter mechanism is bolted to the transmission tunnel with the center console to cover up the shifter assembly when used with a rear or front-wheel drive vehicle), or directly on

280-404: A shifting linkage due to its shift-by-wire principle. It has the added benefit of allowing for a full width bench-type front seat (though some models with bucket seating as an option include it). It has since fallen out of favor, although it can still be found widely on North American-market pick-up trucks , vans, emergency vehicles (both law enforcement and EMS – the column shifter

320-478: A single "L" (for "low") position, which will hold the transmission in whatever lower ratio is required for climbing steep grades or for heavy acceleration: P-R-N-D-L . More modern automatic transmissions have employed a "J-gate" (pioneered by Jaguar ) where some gears are on the left-hand "arm", some on the right, and there is a sideways movement at the rear of the pattern. The second-generation Range Rover from 1995 used an "H-gate", with two parallel PRND gates on

360-552: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Transmission (mechanics) A transmission (also called a gearbox ) is a mechanical device which uses a gear set —two or more gears working together—to change the speed, direction of rotation, or torque multiplication/reduction in a machine . Transmissions can have a single fixed-gear ratio, multiple distinct gear ratios , or continuously variable ratios. Variable-ratio transmissions are used in all sorts of machinery, especially vehicles. Early transmissions included

400-419: Is an extra-low ratio for use in extreme standing-start conditions, and would see little use in normal driving. Automatic transmissions traditionally have had a straight pattern, adopting the classic P-R-N-D gate , with "P" being to the front, topmost position (or "P" all the way to the left on a column-mounted shifter); the corresponding shift positions being: All automatics use some sort of manual override of

440-611: Is another example. It is a revival of an approach used in the 1950s by the Chrysler push-button PowerFlite and the Packard Touchbutton Ultramatic . A shift knob also known as a gear knob , gear shift knob and stick shift knob is the physical interface between the gear stick and the driver's hand. Made of many materials from simple plastics through to platinum , it comes in many shapes sizes and weights. OEM shift knobs are generally spherical in shape, often resembling

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480-475: Is connected to the engine via a torque converter (or a fluid coupling prior to the 1960s), instead of the friction clutch used by most manual transmissions and dual-clutch transmissions. A dual-clutch transmission (DCT) uses two separate clutches for odd and even gear sets . The design is often similar to two separate manual transmissions with their respective clutches contained within one housing, and working as one unit. In car and truck applications,

520-404: Is instead in a "dog leg" position, to the left and rearwards. There is usually a spring-loading to return the stick to the central position. Reverse gear is commonly positioned in the best choice of location to avoid accidental engagement. A typical manual transmission vehicle, with (for example) five forward gears, will thus have seven possible positions: the five forwards gears, reverse gear, and

560-467: Is no need to package either remote mechanisms or complex interlocking arrangements. This has allowed designers to replace the gear stick completely with either button, rotary knobs (current Jaguar , Land Rover and Ford models are good examples of this), or a miniaturized gear stick on the center console. This can be seen in some Audis , BMWs and the Lincoln Continental . Japanese finger shift

600-687: Is retained where a floor shifter is unfeasible due to mounting the mobile data terminal and 2-way radio), and "full-size" US sedans such as the Ford Crown Victoria . A dashboard mounted shift was common on certain French models such as the Citroën 2CV and Renault 4 . Both the Bentley Mark VI and the Riley Pathfinder had their gear lever to the right of the right-hand drive driver's seat, alongside

640-454: The DCT functions as an automatic transmission, requiring no driver input to change gears. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) can change seamlessly through a continuous range of gear ratios . This contrasts with other transmissions that provide a limited number of gear ratios in fixed steps. The flexibility of a CVT with suitable control may allow the engine to operate at a constant RPM while

680-457: The clutch and/or shift between gears. Many early versions of these transmissions were semi-automatic in operation, such as Autostick , which automatically control only the clutch , but still require the driver's input to initiate gear changes. Some of these systems are also referred to as clutchless manual systems. Modern versions of these systems that are fully automatic in operation, such as Selespeed and Easytronic , can control both

720-417: The clutch engaged causes it to lurch forwards or backward since the starter motor by itself produces sufficient torque to move the whole vehicle; this can be highly dangerous, especially if the parking brake is not firmly applied and can be injurious to the starter and drivetrain. Therefore, novice drivers are taught to rock the knob of a manual gearbox from side to side before starting the engine to confirm that

760-401: The clutch operation and the gear shifts automatically, without any input from the driver. An automatic transmission does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The most common design of automatic transmissions is the hydraulic automatic, which typically uses planetary gearsets that are operated using hydraulics . The transmission

800-403: The console or on steering column stalks instead. Manual shifters on the steering column, if having only three forward speeds, are typically called a three on the tree , and floor shifters having four forward speeds, are called four-on-the-floor . The lowest of these gears, if set at a much lower ratio than a typical 1st-gear ratio, is often called a granny gear . Starting the car in gear with

840-412: The driver to selecting either the next or previous gear, in a successive order. A semi-automatic transmission is where some of the operation is automated (often the actuation of the clutch), but the driver's input is required to move off from a standstill or to change gears. An automated manual transmission (AMT) is essentially a conventional manual transmission that uses automatic actuation to operate

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880-420: The driver's door, where it was not unknown for British cars to also have their handbrake . ( Left-hand drive models received a column shift.) In some modern sports cars , the gear lever has been replaced entirely by "paddles", which are a pair of levers, usually operating electrical switches (rather than a mechanical connection to the gearbox), mounted on either side of the steering column, where one increments

920-469: The early mass-produced automobiles, the standard transmission design was manual : the combination of gears was selected by the driver through a lever (the gear stick ) that displaced gears and gear groups along their axes. Starting in 1939, cars using various types of automatic transmission became available in the US market. These vehicles used the engine's own power to change the effective gear ratio depending on

960-406: The engine within its power band to produce optimal power, fuel efficiency , and smooth operation. Multiple gear ratios are also needed to provide sufficient acceleration and velocity for safe & reliable operation at modern highway speeds. ICEs typically operate over a range of approximately 600–7000 rpm, while the vehicle's speeds requires the wheels to rotate in the range of 0–1800 rpm. In

1000-437: The floor. Some vehicles have a column shift where the lever is mounted on the steering column  – in vehicles with a manual four-speed gearbox such as 1950s Mercedes-Benz cars and all two-stroke Trabants , this is actually a manual gear lever connected to the gearbox with a linkage. In automatic transmission cars, the lever functions more like a gear selector, and, in modern cars, does not necessarily need to have

1040-412: The gear selection system, i.e. the positions to which the gear stick should be moved when selecting a gear. In some older manual transmission vehicles, the knob may incorporate a switch to engage an overdrive ; in some automatic transmission vehicles it may incorporate a switch to engage a special mode such as a sports mode or to disengage overdrive. Both of the above-mentioned switches may also be found on

1080-496: The gear stick. The Land Rover Freelander introduced a button for that company's Hill Descent Control system feature, which uses the brakes to simulate the function of a low-ratio gearbox in steep descents. Traditional four-wheel drive vehicles have one or more additional "shift levers" to engage a low-ratio gearbox (used on tough terrain ), a transfer case (which switches between two- and four-wheel drive), or differential locks. Some more modern traditional vehicles combine

1120-411: The gearbox is in neutral. For the same reason, modern cars require the clutch pedal to be depressed before the starter will engage (though some modern vehicles have a button that disables the clutch start requirement if held down when starting, for rare situations when starting the car in gear is necessary). The latter practice is also useful in extremely cold conditions or with a weak battery, as it avoids

1160-416: The gears up, and the other down. Formula 1 cars used to hide the gear stick behind the steering wheel within the nose bodywork before the modern practice of mounting the "paddles" on the (removable) steering wheel itself. A knob, variously called gear knob, shift knob, gear shift knob or stick shift knob, forms the handle for the gear stick. Typically the gear knob includes a diagram of the shift pattern of

1200-493: The load so as to keep the engine running close to its optimal rotation speed. Automatic transmissions now are used in more than 2/3 of cars globally, and on almost all new cars in the US. Most currently-produced passenger cars with gasoline or diesel engines use transmissions with 4–10 forward gear ratios (also called speeds) and one reverse gear ratio. Electric vehicles typically use a fixed-gear or two-speed transmission with no reverse gear ratio. The simplest transmissions used

1240-425: The low-ratio gearbox and transfer case into one lever, with 3 positions: 2H (for 2-wheel drive in the standard high-ratio gearbox); 4H (for 4-wheel drive in the standard high-ratio gearbox); and 4L (for 4-wheel drive in the low-ratio gearbox). The shift pattern refers to the layout of the gears. In a typical manual transmission car, first gear is located to the left, and forwards. In many trucks and some sports cars it

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1280-408: The opposing legs of the "H" for both high range and low range ratios, for normal and off-road driving, respectively. Most modern manumatics , such as Alfa Romeo 's Sportronic and Porsche 's Tiptronic , have a traditional automatic shift pattern on the left or right side of the gear selector, along with a connected longitudinal gate with "+" and "-" positions on the other side in which movement of

1320-449: The ratio of input speed (e.g. engine rpm) to the output speed (e.g. the speed of a car) as required for a given situation. Gear (ratio) selection can be manual, semi-automatic, or automatic. A manual transmission requires the driver to manually select the gears by operating a gear stick and clutch (which is usually a foot pedal for cars or a hand lever for motorcycles). Most transmissions in modern cars use synchromesh to synchronise

1360-482: The right-angle drives and other gearing in windmills , horse -powered devices, and steam -powered devices. Applications of these devices included pumps , mills and hoists . Bicycles traditionally have used hub gear or Derailleur gear transmissions, but there are other more recent design innovations. Since the torque and power output of an internal combustion engine varies with its rpm , automobiles powered by ICEs require multiple gear ratios to keep

1400-475: The shifter forward and backward increments the gears up and down, respectively. This can be useful in snow or dirt conditions, where it may be necessary to start from second gear. With the advent of drive by wire (or more properly, shift by wire ) computer-controlled transmissions (particularly in the case of automatics), the gear stick no longer needs to be mechanically connected to the transmission unit itself, and can, therefore, be made much smaller since there

1440-418: The speeds of the input and output shafts. However, prior to the 1950s, most cars used non-synchronous transmissions . A sequential manual transmission is a type of non-synchronous transmission used mostly for motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift times than synchronized manual transmissions, through the use of dog clutches rather than synchromesh. Sequential manual transmissions also restrict

1480-489: The starter motor also having to turn over a gearbox full of cold and highly viscous oil. Many automatic transmission vehicles have extra controls on the gear stick, or very close by, which modify the choices made by the transmission system depending on engine and road speed, e.g. "sports" or "economy" modes which will broadly speaking allow, respectively, for higher and lower revolutions per minute, before shifting up. Some specialist vehicles have controls for other functions on

1520-432: The transmission, with numbered positions in descending order marked below (or to the right) of "drive", which will prevent the transmission shifting to a gear higher than the selected, but maintaining automatic operation between all lesser numbered gears. Such gates will appear as P-R-N-D-3-2-1 for example. On some vehicles (mainly Japanese makes such as Honda , Toyota and Lexus ) these numbered positions are replaced by

1560-657: The vehicle is engaged in lower gears. The design life of the lower ratio gears is shorter, so cheaper gears may be used, which tend to generate more noise due to smaller overlap ratio and a lower mesh stiffness etc. than the helical gears used for the high ratios. This fact has been used to analyze vehicle-generated sound since the late 1960s, and has been incorporated into the simulation of urban roadway noise and corresponding design of urban noise barriers along roadways. Gear stick A gear stick (rarely spelled gearstick ), gear lever (both UK English ), gearshift or shifter (both U.S. English ), more formally known as

1600-452: The vehicle moves at varying speeds. CVTs are used in cars, tractors, side-by-sides , motor scooters, snowmobiles , bicycles, and earthmoving equipment . The most common type of CVT uses two pulleys connected by a belt or chain ; however, several other designs have also been used at times. Gearboxes are often a major source of noise and vibration in vehicles and stationary machinery. Higher sound levels are generally emitted when

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