Ricky Doolous:OH! Ricky I wondered how long I would have to slowly scroll down under this RUclips presentation before I got to the ideal definition of Ford's version of what should be a better idea😢 Are you old enough to remember the 60's and 'Ford has a better idea' campaign? It would be quicker if you Googled it or RUclipsd it to find it than for me to try to post it so I will advise you to do it that way because you deserve it the quicker way, because of your excellent comment! I say this as an honestly first time frustrated Ford and 2012 Focus owner with an other wise nice SEL Hatchback except for this 'abomination'🤬 around town in stop-and-go traffic and a 'miracle of engineering'🤩 on the highway! i.e.: 23a.m.p.g. vs 43a.m.p.g. with just a little over 19,000 mostly around town miles.This is where the dual-clutch fails to meet what I would consider a reasonable 25 A MPG. Having gone through interpreting🤯 'anticipation' as breaking and acceleration and lighting all of the little flower petals from blue to green, and accomplishing the same for speed which was self-explanatory. We can leave the discussion of proper labeling of vehicle controls to another time. Like what's wrong with words or abbreviations of same versus multiple interpretations of sign language😤 Maybe there's a new push on to get ancient Egyptians to buy the cars and know how to operate them quickly.
Great video, well explained! My Ford managed a massive 40,000 miles from new before the powershift transmission gave up. I complained to Ford who in their defense argued that 40,000 miles was a reasonable life for one of their powershift transmissions. Needless to say, I no longer buy Ford :)
barrie Williams I’m pissed I got a 2016 Ford Focus se and I didn’t even know about the transmission history or research it before buying it because I liked the design and it rose smoothe until a couple thousand miles later the transmission shudders and is shaky
Information is power. Thanks for providing these really great lectures on the mechanics of cars and the underlying physics. I really wasn't good at physics in high school, but your style of breaking down the complexities of the subject matter into logical easily understandable segments really is very useful. Keep it up! Just shows how the type of deliverance of the information can really make a difference. I think many students who failed the natural sciences would have benefitted from a teacher that didn't just regurgitate the data, but made it exciting while challenging the students. I had that experience in math. I almost had to redo an entire year in 10th grade because I flunked math. The teachers basically had blamed me for that shortcoming and I believed them. Then my late mother got me a tutor who was actually an arts major in college. She analyzed the situation and believed in me. Within one year I went from an F to an A. That tutor had a real calmness about him and used visuals to make the numbers actually mean something. It really was one of the best feelings of my life to suddenly see the whole work of art in front of me instead of of just individual brush strokes that by themselves mean very little. A really cool approach that really worked for me. Those same teachers who had given up on me never said a word again. I think science illiteracy is in large part caused by the inability of some teachers to engage their students. Now not all of the students want to learn about the sciences, but I think it is human to try to figure stuff out. Play around with numbers and things until you figure out how something works. Science is not just numbers and theory. It is around us all the time and just like art and music. Brian Cox does really really good documentaries that accomplish just that in the area of astrophysics and related fields. It's like looking at a sunset. Sure it is just a huge ball of a fusion reaction emitting photons which hit the earth and refract of the earth atmosphere and reach our eyes. Yet, most of us would call it simply beautiful. One with the other creating true beauty through basic reaction of atoms under great heat and pressure.
Information is NOT power you moron. Understanding is the key. Information is useless unless you have a cleat conception of the facts and the ability to explain them.
What a great way of explaining this technology. My car has DCT and it sometimes get caught out with its gear selection choice in similar circumstances to your illustration. Now that I know the reason for this, maybe I can pre-empt it by paddle shifting down one gear. Thanks John.
I had the same "issue" with the gearbox needing a short bit to sort out the correct gear for "unexpected" maneuvers, when I was driving a 2017 Audi A4 for a few weeks as a rental. What I did to improve this situation was to manually select the gear I wanted with the shiftpedals behind the wheel before accelerating f.e. when doing an overtake I would put it down into 4th or 5th from 7th gear. In the Audi you didn't even need to take it out of full auto mode to do this, simply pull the shiftpedal to select the gear you wanted and after you where done accelerating it went back to full auto mode after a few seconds.
85,000 miles currently on my 2012 Ford Focus. Recently, I noted a certain jerkiness to the lower gear shifts. I went online (RUclips) found an applicable video which said to start out with a heavy throttle five or six times in a row to allow the transmission to relearn. Cleared things right up. Now it works like a charm. I like that there is no converter, which puts less load and less heat into the operation, (saves fuel too.) particularly around town. And service intervals are 100,000 miles apart, which means lower cost. I'm a fan.
Hi mate. As a guy who just purchased his first DSG, this was a great explanation of how it works. I guess mine is what you would call high performance, but this explanation has already helped me understand it, and drive it better. Thanks again. PS i once purchased a WRX you once owned from a car dealer in Hamilton, Newcastle. It had digital gauges added in the centre console that controlled various different functions. Not standard at the time. Long time fan bud.
Well said. I had a Focus with a DC Trans. Very disappointed when new but after about 3 visits to the dealer and various things replaced and re-flashed, (all free) it turned out to be a very good car. I only wish the slow speed creep had been better.
I have a 2018 Focus with the Powershift and it runs just fine. 21k miles on it and no problems whatsoever! Transmission is happy and feels like it’s meant to be there!
I just bought a Focus with a DCT. Didn’t know about these transmissions before hand, and looking at the carfax that may be why the previous owner sold it. But the recall work has been done on it and it’s only got 36k on the odometer and I got it for a steal, AND I got a warranty so hopefully I won’t have any serious issues with it.
Best videos of John cadogen are back the "Tech" videos. John please make more of these car educational tech videos they are so good. Your each and every video under Tech category playlist is a gem keep up the good work. I personally like these much more than the Nuts.
Your filming production is incredible. You are Australia's best car reviewer, and a damn good presenter at that (too bad you can't be uncensored and honest on mainstream media).
I drive a Hyundai i40 Tourer, 1.7ltr turbo diesel, with DCT. Being a car person, I did read the manual to understand how to drive the vehicle with the DCT. No information was provided by the Salesman when I picked it up new. The car has just clocked over 100,000 km without a single issue and I have to say I really like the DCT although, if you start up the car and tried to drive away instantly when cold it does get a bit jerky. Not sure if that's the engine being cold or the DCT being cold. But once you get on down the road it all works well. Coupled to the turbo diesel, this is a great transmission. To get back to what JC was saying, it can be a bit nervous around town in slow or heavy traffic. Pretty much how JC explained it. Whether I've just been lucky, don't know but Hyundai appear to have done a good job with their DCT.
After 7 years of driving CVTs I'm back to driving a conventional 6-speed torque converter auto (in a diesel) and it's great. I contemplated a VW diesel but was put off by the DSGs they all have. I'll stick with conventional autos as long as I can.
I’ve owned a 2010 VW GTI with a DSG for a while now. You’re 100% right it has its downsides but you can correct them if you know some “tricks”. Don’t accelerate while downshifting, I learned that the hard way at low speeds and jerked the hell out of the car. Sitting at idle for long periods in ‘D’ can put some wear (~2bar of pressure if I remember right) on a clutch. Swap trans fluid every 40k miles and you’re fine :)
I have done 20 000KM with a Mitsubishi Ralliart which was a Getrag DCT-SST. It's not for everyone, personally, I love it. I've never driven it in DRIVE mode, it's always in Manual shift mode as I find the response is alot better and the car drives smoother when I shift manually. I also keep it in S-Sport mode which limits the slip of the clutch for sharper shifts.
I just bought a 2010 Audi a4 with the S tronic trans. A DSG pretty much. It's had the recall done on the mecatronic unit so it's really good. I use to be a all but manual fan but after this I prefer the DSG for spirited driving. The engagement with the insane gear changes with paddles are so fun. Sure they have the odd vibration and jerk and bits and pieces. But I'm sold.
I have a 2012 Audi with an S-tronic transmission (their name for DCT); its current mileage is 184000 kilometers and I had no problems at all so I can say DSGs are reliable if maintained correctly. PS: the shift time for Volkswagen/Audi DSGs is usually 8ms.
The VW/Audi DCT comes in various types, the 7-speed dry clutch DQ200 has been the most problematic, the later wet clutch DQ500 seems fine so far but despite what VW says, the dry clutch models do benefit from an oil chage every 3/4 years.
I agree, the dry clutch ones have been quite problematic. I have a DL501 wet clutch. In Europe audi recommends changing the DCT oil every 60 000 km. I've tried changing mine every 45 000 km.
I drove (since new) a 2008 VW R32 fitted with a 6speed DSG. The car had done 110,000km never had a problem with the DSG just everything else broke. I now drive a Renault Clio RS 220 Trophy DCT. Really enjoy driving with a dual clutch transmission I always drove the car as a manual using the paddles.
Intresting video. I currently have a Ford Mondeo DCT. I've heard so many horror stories on the ford powershift and Hyundai/kia DCTs. My mates went at only 2 years old and 85k miles. No help from warranty and was £4.5k down. The only reliable ones here in the UK are VWs DCT. Many of the taxi drivers run them to starship mileages without problems. When I can hand my Mondeo back I'll definitely be going back to VW or Skoda. Their DCTs are much smoother and faster shifting than fords
Nice explanation unlike many other videos bogging into technical details and loosing the momentum. While watching the part when the need was there to change the lane and accelerate suddenly it reminded me on my experience with a classic automatic transmission which can have a similar effect with some modern (and even less modern) cars. I am a faithful Toyota owner and had them in all models from Starlet to Aurion. My first jump from 4 cylinder to V6 was with 97 Camry. Then I got Avalon and today I have 2010 Aurion. My first test drive with new Aurion was with the sales person next to me and the road traffic was very mild so even when I was accelerating didn't notice anything unusual. Getting from 3 L Avalon to 3.5 L Aurion did show some more power although Avalon was more smooth to drive in my opinion. I have done the trip around the Australia in Avalon and I knew the 3.0 L engine and transmission very well. With more power in 3.5 L Aurion I thought it will be even easier on the road when you have to lets say overtake the road train. I was in shock when after trailing behind it for some time and finally the road opened I pressed the accelerator and for a second or so nothing happened. The car behind me interpreted this as my hesitation and started overtaking me, but then my 3.5 L suddenly woke up... Since then I learned this is not only one isolated unusual case. I called my dealer and they told me it is normal but the explanation was worst than if I was getting it from my grand mother. I wrote letters to Toyota Australia - never got any reply. Then I went on internet to find out my car as many others today have a drive by wire system or better yet THROTTLE BY WIRE. So my ECU decides when I really want to accelerate hard and when I was mistaken. I tried Corolla with the CVT but never any car with dual clutch. What you described in your video is exactly the same problem what I am having with my Aurion with the classic auto transmission and it is sh*t (not dual clutch but Aurion). Are there any cars today with standard hard wired throttle to the accelerator pedal or models which can bypass ECU and have no delay when I press the accelerator hard? I never thought I will say I miss my Avalon.
I’ve known a few drivers who swear by manual transmission - being at one with the car and all that old flannel (and I’m one of them) - who have been converted to DSG and would never go back to manual. I drive an Audi A4 with DSG and I love it. Sure, it is occasionally jerky and it can sometimes take a second or so to work out which gear it should be in, but it makes driving so relaxing, particularly in town traffic. My only concern is long term reliability; I have read all sorts of horror stories about failures of the Mechatronics unit and on the A4 it’s about £5K to replace. Anyway, at 16,000 miles so far so good and I continue to enjoy driving while it all works properly.
We need TCT - Triple Clutch Tranmission - where the other 2 clutch will get engaged a gear lower and higher than the current clutch. No guessing game and shift as fast a it can. J/K guys./.. J/k.
I'm a 26 year old from America who love modifying my cars(Subaru). I have recently found your channel I have watched most of your content. I must say I have not been insulted by anything you have said. I think it's great we live in a world where you can say what you really think freely, without serious repircution. I don't agree with everything you say but it's impossible to be in denial about the facts you present even when I don't share your conclusion to the facts. You have opened by eyes to a lot of the bullshit not just in the car world, media land, but the world and everything I encounter. So for that I must say thank you kind sir! And you outfits and face and beard look good. Hell id wear the shirts you have and the beard looks damn good! I do have a problem tho John, I have been searching for your rant where you mention water and rant about how deadly it is and how it's possible to take a mundane thing and turn it into a killer news story. I can't find/remember what video it's in. Is there anyway you can point me such said video? Also for the love the Issac Newton's third law of motion can you please show you wearing pants behind the green screen. I can't get the stocking image out of my head when I watch these. Hahaha great job tho John! May bullshit ever quacker in fear from your jihad! Keep fighting the good fight!
I have a 2011 ford focus with the dual powershift clutch. Thought the damn thing was broken until I learned how to drive it correctly. Runs real smooth once you know when to let off the gas.
So why would Audi & BMW start moving away from DCT? Why would conventional torque-converter transmissions be making a comeback? ZF's transmission is by all accounts brilliant. Mercedes put a DCT in the S63 but continue with a torque-converter in the S65 and the Maybach V12. Torque limits notwithstanding - Bugatti has a DCT. Will a DCT last as long as a typical torque-converter transmission in a car where 99% of it's life is in stop/start traffic? I doubt it. Lastly, why does every salesman and motoring scribe have a fetish about 0-60 times and fast gear changes. It's as if nothing else in the universe matters. "I saved 0.07854 seconds getting to the next set of traffic lights..........YESSSSSS!" Great reviews John and I love it that you have never had a scene of a car drifting. Motoring reviews are so irrelevant to real car drivers these days. P.S Can you do a review of conventional autos, how they are fighting back...........Please!
i think traditional auto can have more gears and the clutch techniques have improved so torque converters lock up extremely quickly when you cruise even at low speeds. Shifting speed is also much better. I think traditional auto might be even more fuel efficient than manual and DSC cruising at high speeds as they often have a rediculous overdrive gear at the end. I personally think with a 7th gear the manual could catch up....
When comparing a manual to a conventional automatic the manual wins every time all other factors being equal. The main reason why they're moving away from the DCT is because their customers don't know/don't care that they're using one which can inadvertently damage a DCT(This is also why you keep seeing CVTs. They don't act like a conventional automatic but they can be driven the same way and not be damaged. Of course there are a lot of tricks E-CVT owners came up with but that's another story). This often leads to higher than expected warranty repairs.
Very useful, I drive a Hyundai with one, that works well and better than VAG's version. However, you need to remember not to inch forward in traffic in D as you will prematurely put wear on the clutch.
Euréka, j'ai compris ! My youngest son and i love this channel. Learning and most of the time, a good laugh. Well done John. Bien le bonjour de Montréal.
I'm quite enjoying the DCT in my new High-oon-die i30 SR. The only thing that I consciously do is not to creep forward in traffic, unless on a downhill gradient. I recall Mr. Cardigan pointing out that's about THE number one way to bugger your DCT up in an earlier episode. I also like that it has a 5 year unlimited K's warranty, so if it shits itself any time soon, High-oon-die can pay to fix it.
I had a Ford Kuga 2 ltr diesel 4wd Powershift, absolute pain in the Arse in cold weather, the gearbox didn't know what to do so I always drove in manual mode till the gearbox warmed up, once warmed up it run OK until the next colts start up, Fords reflashed the gearbox several times but it always went back as it was before very shortly afterwards. Nice gearbox WHEN working correctly but can get on your nerves a bit when it does its own thing, only kept it 3yrs and 20,000 miles and as soon as the warranty was up pissed it off, won't have another one, ii have a BMW diesel 4wd 8 speed auto that's NEVER missed a gear a gear up to now so fingers crossed, it's now 18months old and does at least 10mpg better than the Ford and is a lot quicker so we'll see how it goes up two 3years before I decide wether to keep it long term or replace it.
I have a Hyundai Veloster with over 300 thousand miles on it. I did a upper rebuild on it. The dual clutch has ran flawless, I latterly jump on it every time I got to work when I get on the freeway up to 100 miles an hour just to worm up the engine. There is not enough power on the car to push the transmission to its potential. I will get a tuned ecu next and stage one clutch pad to see where the potential starts. It’s a NA engine with a methanol injection, full intake and straight through exhaust
I do like my partners DSG transmission in his Audi accept when in traffic it does feel like a bit of a manual , but I do like I don’t know why you bag it so much. But great way how you explain in layman’s terms thank you John xxx
So let me see if I've go this right. Inside the gearbox are two white paper plates, three red plastic plates and a number of blue plastic plates that equal the number of gears that the car has :). In all seriousness, I had a little smile when you mentioned "pre-select" as I used to drive a 1930's vintage vehicle with a manual pre-select gearbox on occasion. Took a bit of getting used to but a lot of fun. Ref not understanding how a DCT works, I'm fairly sure that if you asked the average driver if they knew how a traditional fluid coupled auto gearbox worked, they probably could not give you an answer to that either.
AutoCritic On that note, I have actually watched videos where ENGINEERS try to explain how a fluid-coupled auto works... They even go so far as to TAKE ONE APART to show how they work... And it still made bugger-all sense to me... I can understand how a manual, a DCT AND a CVT work... And I STILL can't make sense out of a traditional fluid-coupled automatic... That says a lot in and of itself... :P
London buses used to have "pre-selector" gearboxes I believe. Back in my Uni days one of my lecturers had an Armstrong Siddley, he love to show off to us engineering students how it worked.
With the lag/delay discussed in the video, can the driver get around it by using the paddle shifter to drop a gear? For example, change down from 4 to 3 when you feel the lag? I kno some paddle shifters allow you to shift 1 gear when still in auto mode
I drive a 2020 Elantra with an automatic transmission and I’m dying for the 2021 Elantra N line to come out. Looks awesome and I’d love to have it as my first manual transmission car
I imagine when John drives his DCT-equipped i30 SR Premium up that windy road in the foothills on his commute, that the DCT is constantly changing gears at just about every bend in the road, as John enters and leaves the corners. Would it be better (for the long-term health of his transmission) to put the DCT into MANUAL mode and leaving it in just one gear (e.g. in 4th gear), and then instead of changing gears constantly, simply change the engine RPM instead?
Consider the potential for a triple clutch transmission, one engaged, one ready for the up-shift and one ready for the down-shift. Harder to produce concentric clutches of course, and more expensive, but no delays - ever. Couple that with a conventional manual clutch or lockup torque converter for stops and you have an excellent heavy duty transmission for a lorry or tractor. I invented a dual clutch transmission a few years ago, but sadly I wasn't the first by a long shot. I thought your explanation was really good, but you didn't mention how they handle a standing start, which can be a problem for these transmissions.
Hi! I have a Kia Sportage with a 7DCT. I'm wondering: when you are at a stoplight in D, does it takes out in Neutral by itself or it stays in the First gear with the clutch pressed (like staying at a stoplight on a manual transmission, with the first gear selected and your foot on the clutch)? I could not find this information anywhere on youtube or on the Internet and having a technical explanation for this. I found only that "DCT is smart and knows that you are at a stoplight and takes it in Neutral". But this is not very convincing to me. I'm expecting an documented opinion, from who has it. BR!
Something tells me that I will not be willing to have a DCT on my next car. That you for that one, John. I have been driving a manual transmission for the last 20 years. I just simply got bored with the constant need to shift unless on a highway. My wife's car has a CVT transmission and I simply fell in love with it. I really enjoy the constant low rpm when I do not need to use the torque and a reasonably quick downshift when I step on it. The only thing the transmission does not like is when you hit hard on the gas after a long while driving at 1,5-2 kRPM. This puts a really big pressure on the transmission and it's not pleasant to experience. Fortunately, the transmission loves to keep revs at 6+ kRPM when accelerating with your throttle wide open and that feels awesome. Other than that a perfect transmission.
Carecaplatonico, this is just why there are several options to choose from. Anyone can find the best fit. I am still sure I will go for a cvt transmission on my next car. After all you can still use the paddle shifters and make the revs rise and drop when driving it.
Carecaplatonico, yes there is such an option with the Honda's cvt. You do not even have to shift to S mode to activate it. You see, things change very quickly. I wasn't such a fan of cvt 10 years ago but that were different shifters.
I am happily driving a Ford Galaxy diesel with DCT with almost 100k on the counter. I suppose I am one of the lucky few. Compared to the (nontheless silky smooth) automatic of my Mercedes SLK I'd opt for the DCT any time. Thanks for the video again!
I've owned 3 VW DSG cars they've all been wet clutch a MK6 Diesel still have it 170K DSG 6 speed, MK7 R DSG 6 speed 30K traded for a MK7.5 R DSG 7 speed fantastic box, all DSGs have been smooth and without fault. From what I've picked up the dry clutch DSGs seem to have problems not so wet clutch.
Is that so? Interesting and I was not aware of this. Could you give more detail into why this is so and your level of experience in actually driving double clutch gear boxed cars.
The DCT uses conventional friction clutch pack, two of them. That means you wear the clutch as fast as in a traditional manual, and there are circumstances where the computer preselects the wrong gear, like explained in the video. In torque converter auto you don't have a regular clutch and you have additional torque multiplication in the torque converter to get you moving. CVTs can use both torque converteres and conventional friction clutch packs but their low minimum ratio and the lack of gear changes means you don't put much load on the friction clutch pack. My opinion is following: DCT for super sports cars, auto for cruising and city driving, CVT for fuel economy in all conditions, manual for everything afforementioned combined :D
"CVT for fuel economy in all conditions" - glad you says its your opinion because my actual experience over decades driving various auto types is that dsg is far superior regards economy, so youre wrong!
WS88 firstly in my reply I will not resort to the kind of gutter language someone of your obviously low intelligence pertains to, or maybe you were absent the day they taught manners (clearly your parents didn't put in the effort neither)! Secondly, if you had taken the trouble to stretch your one brain cell to actually read what I had written then you would have seen "also, the car didn't give one single glitch, faultless", so before you jump the gun and effect another troll response, learn to read. 'Rolls eyes'.
@2:47 "a diagrammatic schematic type representation..."...and here I was, thinking you were just setting up for your local Bunning's BBQ with all those plates :)
Yes, I experience "the gap" only during kickdown needs, but honestly, how often do you really need it. Maybe a TCT is in the make. But I can live with the gap perfectly, and in more dynamic riding, I switch it to manual control. Which is a tiny bit (0,05 sec) slower but still, much faster than I can shift. I have the Honda DCT in my motorcycle, which suits the engine and bike very well.
Im in my 50's, and ive hated Auto cars all my life. I like to drive my cars, and a good manual has always made me feel at one with the car and gives me the control i desire. However, age and health and some bad hips means i cannot drive manuals anymore. So i took the plunge to....a DCT. I have a 2016 Mercedes A220d DCT with the 2.2d engine. It is a complete and utter revelation. I will say however during the first few months of ownership the car was often Jerky when taking off, or would have delays in shifting. But Merc released a software update in Nov 2016 that completely fixed it. Its now super smooth, and changes gear in the blink of an eye. Its predictions on gear shifting are just bang on, its really amazing. What i have learned about the merc box is that it relies heavily on "Adaption". That is to say it learns you, and how "You" drive. If you have the Keyless option, then it saves these Learning profiles separately, for each key. So you have have his and hers learning profiles for when the mrs borrows the car. Really smart stuff. So, it is worth noting, if you buy a used Merc DCT, get the dealership to "Clear Adaptions". So the box then learns how you drive. Not carry on thinking its the same person behind the wheel. Ive done 51,000 miles now in 1.5yrs and it is the best gearbox i have ever used in my life. Unfortunately at present Merc only offer the DCT in the A Class, and CLA / GLA. It also has a "Secret" mode which will enable gearshift in 100ms. Yes thats right 0.1 of a second. Put Dynamic Select to "Sport". Auto Stop/Start to Off. Go into the centre trip computer menu and set ESP to Off. It will now shift in 0.1 seconds. Also, with the above selected, you can now do Launch Control. This is the best bit. Left foot brake, hold ready. Mash the throttle to the floor. Revs will rise to 3000 or so RPM. When ready, let go of the brake. Its mental. This combo is what makes the A220d DCT the "Quickest" diesel hatchback money can buy. Also worth noting the Service requirements of a DCT. In the case of the Merc DCT. It needs fluid change at 42k. And its a very special oil thats used, specific to these gearboxes. Luckily my car came with a free servicing deal, so i didnt have to pay anything. Dont know if this can be done in the other makes of DCT. But also the merc can be set to a full Manual. You have to go into the Dynamic Select "Individual setting". And set the gearbox to Manual. Now when in "Individual mode", You have to use the paddles permanently all the time. The computer will not intervene. This can be fun, when your having a bored day and want to be involved a bit more.
Forgot to mention the "Gliding Mode". Not trying to sell the Merc DCT here, honest. lol So one other feature is called "Gliding Mode". This only works when the car is put into "Eco". Basically what happens is every time you let off the throttle in any condition, the clutch disengages and it freewheels. This really does take some getting used too and i would not recommend new young inexperienced drivers using it. There are some conditions, like on a long downward sloping hill. You will gain speed quite rapidly and can find yourself going over the speed limit. But if you make use of the Gliding Mode sensibly it can really help with fuel. Typically in a week i do about 800 miles, and the trip computer says in a week i have gained 55 or so extra Free miles, by using Gliding mode. This helps to bring the average MPG up to 70mpg.
I rented a Fiesta with the DCT and liked it a lot. However, I think rental agencies, if they're going to have cars with DCT and even CVT, they should at least give you a little info so you don't think there's an issue with the car because they have a different driving dynamic. I thought the little Fiesta was fun to drive on the curvy roads per my house even though the engine isn't powerful.
VW and Audi may have had their issues with duel clutch transmissions, but as far as I’m aware they also pioneered the intro of DCT to production vehicles after successful use in racing in the early 2000s. Easy to claim reliability for other brands when the the r&d has been done.
I'm lucky enough to have a German built my14 focus that seems to have dodged all the pitfalls and has a dct that works as intended. It's a nice way to get a manual feeling car that has an auto box. You do have to drive decisively, and it's especially annoying if there's cars ahead where the driver is tap-dancing on the pedals. Drive smoothly and assertively and the box will keep up.
Firstly, I consider this to be an excellent demonstration with just enough technicality but not too much, some dollops of humour, so great for the 'ordinary fella on the street' such as I. Secondly, for all those commenting here, just how many of you have actually driven let alone owned a car with a DSG (or Powershift etc), basically 'double clutch'. I will venture to bet not many of you on any percentage scale. Well, I have! Following a road traffic accident on the day I was 18 (a motorbike engaging a car never works for the biker does it), I have to drive manual transmission cars, so basically NO choice! I've owned 'ordinary' autos by way of three Fiestas, a brace of Talbots, Vauxhall, Rover, Citreon, Honda, and CVT in a Volvo and a Fiesta. The worst of these was the Volvo, being a horrible piece of s**t, enough said! The big drawback with all of these was no matter what my driving style (I am no racer, trust me) the fuel economy could never be equal to an equivalent manual. Not sure why that should be but I am not that technically minded anyways. So, I am very experienced in living daily with auto gearbox cars. Then, in 2012 after testing nine cars, and many suitable ones amongst them (aside from the Chevrollete Cruise which was absoluty c**p) I took delivery of a new VW Polo 1.4 Match DSG. My wife and I went on to drive the cars for three years, completing about 14, 000 miles (can't recall exactly but we do well below average) and it was fantastic. For once we had a car that complimented/rewarded our careful driving style. Although we didn't do very long journeys (mainly around town and shopping). The best I attained in terms of economy was 62mpg on a journey of 35 miles, whereas say the equivalent Fiesta would maybe do late 40's to 50 mpg. Also, the car didn't give one single glitch, faultless, although admittedly it was brand new. In 2015 we changed the Polo in and acquired a new Seat Leon 1.2tsi DSG, and 2.5 years later it has proven to be superb in terms of the gearbox and in general. Again, not one single problem. As for economy, on the same 35 mile trip, several times, the best attained was 63mpg, and with the added room and comfort over the Polo we could not be more pleased. So, in summary I would say that if you are considering a DSG (at least the VW and Seat) then listen to those who've actually driven them, better still owned them, and I can hand on heart say I could not be more happy. Indeed, later in 2018 I am looking to attain another Seat Leon (not sure what engine size as yet). Thank you, P.
Just to clarify I am neither for or against DTC and do not think I have driven a vehicle with one. I'm just interested in the facts of how stuff works. There has been a few comments ref the wearing of the clutch packs in a DTC, the cost of replacement and their longevity etc. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but there are also clutch packs in at traditional fluid coupled auto. There is a clutch pack for the input and each set of planetary gears. By engaging various combinations of gear sets, by the use of a clutch pack, you get the different ratios that change the speed of the output shaft. There are more clutch packs in a traditional fluid coupled 6 speed auto then there is in the equivalent DTC.
I find the dct in the alfa works well if you drive it. The auto fails at times in traffic or on hills but it's at its best paddling your way up or down a winding mountain road with the go fast button turned on
This is good apart from the 6 speed wet clutch that doesn't have the issues the dry 7 pack clutches do. VAG group sorted that out in 2016 whereas Ford haven't..
Good on yia john,, you are doing a great job,, you seem to know your stuff well,,, cheers and PS I don't usually say good things about anything or anyone, ,so we'll done
The paper plates John used to describe the inner workings of the gearbox were the actual components of Fords powershit transmition.
Ricky Doodlous ummm they were plastic! Duh!
Ricky Doolous:OH! Ricky I wondered how long I would have to slowly scroll down under this RUclips presentation before I got to the ideal definition of Ford's version of what should be a better idea😢 Are you old enough to remember the 60's and 'Ford has a better idea' campaign? It would be quicker if you Googled it or RUclipsd it to find it than for me to try to post it so I will advise you to do it that way because you deserve it the quicker way, because of your excellent comment! I say this as an honestly first time frustrated Ford and 2012 Focus owner with an other wise nice SEL Hatchback except for this 'abomination'🤬 around town in stop-and-go traffic and a 'miracle of engineering'🤩 on the highway!
i.e.: 23a.m.p.g. vs 43a.m.p.g. with just a little over 19,000 mostly around town miles.This is where the dual-clutch fails to meet what I would consider a reasonable 25 A MPG. Having gone through interpreting🤯 'anticipation' as breaking and acceleration and lighting all of the little flower petals from blue to green, and accomplishing the same for speed which was self-explanatory. We can leave the discussion of proper labeling of vehicle controls to another time. Like what's wrong with words or abbreviations of same versus multiple interpretations of sign language😤 Maybe there's a new push on to get ancient Egyptians to buy the cars and know how to operate them quickly.
Ricky Doolous:🤣🤩👍🖖👌👏🤝
I own a Ford Focus and I can verify this. Thank god they came out with better clutches
@@RagingUtai it's the software operating the clutches. It's so obvious.
This has been so absolutely top at explaining how this works for a guy not so educated on vehicles, much thanks.
I really like the way you explained the workings of a DCT. Absolutely brilliant. Now it makes sense. It sounds more reliable than a CVT.
Great video, well explained! My Ford managed a massive 40,000 miles from new before the powershift transmission gave up. I complained to Ford who in their defense argued that 40,000 miles was a reasonable life for one of their powershift transmissions. Needless to say, I no longer buy Ford :)
barrie Williams I’m pissed I got a 2016 Ford Focus se and I didn’t even know about the transmission history or research it before buying it because I liked the design and it rose smoothe until a couple thousand miles later the transmission shudders and is shaky
I have a 2017 focus hatch se. At the dealer right now with a blown clutch smh at 28,000 on it
Dont buy FORD lol
Information is power. Thanks for providing these really great lectures on the mechanics of cars and the underlying physics. I really wasn't good at physics in high school, but your style of breaking down the complexities of the subject matter into logical easily understandable segments really is very useful. Keep it up! Just shows how the type of deliverance of the information can really make a difference. I think many students who failed the natural sciences would have benefitted from a teacher that didn't just regurgitate the data, but made it exciting while challenging the students. I had that experience in math. I almost had to redo an entire year in 10th grade because I flunked math. The teachers basically had blamed me for that shortcoming and I believed them. Then my late mother got me a tutor who was actually an arts major in college. She analyzed the situation and believed in me. Within one year I went from an F to an A. That tutor had a real calmness about him and used visuals to make the numbers actually mean something. It really was one of the best feelings of my life to suddenly see the whole work of art in front of me instead of of just individual brush strokes that by themselves mean very little. A really cool approach that really worked for me. Those same teachers who had given up on me never said a word again. I think science illiteracy is in large part caused by the inability of some teachers to engage their students. Now not all of the students want to learn about the sciences, but I think it is human to try to figure stuff out. Play around with numbers and things until you figure out how something works. Science is not just numbers and theory. It is around us all the time and just like art and music. Brian Cox does really really good documentaries that accomplish just that in the area of astrophysics and related fields. It's like looking at a sunset. Sure it is just a huge ball of a fusion reaction emitting photons which hit the earth and refract of the earth atmosphere and reach our eyes. Yet, most of us would call it simply beautiful. One with the other creating true beauty through basic reaction of atoms under great heat and pressure.
Information is NOT power you moron. Understanding is the key. Information is useless unless you have a cleat conception of the facts and the ability to explain them.
Love all your videos,very informative and a great laugh.
Greetings from 🇬🇧 UK
And bye the way I drive a Tucson DCT and love it👍
Great representation of how it works, the light went on UP THERE🧠😂
What a great way of explaining this technology. My car has DCT and it sometimes get caught out with its gear selection choice in similar circumstances to your illustration. Now that I know the reason for this, maybe I can pre-empt it by paddle shifting down one gear. Thanks John.
Great way of explaining how DCT works, in principle. 👍
I had the same "issue" with the gearbox needing a short bit to sort out the correct gear for "unexpected" maneuvers, when I was driving a 2017 Audi A4 for a few weeks as a rental. What I did to improve this situation was to manually select the gear I wanted with the shiftpedals behind the wheel before accelerating f.e. when doing an overtake I would put it down into 4th or 5th from 7th gear. In the Audi you didn't even need to take it out of full auto mode to do this, simply pull the shiftpedal to select the gear you wanted and after you where done accelerating it went back to full auto mode after a few seconds.
85,000 miles currently on my 2012 Ford Focus. Recently, I noted a certain jerkiness to the lower gear shifts. I went online (RUclips) found an applicable video which said to start out with a heavy throttle five or six times in a row to allow the transmission to relearn. Cleared things right up. Now it works like a charm. I like that there is no converter, which puts less load and less heat into the operation, (saves fuel too.) particularly around town. And service intervals are 100,000 miles apart, which means lower cost. I'm a fan.
Hi mate. As a guy who just purchased his first DSG, this was a great explanation of how it works. I guess mine is what you would call high performance, but this explanation has already helped me understand it, and drive it better. Thanks again. PS i once purchased a WRX you once owned from a car dealer in Hamilton, Newcastle. It had digital gauges added in the centre console that controlled various different functions. Not standard at the time. Long time fan bud.
Well said. I had a Focus with a DC Trans. Very disappointed when new but after about 3 visits to the dealer and various things replaced and re-flashed, (all free) it turned out to be a very good car. I only wish the slow speed creep had been better.
I have a 2018 Focus with the Powershift and it runs just fine. 21k miles on it and no problems whatsoever! Transmission is happy and feels like it’s meant to be there!
I just bought a Focus with a DCT. Didn’t know about these transmissions before hand, and looking at the carfax that may be why the previous owner sold it. But the recall work has been done on it and it’s only got 36k on the odometer and I got it for a steal, AND I got a warranty so hopefully I won’t have any serious issues with it.
Best videos of John cadogen are back the "Tech" videos. John please make more of these car educational tech videos they are so good. Your each and every video under Tech category playlist is a gem keep up the good work. I personally like these much more than the Nuts.
Your filming production is incredible. You are Australia's best car reviewer, and a damn good presenter at that (too bad you can't be uncensored and honest on mainstream media).
Now I know what a DCT is n how it works. Thank you for the video.
I have seen four videos explaining DCT, they were too complicated to my small brain, but you sir... you know how to explain, i like you
I drive a Hyundai i40 Tourer, 1.7ltr turbo diesel, with DCT. Being a car person, I did read the manual to understand how to drive the vehicle with the DCT. No information was provided by the Salesman when I picked it up new.
The car has just clocked over 100,000 km without a single issue and I have to say I really like the DCT although, if you start up the car and tried to drive away instantly when cold it does get a bit jerky. Not sure if that's the engine being cold or the DCT being cold. But once you get on down the road it all works well.
Coupled to the turbo diesel, this is a great transmission. To get back to what JC was saying, it can be a bit nervous around town in slow or heavy traffic. Pretty much how JC explained it.
Whether I've just been lucky, don't know but Hyundai appear to have done a good job with their DCT.
After 7 years of driving CVTs I'm back to driving a conventional 6-speed torque converter auto (in a diesel) and it's great. I contemplated a VW diesel but was put off by the DSGs they all have. I'll stick with conventional autos as long as I can.
This video was about a DCT not Shit CVT....
Thanks, Mr. Cadogan, for creating an informative, easy-to-watch lecture/essay.
Absolutely loving the Hyundai Elantra with a DCT. Seems Hyundai has an awesome DCT to go with their 1.6T motor.
It's a sweet combo. Thanks for watching.
I’ve owned a 2010 VW GTI with a DSG for a while now. You’re 100% right it has its downsides but you can correct them if you know some “tricks”. Don’t accelerate while downshifting, I learned that the hard way at low speeds and jerked the hell out of the car. Sitting at idle for long periods in ‘D’ can put some wear (~2bar of pressure if I remember right) on a clutch. Swap trans fluid every 40k miles and you’re fine :)
I have done 20 000KM with a Mitsubishi Ralliart which was a Getrag DCT-SST. It's not for everyone, personally, I love it. I've never driven it in DRIVE mode, it's always in Manual shift mode as I find the response is alot better and the car drives smoother when I shift manually. I also keep it in S-Sport mode which limits the slip of the clutch for sharper shifts.
Thanks John for your DCT visual demonstration it helped greatly as I had no idea what a DCT was or how they worked before
Very good way to explain this transmission! Best yet!!
Dude you’re one of the best people to explain things. Easy to follow. Great RUclips channel.
I just bought a 2010 Audi a4 with the S tronic trans. A DSG pretty much. It's had the recall done on the mecatronic unit so it's really good. I use to be a all but manual fan but after this I prefer the DSG for spirited driving. The engagement with the insane gear changes with paddles are so fun. Sure they have the odd vibration and jerk and bits and pieces. But I'm sold.
I have a 2012 Audi with an S-tronic transmission (their name for DCT); its current mileage is 184000 kilometers and I had no problems at all so I can say DSGs are reliable if maintained correctly. PS: the shift time for Volkswagen/Audi DSGs is usually 8ms.
The VW/Audi DCT comes in various types, the 7-speed dry clutch DQ200 has been the most problematic, the later wet clutch DQ500 seems fine so far but despite what VW says, the dry clutch models do benefit from an oil chage every 3/4 years.
I agree, the dry clutch ones have been quite problematic. I have a DL501 wet clutch. In Europe audi recommends changing the DCT oil every 60 000 km. I've tried changing mine every 45 000 km.
Thanks for telling me I have aDCT in my Haval, I now live my life in 1/10 second intervals. It works so well I did not know I have one
I drove (since new) a 2008 VW R32 fitted with a 6speed DSG. The car had done 110,000km never had a problem with the DSG just everything else broke.
I now drive a Renault Clio RS 220 Trophy DCT. Really enjoy driving with a dual clutch transmission I always drove the car as a manual using the paddles.
Intresting video. I currently have a Ford Mondeo DCT. I've heard so many horror stories on the ford powershift and Hyundai/kia DCTs. My mates went at only 2 years old and 85k miles. No help from warranty and was £4.5k down. The only reliable ones here in the UK are VWs DCT. Many of the taxi drivers run them to starship mileages without problems. When I can hand my Mondeo back I'll definitely be going back to VW or Skoda. Their DCTs are much smoother and faster shifting than fords
Nice explanation unlike many other videos bogging into technical details and loosing the momentum.
While watching the part when the need was there to change the lane and accelerate suddenly it reminded me on my experience with a classic automatic transmission which can have a similar effect with some modern (and even less modern) cars. I am a faithful Toyota owner and had them in all models from Starlet to Aurion. My first jump from 4 cylinder to V6 was with 97 Camry. Then I got Avalon and today I have 2010 Aurion. My first test drive with new Aurion was with the sales person next to me and the road traffic was very mild so even when I was accelerating didn't notice anything unusual. Getting from 3 L Avalon to 3.5 L Aurion did show some more power although Avalon was more smooth to drive in my opinion. I have done the trip around the Australia in Avalon and I knew the 3.0 L engine and transmission very well. With more power in 3.5 L Aurion I thought it will be even easier on the road when you have to lets say overtake the road train. I was in shock when after trailing behind it for some time and finally the road opened I pressed the accelerator and for a second or so nothing happened. The car behind me interpreted this as my hesitation and started overtaking me, but then my 3.5 L suddenly woke up... Since then I learned this is not only one isolated unusual case. I called my dealer and they told me it is normal but the explanation was worst than if I was getting it from my grand mother. I wrote letters to Toyota Australia - never got any reply. Then I went on internet to find out my car as many others today have a drive by wire system or better yet THROTTLE BY WIRE. So my ECU decides when I really want to accelerate hard and when I was mistaken.
I tried Corolla with the CVT but never any car with dual clutch. What you described in your video is exactly the same problem what I am having with my Aurion with the classic auto transmission and it is sh*t (not dual clutch but Aurion). Are there any cars today with standard hard wired throttle to the accelerator pedal or models which can bypass ECU and have no delay when I press the accelerator hard? I never thought I will say I miss my Avalon.
Finally I have little clue of how dct works, thanks john.
2:32 Get with the times, John. You can't lay claim to being fat by today's standards.
Ha I thought the same thing.
Definitely. That’s not fat. That’s “well lived”
I’ve known a few drivers who swear by manual transmission - being at one with the car and all that old flannel (and I’m one of them) - who have been converted to DSG and would never go back to manual. I drive an Audi A4 with DSG and I love it. Sure, it is occasionally jerky and it can sometimes take a second or so to work out which gear it should be in, but it makes driving so relaxing, particularly in town traffic. My only concern is long term reliability; I have read all sorts of horror stories about failures of the Mechatronics unit and on the A4 it’s about £5K to replace. Anyway, at 16,000 miles so far so good and I continue to enjoy driving while it all works properly.
We need TCT - Triple Clutch Tranmission - where the other 2 clutch will get engaged a gear lower and higher than the current clutch. No guessing game and shift as fast a it can. J/K guys./.. J/k.
VW was making one, but diesel-gate ended that;(
humm good explanation John; i have been wondering how DCTs work - thanks mate this makes it a lot clearer
I'm a 26 year old from America who love modifying my cars(Subaru). I have recently found your channel I have watched most of your content. I must say I have not been insulted by anything you have said. I think it's great we live in a world where you can say what you really think freely, without serious repircution. I don't agree with everything you say but it's impossible to be in denial about the facts you present even when I don't share your conclusion to the facts. You have opened by eyes to a lot of the bullshit not just in the car world, media land, but the world and everything I encounter. So for that I must say thank you kind sir! And you outfits and face and beard look good. Hell id wear the shirts you have and the beard looks damn good! I do have a problem tho John, I have been searching for your rant where you mention water and rant about how deadly it is and how it's possible to take a mundane thing and turn it into a killer news story. I can't find/remember what video it's in. Is there anyway you can point me such said video? Also for the love the Issac Newton's third law of motion can you please show you wearing pants behind the green screen. I can't get the stocking image out of my head when I watch these. Hahaha great job tho John! May bullshit ever quacker in fear from your jihad! Keep fighting the good fight!
Thank you for this video. I drive a manual and knew about the existence of DCT but didn't have any idea what they were or how they work.
I have a 2011 ford focus with the dual powershift clutch. Thought the damn thing was broken until I learned how to drive it correctly. Runs real smooth once you know when to let off the gas.
...until it shits itself...
Great example
Just Bought a MG H S love the gear changes.
Thanks for the visual demonstration, that was very helpful.
So why would Audi & BMW start moving away from DCT? Why would conventional torque-converter transmissions be making a comeback? ZF's transmission is by all accounts brilliant. Mercedes put a DCT in the S63 but continue with a torque-converter in the S65 and the Maybach V12. Torque limits notwithstanding - Bugatti has a DCT. Will a DCT last as long as a typical torque-converter transmission in a car where 99% of it's life is in stop/start traffic? I doubt it. Lastly, why does every salesman and motoring scribe have a fetish about 0-60 times and fast gear changes. It's as if nothing else in the universe matters. "I saved 0.07854 seconds getting to the next set of traffic lights..........YESSSSSS!" Great reviews John and I love it that you have never had a scene of a car drifting. Motoring reviews are so irrelevant to real car drivers these days. P.S Can you do a review of conventional autos, how they are fighting back...........Please!
i think traditional auto can have more gears and the clutch techniques have improved so torque converters lock up extremely quickly when you cruise even at low speeds. Shifting speed is also much better. I think traditional auto might be even more fuel efficient than manual and DSC cruising at high speeds as they often have a rediculous overdrive gear at the end. I personally think with a 7th gear the manual could catch up....
When comparing a manual to a conventional automatic the manual wins every time all other factors being equal. The main reason why they're moving away from the DCT is because their customers don't know/don't care that they're using one which can inadvertently damage a DCT(This is also why you keep seeing CVTs. They don't act like a conventional automatic but they can be driven the same way and not be damaged. Of course there are a lot of tricks E-CVT owners came up with but that's another story). This often leads to higher than expected warranty repairs.
I like the plastic plate analogy.😊
Very useful, I drive a Hyundai with one, that works well and better than VAG's version. However, you need to remember not to inch forward in traffic in D as you will prematurely put wear on the clutch.
Euréka, j'ai compris ! My youngest son and i love this channel. Learning and most of the time, a good laugh. Well done John. Bien le bonjour de Montréal.
I'm quite enjoying the DCT in my new High-oon-die i30 SR. The only thing that I consciously do is not to creep forward in traffic, unless on a downhill gradient. I recall Mr. Cardigan pointing out that's about THE number one way to bugger your DCT up in an earlier episode. I also like that it has a 5 year unlimited K's warranty, so if it shits itself any time soon, High-oon-die can pay to fix it.
Quite right - inching forward UNDER LOAD is very poor form for longevity
That's how I drive mine, I treat the transmission as 'on or off' no half creeping the brake
I had a Ford Kuga 2 ltr diesel 4wd Powershift, absolute pain in the Arse in cold weather, the gearbox didn't know what to do so I always drove in manual mode till the gearbox warmed up, once warmed up it run OK until the next colts start up, Fords reflashed the gearbox several times but it always went back as it was before very shortly afterwards. Nice gearbox WHEN working correctly but can get on your nerves a bit when it does its own thing, only kept it 3yrs and 20,000 miles and as soon as the warranty was up pissed it off, won't have another one, ii have a BMW diesel 4wd 8 speed auto that's NEVER missed a gear a gear up to now so fingers crossed, it's now 18months old and does at least 10mpg better than the Ford and is a lot quicker so we'll see how it goes up two 3years before I decide wether to keep it long term or replace it.
I have a Hyundai Veloster with over 300 thousand miles on it. I did a upper rebuild on it. The dual clutch has ran flawless, I latterly jump on it every time I got to work when I get on the freeway up to 100 miles an hour just to worm up the engine. There is not enough power on the car to push the transmission to its potential. I will get a tuned ecu next and stage one clutch pad to see where the potential starts. It’s a NA engine with a methanol injection, full intake and straight through exhaust
Basically the transmission it to good for the stock engines
I do like my partners DSG transmission in his Audi accept when in traffic it does feel like a bit of a manual , but I do like I don’t know why you bag it so much. But great way how you explain in layman’s terms thank you John xxx
Looking good John. What a bod! Your videos are always superb!
So simple... Even I understood it. Nice job
Mr. Cadogan thank you for explaining us the inner workings...Down There...yeeeessssss
It's like the transmission equivalent of the Dvorak keyboard layout. While one gear is working the other gear gets ready.
Terrific way of explaining how Dual clutches work
I have to say I have a 2023 kia forte GT with a seven speed DCT and I love it
Thanks from "Canadia" JC. I have one. Now I "get it". Knowing thIs makes me work with it not against it.
Very informative! I’m taking delivery of my BMW M4 DCT tomorrow and I was clueless about the engineering until now.
So let me see if I've go this right. Inside the gearbox are two white paper plates, three red plastic plates and a number of blue plastic plates that equal the number of gears that the car has :).
In all seriousness, I had a little smile when you mentioned "pre-select" as I used to drive a 1930's vintage vehicle with a manual pre-select gearbox on occasion. Took a bit of getting used to but a lot of fun.
Ref not understanding how a DCT works, I'm fairly sure that if you asked the average driver if they knew how a traditional fluid coupled auto gearbox worked, they probably could not give you an answer to that either.
Andrew S hahaha!!!
AutoCritic On that note, I have actually watched videos where ENGINEERS try to explain how a fluid-coupled auto works... They even go so far as to TAKE ONE APART to show how they work...
And it still made bugger-all sense to me...
I can understand how a manual, a DCT AND a CVT work...
And I STILL can't make sense out of a traditional fluid-coupled automatic...
That says a lot in and of itself... :P
If you drive one of the Fords with the "powershift transmissions". You'll indeed see that they've used plastic plates and tape.
Devotio Official pissed my self. An orange juice for lubrication!
London buses used to have "pre-selector" gearboxes I believe.
Back in my Uni days one of my lecturers had an Armstrong Siddley, he love to show off to us engineering students how it worked.
Thank you! This was a very helpful and easily understandable explanation of the DTC system. Great video!
With the lag/delay discussed in the video, can the driver get around it by using the paddle shifter to drop a gear? For example, change down from 4 to 3 when you feel the lag? I kno some paddle shifters allow you to shift 1 gear when still in auto mode
I alwy enjoy your videos because they give good information for what people need up there. Love your sarcasm and obsession with genetalia😂
I drive a 2020 Elantra with an automatic transmission and I’m dying for the 2021 Elantra N line to come out. Looks awesome and I’d love to have it as my first manual transmission car
The first two points, gas mileage and performance can be obtained with a standard gearbox. Difference of torque converter and non
I imagine when John drives his DCT-equipped i30 SR Premium up that windy road in the foothills on his commute, that the DCT is constantly changing gears at just about every bend in the road, as John enters and leaves the corners. Would it be better (for the long-term health of his transmission) to put the DCT into MANUAL mode and leaving it in just one gear (e.g. in 4th gear), and then instead of changing gears constantly, simply change the engine RPM instead?
The earth behind you is spinning the wrong way, very distracting. I love the way you deliver the info, man. Great stuff!
Nice dude you're well on your way to 150,000 subscribers, hope they come soon
Consider the potential for a triple clutch transmission, one engaged, one ready for the up-shift and one ready for the down-shift. Harder to produce concentric clutches of course, and more expensive, but no delays - ever. Couple that with a conventional manual clutch or lockup torque converter for stops and you have an excellent heavy duty transmission for a lorry or tractor. I invented a dual clutch transmission a few years ago, but sadly I wasn't the first by a long shot. I thought your explanation was really good, but you didn't mention how they handle a standing start, which can be a problem for these transmissions.
Hi! I have a Kia Sportage with a 7DCT. I'm wondering: when you are at a stoplight in D, does it takes out in Neutral by itself or it stays in the First gear with the clutch pressed (like staying at a stoplight on a manual transmission, with the first gear selected and your foot on the clutch)? I could not find this information anywhere on youtube or on the Internet and having a technical explanation for this. I found only that "DCT is smart and knows that you are at a stoplight and takes it in Neutral". But this is not very convincing to me. I'm expecting an documented opinion, from who has it. BR!
What a lovely video, really explained it well!
Smooth delivery. This dude is a pro orator.
Awesome video mate ! Well done.
Something tells me that I will not be willing to have a DCT on my next car. That you for that one, John.
I have been driving a manual transmission for the last 20 years. I just simply got bored with the constant need to shift unless on a highway. My wife's car has a CVT transmission and I simply fell in love with it. I really enjoy the constant low rpm when I do not need to use the torque and a reasonably quick downshift when I step on it. The only thing the transmission does not like is when you hit hard on the gas after a long while driving at 1,5-2 kRPM. This puts a really big pressure on the transmission and it's not pleasant to experience. Fortunately, the transmission loves to keep revs at 6+ kRPM when accelerating with your throttle wide open and that feels awesome. Other than that a perfect transmission.
Carecaplatonico, this is just why there are several options to choose from. Anyone can find the best fit. I am still sure I will go for a cvt transmission on my next car. After all you can still use the paddle shifters and make the revs rise and drop when driving it.
Carecaplatonico, yes there is such an option with the Honda's cvt. You do not even have to shift to S mode to activate it. You see, things change very quickly. I wasn't such a fan of cvt 10 years ago but that were different shifters.
I am happily driving a Ford Galaxy diesel with DCT with almost 100k on the counter. I suppose I am one of the lucky few. Compared to the (nontheless silky smooth) automatic of my Mercedes SLK I'd opt for the DCT any time. Thanks for the video again!
Wow I am a truck driver I float gears now, it is so interesting to know the science behind it!
Super clear and well delivered explanation. Thanks.
Best explanation ever.
Thank you so much John
I've owned 3 VW DSG cars they've all been wet clutch a MK6 Diesel still have it 170K DSG 6 speed, MK7 R DSG 6 speed 30K traded for a MK7.5 R DSG 7 speed fantastic box, all DSGs have been smooth and without fault. From what I've picked up the dry clutch DSGs seem to have problems not so wet clutch.
can u explain wet clutch and dry clutch in dsg boxes..and why it feels really good to drive dct
If you do a lot of city driving, a traditional auto or even a cvt is a better option than a double clutch transmission.
Is that so? Interesting and I was not aware of this. Could you give more detail into why this is so and your level of experience in actually driving double clutch gear boxed cars.
The DCT uses conventional friction clutch pack, two of them. That means you wear the clutch as fast as in a traditional manual, and there are circumstances where the computer preselects the wrong gear, like explained in the video. In torque converter auto you don't have a regular clutch and you have additional torque multiplication in the torque converter to get you moving. CVTs can use both torque converteres and conventional friction clutch packs but their low minimum ratio and the lack of gear changes means you don't put much load on the friction clutch pack. My opinion is following: DCT for super sports cars, auto for cruising and city driving, CVT for fuel economy in all conditions, manual for everything afforementioned combined :D
"CVT for fuel economy in all conditions" - glad you says its your opinion because my actual experience over decades driving various auto types is that dsg is far superior regards economy, so youre wrong!
WS88 firstly in my reply I will not resort to the kind of gutter language someone of your obviously low intelligence pertains to, or maybe you were absent the day they taught manners (clearly your parents didn't put in the effort neither)! Secondly, if you had taken the trouble to stretch your one brain cell to actually read what I had written then you would have seen "also, the car didn't give one single glitch, faultless", so before you jump the gun and effect another troll response, learn to read. 'Rolls eyes'.
I love my VW Tiguan 7speed DSG.
@2:47 "a diagrammatic schematic type representation..."...and here I was, thinking you were just setting up for your local Bunning's BBQ with all those plates :)
Wow , great job explaining this,.
Yes, I experience "the gap" only during kickdown needs, but honestly, how often do you really need it. Maybe a TCT is in the make. But I can live with the gap perfectly, and in more dynamic riding, I switch it to manual control. Which is a tiny bit (0,05 sec) slower but still, much faster than I can shift.
I have the Honda DCT in my motorcycle, which suits the engine and bike very well.
Im in my 50's, and ive hated Auto cars all my life. I like to drive my cars, and a good manual has always made me feel at one with the car and gives me the control i desire. However, age and health and some bad hips means i cannot drive manuals anymore. So i took the plunge to....a DCT.
I have a 2016 Mercedes A220d DCT with the 2.2d engine. It is a complete and utter revelation. I will say however during the first few months of ownership the car was often Jerky when taking off, or would have delays in shifting. But Merc released a software update in Nov 2016 that completely fixed it. Its now super smooth, and changes gear in the blink of an eye. Its predictions on gear shifting are just bang on, its really amazing. What i have learned about the merc box is that it relies heavily on "Adaption". That is to say it learns you, and how "You" drive. If you have the Keyless option, then it saves these Learning profiles separately, for each key. So you have have his and hers learning profiles for when the mrs borrows the car. Really smart stuff. So, it is worth noting, if you buy a used Merc DCT, get the dealership to "Clear Adaptions". So the box then learns how you drive. Not carry on thinking its the same person behind the wheel.
Ive done 51,000 miles now in 1.5yrs and it is the best gearbox i have ever used in my life. Unfortunately at present Merc only offer the DCT in the A Class, and CLA / GLA.
It also has a "Secret" mode which will enable gearshift in 100ms. Yes thats right 0.1 of a second.
Put Dynamic Select to "Sport". Auto Stop/Start to Off. Go into the centre trip computer menu and set ESP to Off.
It will now shift in 0.1 seconds.
Also, with the above selected, you can now do Launch Control. This is the best bit.
Left foot brake, hold ready. Mash the throttle to the floor. Revs will rise to 3000 or so RPM. When ready, let go of the brake.
Its mental. This combo is what makes the A220d DCT the "Quickest" diesel hatchback money can buy.
Also worth noting the Service requirements of a DCT. In the case of the Merc DCT. It needs fluid change at 42k. And its a very special oil thats used, specific to these gearboxes. Luckily my car came with a free servicing deal, so i didnt have to pay anything.
Dont know if this can be done in the other makes of DCT. But also the merc can be set to a full Manual. You have to go into the Dynamic Select "Individual setting". And set the gearbox to Manual. Now when in "Individual mode", You have to use the paddles permanently all the time. The computer will not intervene. This can be fun, when your having a bored day and want to be involved a bit more.
Forgot to mention the "Gliding Mode". Not trying to sell the Merc DCT here, honest. lol
So one other feature is called "Gliding Mode". This only works when the car is put into "Eco". Basically what happens is every time you let off the throttle in any condition, the clutch disengages and it freewheels. This really does take some getting used too and i would not recommend new young inexperienced drivers using it. There are some conditions, like on a long downward sloping hill. You will gain speed quite rapidly and can find yourself going over the speed limit. But if you make use of the Gliding Mode sensibly it can really help with fuel. Typically in a week i do about 800 miles, and the trip computer says in a week i have gained 55 or so extra Free miles, by using Gliding mode. This helps to bring the average MPG up to 70mpg.
my granpa is 86 and he still his manual car to go to work everyday 'he owns a bar'
Paul Taylor
I think that´s a bad idea.
@mindtravller. Whats a bad idea ?.
That "Gliding Mode". I think it compromises safety.
I rented a Fiesta with the DCT and liked it a lot. However, I think rental agencies, if they're going to have cars with DCT and even CVT, they should at least give you a little info so you don't think there's an issue with the car because they have a different driving dynamic.
I thought the little Fiesta was fun to drive on the curvy roads per my house even though the engine isn't powerful.
VW and Audi may have had their issues with duel clutch transmissions, but as far as I’m aware they also pioneered the intro of DCT to production vehicles after successful use in racing in the early 2000s. Easy to claim reliability for other brands when the the r&d has been done.
I'm lucky enough to have a German built my14 focus that seems to have dodged all the pitfalls and has a dct that works as intended. It's a nice way to get a manual feeling car that has an auto box. You do have to drive decisively, and it's especially annoying if there's cars ahead where the driver is tap-dancing on the pedals. Drive smoothly and assertively and the box will keep up.
Firstly, I consider this to be an excellent demonstration with just enough technicality but not too much, some dollops of humour, so great for the 'ordinary fella on the street' such as I. Secondly, for all those commenting here, just how many of you have actually driven let alone owned a car with a DSG (or Powershift etc), basically 'double clutch'. I will venture to bet not many of you on any percentage scale. Well, I have! Following a road traffic accident on the day I was 18 (a motorbike engaging a car never works for the biker does it), I have to drive manual transmission cars, so basically NO choice!
I've owned 'ordinary' autos by way of three Fiestas, a brace of Talbots, Vauxhall, Rover, Citreon, Honda, and CVT in a Volvo and a Fiesta. The worst of these was the Volvo, being a horrible piece of s**t, enough said! The big drawback with all of these was no matter what my driving style (I am no racer, trust me) the fuel economy could never be equal to an equivalent manual. Not sure why that should be but I am not that technically minded anyways. So, I am very experienced in living daily with auto gearbox cars.
Then, in 2012 after testing nine cars, and many suitable ones amongst them (aside from the Chevrollete Cruise which was absoluty c**p) I took delivery of a new VW Polo 1.4 Match DSG. My wife and I went on to drive the cars for three years, completing about 14, 000 miles (can't recall exactly but we do well below average) and it was fantastic. For once we had a car that complimented/rewarded our careful driving style. Although we didn't do very long journeys (mainly around town and shopping). The best I attained in terms of economy was 62mpg on a journey of 35 miles, whereas say the equivalent Fiesta would maybe do late 40's to 50 mpg. Also, the car didn't give one single glitch, faultless, although admittedly it was brand new. In 2015 we changed the Polo in and acquired a new Seat Leon 1.2tsi DSG, and 2.5 years later it has proven to be superb in terms of the gearbox and in general. Again, not one single problem. As for economy, on the same 35 mile trip, several times, the best attained was 63mpg, and with the added room and comfort over the Polo we could not be more pleased.
So, in summary I would say that if you are considering a DSG (at least the VW and Seat) then listen to those who've actually driven them, better still owned them, and I can hand on heart say I could not be more happy. Indeed, later in 2018 I am looking to attain another Seat Leon (not sure what engine size as yet).
Thank you,
P.
Just to clarify I am neither for or against DTC and do not think I have driven a vehicle with one. I'm just interested in the facts of how stuff works.
There has been a few comments ref the wearing of the clutch packs in a DTC, the cost of replacement and their longevity etc. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but there are also clutch packs in at traditional fluid coupled auto. There is a clutch pack for the input and each set of planetary gears. By engaging various combinations of gear sets, by the use of a clutch pack, you get the different ratios that change the speed of the output shaft. There are more clutch packs in a traditional fluid coupled 6 speed auto then there is in the equivalent DTC.
I find the dct in the alfa works well if you drive it. The auto fails at times in traffic or on hills but it's at its best paddling your way up or down a winding mountain road with the go fast button turned on
Great explanation
DCTs and CVTs are the "future transmissions" in play. Personally though my money is on the E-CVT but that's just me.
Why not just go back to the manual transmissions with an AUTOMATIC CLUTCH? That way have the fun of a stick WITHOUT the hassle of the clutch pedal.
This is good apart from the 6 speed wet clutch that doesn't have the issues the dry 7 pack clutches do. VAG group sorted that out in 2016 whereas Ford haven't..
Five Star Explanation
Good on yia john,, you are doing a great job,, you seem to know your stuff well,,, cheers and PS I don't usually say good things about anything or anyone, ,so we'll done
Excellent video! Thanks
And the solution to this problem are the shift selectors! Almost all DCT cars will have active select so you can alleviate this issue