This model is based off a Simpson planetary gear set. "A Simpson gearset delivers three forward gears and one reverse, plus neutral, and is commonly employed in three and four velocity automatic transmissions." You can read more about it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpson_planetary_gearset
Edit / Video Correction: *In the US, 96% of cars on the road are automatic, manual transmissions are more common in the rest of the world. Manual transmissions are more widely used because "they are more reliable; cost less to operate; have more power; are stronger, and make your car more economic".
This is how a planetary gearset works, not necessarily how an automatic transmission works. The main thing that makes "automatic" transmissions to be automatic are the gearshift actuators and sensors. Even dual-clutch transmissions can have an "automatic" mode, making them automatic without using planetary gearsets.
@@sepg5084 That's about the most idiotically pedantic comment in the history of comments sections. Almost every single automatic transmission used in any car in the world uses planetary gears.
Good attempt, but falls off into total confusion after about the 3rd sentence. Those 2 handle gears sticking out the back throw everything off. Maybe making those ring gears out of transparent or "hatched" plastic would help. I've never seen an attempted description of an automatic transmission that didn't make me hate the subject.
@@marekvojta9648 if you want to go even further, get a three on the tree manual. On the other hand they might blow up your engine wondering why the heck isn't this thing shifting, that is if they even knew to step on the clutch to be able to get it into gear without just grinding in the first place.
Exactly every tutorial on RUclips showing how “automatic transmission works “ just showing how the planetary gears rotate. No explanation how why and what’s the “automatic “ thing there. No doubt, great job with 3D printing!
@@meemdoggoriginallongdrinkthat's the job of the valve body.. a speed sensor inside the transmission reads the input speed , depending on the speed some passages are opened or closed in the valve body . they are usually opened or closed with solenoids
@@farerseI thought the thing that makes "decisions" in terms of gear shifts and controls the transmission has been electronic in all cars made since the 80s or 90s.
@@roymarshall_I'm not a specialist but I think you are correct, the speed sensor generates voltage which the tcu use to calculate what gear to use, and activate or deactivate electronic solenoids inside the valve body. I don't know how it was done before this.
Yeah, it's super easy. So, once you shift into drive, you then press the accelerator. As you speed up, you will need to change gears so, all you do is cut a hole in your car's floorboards and transmission housing. Then, anytime you need to change gears, you just reach down and grab the small blue gear, followed by the small red gear. Finally, you let go of the gears, pull back your bloody stump that was formerly your hand and now you can ride comfortably along in third gear.
That's how the planetary gear set works. but the units themselves are essentially hydraulically driven. you now have to get into the operation of that system with the fluid pump, the valve body and torque converter. the latter being one of the most misunderstood components, not so much the gear box.
@@rondg2 There is no computer here, and I'm pretty sure real transmissions aren't controlled electronically either. They have intricate hydraulic systems that look kind of like brains that trigger shifting based on pressure, and the pressure changes based on speed and output resistance. Is this mechanism called the "computer"?? In any case, the thing that makes an automatic transmission automatic is the automatic shifting, not the gear arrangement, and this little demonstration is only a gear arrangement.
@@rondg2 Specifically, it's an analog "computer" called the valve body. Over the last couple of decades, they've been migrating to an actually electronic computer bit by bit but they had automatic transmissions for many decades before electronic computers even existed. Here's a video about valve bodies: ruclips.net/video/g1eCAqKjIh8/видео.htmlsi=LljfBxvxnodlZzPJ
I love when people are able to use tools, that people are really getting into, to explain science. Such as this makes it easier for the younger generation to understand this kind of mechanism without needing to go to college for engineering. Younger people already have their 3d printers so this becomes more relatable. Good video.
this doesn't even look like an automatic transmission, more like manual transmission in american style where you switch up/down in a single line to change gears.
This didn't explain how an automatic transmission works? Just ow planetar gearing works, no? I mean, how does the gerabox determin which gears to use, isn't that the "automatic" part of it, which you didn't explain at all?
Nowadays they just do it with a computer, back in the day however they had incredibly complex hydro-pneumatic "mazes" that acted as an analog computer, look up some pictures on google, they are incredible
Nice. I'm still working on mine. Trying to figure out how to simulate the clutch packs. There's 5 of them and 3 planetary sets, as well as two 1-way clutches. I keep getting distracted with side projects. Will finish sometime this year I hope.
@@the_expidition427 efficiency isnt about speed. and this kind of transmission neither is more efficient as it wastes a lot of fuel just to operate itself and because of that, it conveys less torque to the drive shaft than the manual.
Works every time without fail. Just search RUclips and you can fix your own car in no time! Thanks for the tutorial! Saved me thousands of dollars in repairs!
It shifts smoothly due to the torque converter that is between the engine and transmission, and reverse is just using a different ratio in the transmission with the output being in the opposite direction of rotation
The majority of cars world wide still use manual transmission. Up to 2018, the majority of cars sold in Germany had manual transmission, only in 2019 the automatic ones overtook them (55% automatic), however, this is for new cars sold, not cars on the road. Actually the reason why manual transmission will soon die out is not because of automatic transmission but because of electric cars. Also the majority of German automatic cars don't use an automatic transmission as shown in that video, actually they use the same transmission that a car with manual transmission does use, it's just operated automatically and has two clutches, which allows for very smooth transmission without any noticeable tractive force interruption while doing so.
The most important reason for new cars (combustion cars) having automatic are new security and assistance systems build into the cars that make automatic more important and even needed. And modern Automatic are more efficient so it also shrinks the over all CO2 output from the fleet which becomes more and more important. Not only because of regulations but also because of the customers want it to be more efficient and sustainable
Hahaha EVs killing manuals. That's not happening unless some serious breakthrough is made in the technology, there is simply not enough lithium on earth for the us alone, let alone the rest of the world.
@@gamechip06An electric car only contains around 8 kg of Lithium. Currently we harvest 90 million kg of Lithium per year. The earth has approximately 88 million tons of Lithium we could harvest, that's 88000 million kg. For comparison, there are only 1.4 billion cars world wide. Those would require 11200 million kg Lithium in total. And the first sodium-ion battery, which has the same energy density as a lithium iron phosphate battery in terms of volume, is cheaper to produce and has a longer service life, will be launched on the market this year. Although it is somewhat heavier (lithium batteries deliver 260 Wh/kg, this one will deliver 200 Wh/kg), it will mainly be used in SUVs, where 30% more battery weight will not matter; although the Chinese manufacturer BYD also wants to use them in small cars, simply because they are so inexpensive. As already mentioned, the advantage is also the long service life (they lose capacity much more slowly as they do not age as much) and that sodium batteries are much less sensitive to temperature and also much better for the environment.
Nice job! Nevertheless what I'm missing here, is how this works automatically - you still manually select which handle to hold. This type of gearbox was selected for automatics because it is simpler to control. But how the car choose which gear to select? Was it always computer, or were there some clever mechanical ways (in older cars)?
Older Automatics used things like spring loaded valve bodies, as RPM increased so did the pressure from a driven pump in the transmission causing the valves to open which would send pressure to pistons connected to brake bands around the planetary carriers, modern transmissions work almost the same but with solenoids opening the valves to tighten the bands with the ECU having a set shifting strategy in it from factory. This is atleast my understanding of how it works but I may be wrong, it's also important to note that some manufacturers don't use planetary sets in their automatics, the Volkswagen DSG transmission is one such case.
@@HStahlberg Awesome information, there's also CVT which are continously variable, meaning that the gear ratio varies with V-shaped pulleys that can change their diameter, making the output/input ratio smaller or bigger depending on the speed you need.
This is very interesting. Before I retired I worked in a plastic factory that made components for automatic transmissions. Now I understand what the parts I made did.
I just saw a video showing the 2D representation of the Allison 6-speed transmission and I will say I didn't learn anything from it. However. I feel that I have a solid beginners understanding of an automatic transmission. Thank you!! Incredible video
@@termitreter6545 yeah, thats supposed to be the point of the video.which actually lacks of the explanation. This only explains a planetary gear transmition instead of a automatic transmition
@@magicalchords5145 i've never heard of this type of transmission being described as a planetary gear one; it was always called an automatic because autos always used planetary gears. with the introduction of DCTs now they're called torque converter autos or 'conventional' autos. I made another comment on this thread describing the basic operation of how gears are changed automatically
This video should have been titled how does a dual planetary gearset work. This does not even come close to how an automatic works. At 2:36 you can see the gear turning in the opposite direction of the crank. This does not indicate the first gear as much of a reversed gear reduction. Oh and before I get all the wonderful hateful comments. I have worked on and rebuilt both automatic and manual transmissions. I like how he explained how a planetary set worked. My issue is the name of the video is very misleading.
@@sterkriger2572 False, you are spreading lies and misinformation. Go look up the statistics, globally more cars have been Autos now for over a decade. No one cares about the EU, its a tiny ass part of the world that doesn't own many cars.
I just about get that this shows how the mechanism gives different gear ratios, though not why it uses a planetary arrangement. What I don't get at all (I'm in UK, where most cars are _not_ automatic, but I've owned several automatics) is how it does what its name suggests: _automatically_ "know" when to change, and then does so. (Including, how it works when the car is stationary without stalling the engine.)
Planetary gear boxes are more durable because more teeth are engaged around the perimeter of the ring gear vs just one side, so they can be made to produce loads of torque with less risk. A comment from another user above explains how the shifting is done automatically. The video would be better titled "how to combine two planetary gearsets." This isn't automatic at all. It's a very simple manual transmission.
Oh my god. Its just some gears are stationary while others rotate freely. You didn’t only teach me how automatic transmissions work, but also planetary gear systems!
It's worth mentioning that for a reverse rotation output, the planet carrier would have to be the held member of the three. A very good video nonetheless. Now add some other videos of how a torque converter and valve body works to give viewers a complete picture of how an automatic transmission works.
My Hero! The most important thing noone else mentioned (that easy) until now ist the shared sungear! That was the one thing I needed to finally understand this simply built mechanism! 🙏🏽
Well that's just a planetary gear set which can exist in manual transmissions too but really doesn't explain how automatic transmissions work at all the are hydraulic circuits and steels and frictions and accumulators and all kids of stuff I mean I really have only messed with a 4l60e so I don't know much about others but they are mostly kinda similar
You have to manually switch the gears by holding the blue or red gear. The literal definition of manual. Maybe redo this one and show actual automatic shift based on the RPM.
0:07 "almost all of the cars in the road are automatic" Actually nowadays most of the cars on the road have a CVT. Like an automatic but no gears. At least in the us
@@nepicness with an increasing amount of hybrid cars I wouldn't be surprised. Even then nom hybrid cars have them too. They get much better gas milages. I should really say most newer cars have a CVT.
Nope. Only compacts and SOME mid-size cars. Larger vehicles don't. Most mid-size vehicles don't. And no Domestic cars have them. Only on Nissan, Honda, Toyota, and Audi do.
@@protoborg all of Toyotas suv hybrids have had cvts for a few years now and the crv-v was one of the first SUVs to use one. compact cars have had them for a while now. Earliest for them I've seen is 2013
@@protoborg the ford maverick , bronco, and their hatchback and subcompacts do as well. As do some Chevys and some jeep suvs. Many korean cars have options for CVT hybrid as well as full electric. Most japanese cars use cvts now across all models as well
Came to see a demonstration of how gears change automatically in an automatic transmission. I still haven't seen that. In fact, despite being labeled "automatic transmission" I'm not convinced this isn't a manual transmission
The Torque Converter is more to transfer energy from the engine to the transmission(slippage 'till lockup) and to the front pump(direct connection as the T/C is bolted to the flexplate and the hub welded to it sit in the pump gear). What he explained (grossly) in the video is mainly how A/T switch gears (ratios). A/Ts are far more mechanical art than this 😉 hydraulic, mechanical, space maximizing and electric systems all in one box of 2×2×2 (i.e. th GM 6T70E) Have a great Day sir ✌️
Amused. Automatic is fine, but people really should learn to drive on a manual. It really does just make people better drivers when they understand the basics of gearing.
@@protoborg You don't even think about changing gear after a while. You understand the road better as you have to be in the right gear for the speed you are doing. Just look how dangerous it is to drive in America vs Europe
@@protoborg and having a hand free all the time is a better idea? I can guarantee you from being in the fire brigade that 8-9/10 accidents on the road where the driver wasn't paying attention were in an automatic. You have no incentive to fasten up that call or to put your food away quickly because that hand is free all the time.
Nice but "Almost all cars on the road?" - In the US. Anyway, you left the Hydraulic Torque Converter. There is also another myriad of automatic transmissions (CVT, AMT Automated manual, Clutchless manual, etc...).
Very educational video, although one thing I'd like to highlight: automatic does not equal automatic. I can list at least 5 types that are all considered automatic, but may fundamentally differ in the way the achieve what they do.
Great video ! Using such colored 3D hand-sized parts realy helps to visualize and "feel" what is going on :-) I would just have loved to see the other side of the mecanics while you were holding the blue or red part :-D ...and I cannot but wonder what would happend if you try to hold both the blue and red part at the same time ^^ I'm trying to figure it out in my head, but may need a bit of sleep ^^ Does anyone have an idea / a bet over what the result would be ?
It would stop the mechanism. Holding both gears at once would be the same as holding onto an axle going through the entire system (even though there isn't a continuous axle, I'm explaining it that way to make the concept easier to understand)
@@HelenaOfDetroit As someone who's job require to read a lot of unanswered tech questions describing exactly what is needed to make something works, I can only praise you for answering here despite the time! To anyone reading this: Be like Helena, you might save a Robin's sanity one day ;-)
LOL, I still have no idea how an automatic transmission works. I barely even understand how the gear shifting works, and I was watching you do that manually, not automatically. Still, it's fascinating and I'll study this some more until I actually understand it.
valves, hydralics, servos, and more different ways of acctuating the clutches and gears in the transmission is how it shift automatically. Modern transmissions are all computer controled, but older transmissions can use engine vacuum or a governor to control the shift points
@@davidstaffen6783 the trigger for when to shift would be separately programed for each car to shift gear at certain engine rpms ,at least in a computer controled transmission. In an older transmission it would most likley use hydralic or vacum pressure to find out whne to shift instead of sensors and a computer but certain engine rpms is aleays going to be the trigger for up or down shifts
@@loafofbullets oh. Okay using pressure build up from the engine building up rpms it then causes somthing else to clamp or un-clamp the gear shift. And I'm mostly wondering about the older analog ones not newer digital ones. Digital stuff is pretty easy for me to understand
-Ah yes, automatic gearboxes require you to manually select the gear ratio. Makes sense.- Edit: I realize that my comment doesn't explain myself very well. What I mean is that if the gearbox doesn't shift automatically, you're not demonstrating an automatic gearbox because the key mechanism is missing. Yes, he does explain the actual shifting part well, but he explicitly causes the gear shifts with his hand (aka manually). What I was expecting was a demonstration on how the gearbox is able to decide *when* to shift and how it does so. Imho, this video only explains half of a mechanism when both halves are crucial to the mechanism's function
@@minerforstone4136 Ah gotcha, that's what you meant. Well there's a reason why that wasn't exactly demoed. A car knows how to shift up due to, I believe a combination of sensors, oil pressure, and some other components I can't remember! (Bad at this stuff lol) Basically this IS the auto part without the part that tells the car to change gears since it would be too much of a hassle to make the whole thing. Look up how a manual car works with it's gear box and you'll see it more clearly!
"almost all cars on the road are automatic" maybe in USA, but in the rest of the world the majority of cars are manual, especially in EU and Japan almost all cars are manual ;) so yeah, get your facts straight...
I watched a lot of videos on how auto transmissions work and have a fairly good understating of them. However, one thing no video has ever covered is how an auto transmission actually does the shifting from one gear the next and how it decides when to change.
First, ALL vehicle transmissions have at least FOUR forward gears and a reverse gear. Second, no vehicle on the planet uses a common sun gear as that it simply not the way it works. Third, the ring gear cannot possibly be the output as it has no way to output power to anything. Finally, this was NOT an automatic anything as you had to manually control the gear ratio.
Ok but that's not the point. This is just showing the mechanism behind the automatic transmission for demonstration purposes. It's not like this can drive a car.
@@subadanus6310 The Ford C4 would like a word with him, also of course he has to manually select the gears since hes missing the rest of the transmission that would do that automatically... its just a model showing the main gears..
@@kolomaznik333 ya know ... i have owned MANY cars in my life and all of them were automatic and MOST of them were in the 150k mile range and NONE of the transmissions ever failed or slipped .... EVER ... My wifes uncle has a 2005 Hyundai Tuscon with 195k miles on it and its STILL shifting smooth. Most people today dont keep their car long enough to experience their automatic transmission failure ... 🤷🏽♂️ ... So i am not worried about failure and manual is NOT superior and auto is not superior either. And MOST people use the clutch to slow the car instead of using $20 brake pads as they were intended to do so, so when your clutch is worn down, break open hour wallet $$
So, an automatic transmission works by using a magic ghost? The ghost grabs onto a gear knob, which determines which gear ratio to use? OR - you have glossed over the most confusing aspect: how it "Automatically" changes gear ratios.
This is just a scratch of the surface of the automatic transmission. How does the transmission disengage when in drive but the car is parked? How does the transmission know when to change into a higher or lower gear? How does the reverse work?
I vowed never to get an automatic-transmission car until I understood how automatic transmissions work. 17 years later and I'm still driving my '07 Mustang with a stick shift >.
I read a thick car mechanic book twice, and I didn't understand this. But full disclosure, I'm not a professional or even amateur mechanic. Pretty cool, though!
I don't know About Other countries But in India people still like to Purchase manual transmission vehicles even if it's expensive than Automatic because Automatic cars are high maintenance and third party repair shops can't repair and parts are also expensive.
Somewhere in this comment section there is someone felxing that they drive a manual because they are a real man, someone saying the best anti-theft is to drive a Manual and someone saying this was cool and all but they cannot afford to even own a car.
I still believe that automatic transmission is pure magic as i don't still understand how it works after watching like 10 videos how they work. Manual i did understand after 1 video.
This model is based off a Simpson planetary gear set. "A Simpson gearset delivers three forward gears and one reverse, plus neutral, and is commonly employed in three and four velocity automatic transmissions." You can read more about it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpson_planetary_gearset
Edit / Video Correction: *In the US, 96% of cars on the road are automatic, manual transmissions are more common in the rest of the world. Manual transmissions are more widely used because "they are more reliable; cost less to operate; have more power; are stronger, and make your car more economic".
This is how a planetary gearset works, not necessarily how an automatic transmission works. The main thing that makes "automatic" transmissions to be automatic are the gearshift actuators and sensors. Even dual-clutch transmissions can have an "automatic" mode, making them automatic without using planetary gearsets.
@@sepg5084 That's about the most idiotically pedantic comment in the history of comments sections. Almost every single automatic transmission used in any car in the world uses planetary gears.
The proper name is planet carrier gears.
Good attempt, but falls off into total confusion after about the 3rd sentence.
Those 2 handle gears sticking out the back throw everything off.
Maybe making those ring gears out of transparent or "hatched" plastic would help.
I've never seen an attempted description of an automatic transmission that didn't make me hate the subject.
Almost all car on the road in the US are automatic. In Europe it is the other way around.
Yes we have even jokes about it. Fo you want to have thief proof car in USA? Just have manual...
I probably couldn't drive a manual if I tried. Timing the shifts would probably be too much for me.
@@thatblackkid22 Trust me it's just about training nothing else almost anyone can learn it
@@thatblackkid22 what do you mean timing? If the engine goes brrrr you shift up and when it sounds like it is dying you shift down. Its not that hard.
@@marekvojta9648 if you want to go even further, get a three on the tree manual. On the other hand they might blow up your engine wondering why the heck isn't this thing shifting, that is if they even knew to step on the clutch to be able to get it into gear without just grinding in the first place.
Exactly every tutorial on RUclips showing how “automatic transmission works “ just showing how the planetary gears rotate. No explanation how why and what’s the “automatic “ thing there.
No doubt, great job with 3D printing!
you need to search for torque converter for the other part
@@farerse I've done this many times, still doesn't explain the automation of the gear shifts
@@meemdoggoriginallongdrinkthat's the job of the valve body.. a speed sensor inside the transmission reads the input speed , depending on the speed some passages are opened or closed in the valve body . they are usually opened or closed with solenoids
@@farerseI thought the thing that makes "decisions" in terms of gear shifts and controls the transmission has been electronic in all cars made since the 80s or 90s.
@@roymarshall_I'm not a specialist but I think you are correct, the speed sensor generates voltage which the tcu use to calculate what gear to use, and activate or deactivate electronic solenoids inside the valve body. I don't know how it was done before this.
While watching, I felt like I understood everything. And then the video ended and I still have no idea how an automatic transmission works
me too. seems not automatic if he uses hands to hold the gears
Yeah, it's super easy. So, once you shift into drive, you then press the accelerator. As you speed up, you will need to change gears so, all you do is cut a hole in your car's floorboards and transmission housing. Then, anytime you need to change gears, you just reach down and grab the small blue gear, followed by the small red gear. Finally, you let go of the gears, pull back your bloody stump that was formerly your hand and now you can ride comfortably along in third gear.
Me too. What is the mechanism that selects the gear?
@@1969EType wow Bro... You made is so easy to understand... Thankssss ❤
@@yashnirhalimusic No charge, bruh…happy to make your day and ahhhhhh…don’t hurt yourself.
That's how the planetary gear set works. but the units themselves are essentially hydraulically driven. you now have to get into the operation of that system with the fluid pump, the valve body and torque converter. the latter being one of the most misunderstood components, not so much the gear box.
yeah, here he isnt really even showing an automatic transmission, just a linked planetary gearset with different ratios
@@addmix Indeed. If I remember correctly, the Ford Model T actually used planetary gears but with a manual shifter.
@@addmixhe needs to hook it up to a computer for it to be ahtomatic
This is the correct answer.
It is vacuum and hydraulic fluid computer.
This explains how the gearing works but not what makes it automatic. How/when are those shifts actually made?
the computer decides when to shift duh
@@rondg2 There is no computer here, and I'm pretty sure real transmissions aren't controlled electronically either. They have intricate hydraulic systems that look kind of like brains that trigger shifting based on pressure, and the pressure changes based on speed and output resistance. Is this mechanism called the "computer"?? In any case, the thing that makes an automatic transmission automatic is the automatic shifting, not the gear arrangement, and this little demonstration is only a gear arrangement.
@@rondg2 Specifically, it's an analog "computer" called the valve body. Over the last couple of decades, they've been migrating to an actually electronic computer bit by bit but they had automatic transmissions for many decades before electronic computers even existed. Here's a video about valve bodies: ruclips.net/video/g1eCAqKjIh8/видео.htmlsi=LljfBxvxnodlZzPJ
I love when people are able to use tools, that people are really getting into, to explain science. Such as this makes it easier for the younger generation to understand this kind of mechanism without needing to go to college for engineering. Younger people already have their 3d printers so this becomes more relatable. Good video.
This is more like a planetary gear transmission rather than how an automatic transmission works.
Yes, but no. He even didn't explain how planetary works. Like at all.
this doesn't even look like an automatic transmission, more like manual transmission in american style where you switch up/down in a single line to change gears.
Automatic transmissions typically use planetary gears.
@@nrgzrbunny7775 there usualy hydramatics nowadat
@@D4no00 ATs look like this in good cars with newer transitions or performance cars.
This didn't explain how an automatic transmission works? Just ow planetar gearing works, no? I mean, how does the gerabox determin which gears to use, isn't that the "automatic" part of it, which you didn't explain at all?
Some secrets are not meant to be knowable for mortal minds!
Easy way to say u dont know what automatic transmisyon is
@@Bertinator-nm9ld but it's what the title of the video is 😑
Nowadays they just do it with a computer, back in the day however they had incredibly complex hydro-pneumatic "mazes" that acted as an analog computer, look up some pictures on google, they are incredible
exactly, its just plantar gears, it infuriates me @@TheOpacue
Nice. I'm still working on mine. Trying to figure out how to simulate the clutch packs. There's 5 of them and 3 planetary sets, as well as two 1-way clutches. I keep getting distracted with side projects. Will finish sometime this year I hope.
Could do a “ratchet” gear that can only handle so much force or speed then it lets go and as it slows down it re ingages like a torque converter
You would need a torque converter as the clutch packs work on hydraulic pressure
you could just make it big enough to fit actual clutch packs, then you need bands as well to show how shifting works
It's almost the end of the year, how is it going along?
How do I know author lives in USA?
"Almost all car on the road are automatic" 🤣
no one asked
@@morzinbo I personally asked my friend maciej to post the comment.
@@charbelalam2648 and I seconded the ask
@@morzinbo on the contrary, nobody seems to have asked for your comment
@@skjorta1984 let it be known that I asked for morzinbo's comment
Toque converter is also very important part of automatic transmission, as it allows to make your car stay still without turning off your engine.
This explanation is as clear as mud!
exactly
"Amost all cars on the road are automatic"
Laughs in Germany
*laughs in europe
*Laughs in the world* the only people lazy enough to buy automatic its in the us.
@@santiagoperez2094 what kind words
Efficient* An automatic will always outrun a manual transmission
@@the_expidition427 efficiency isnt about speed. and this kind of transmission neither is more efficient as it wastes a lot of fuel just to operate itself and because of that, it conveys less torque to the drive shaft than the manual.
Works every time without fail. Just search RUclips and you can fix your own car in no time! Thanks for the tutorial! Saved me thousands of dollars in repairs!
but how does it shift smoothly through the gears
also how does a reverse gear work?
It shifts smoothly due to the torque converter that is between the engine and transmission, and reverse is just using a different ratio in the transmission with the output being in the opposite direction of rotation
Sun is input
Carrier is held so the planets act as an idler
Ring is the output
Boom reverse
ya that's how reverse works but when he held the blue carrier it did not reverse, I wonder if this thing was built wrong ahaha @gamechip06
The majority of cars world wide still use manual transmission. Up to 2018, the majority of cars sold in Germany had manual transmission, only in 2019 the automatic ones overtook them (55% automatic), however, this is for new cars sold, not cars on the road. Actually the reason why manual transmission will soon die out is not because of automatic transmission but because of electric cars. Also the majority of German automatic cars don't use an automatic transmission as shown in that video, actually they use the same transmission that a car with manual transmission does use, it's just operated automatically and has two clutches, which allows for very smooth transmission without any noticeable tractive force interruption while doing so.
Yes so True. It is even more convenient to use manuel in hills/Mountains or drive more economically.
The most important reason for new cars (combustion cars) having automatic are new security and assistance systems build into the cars that make automatic more important and even needed.
And modern Automatic are more efficient so it also shrinks the over all CO2 output from the fleet which becomes more and more important. Not only because of regulations but also because of the customers want it to be more efficient and sustainable
Hahaha EVs killing manuals.
That's not happening unless some serious breakthrough is made in the technology, there is simply not enough lithium on earth for the us alone, let alone the rest of the world.
@@gamechip06 you are wrong m8
@@gamechip06An electric car only contains around 8 kg of Lithium. Currently we harvest 90 million kg of Lithium per year. The earth has approximately 88 million tons of Lithium we could harvest, that's 88000 million kg. For comparison, there are only 1.4 billion cars world wide. Those would require 11200 million kg Lithium in total.
And the first sodium-ion battery, which has the same energy density as a lithium iron phosphate battery in terms of volume, is cheaper to produce and has a longer service life, will be launched on the market this year. Although it is somewhat heavier (lithium batteries deliver 260 Wh/kg, this one will deliver 200 Wh/kg), it will mainly be used in SUVs, where 30% more battery weight will not matter; although the Chinese manufacturer BYD also wants to use them in small cars, simply because they are so inexpensive. As already mentioned, the advantage is also the long service life (they lose capacity much more slowly as they do not age as much) and that sodium batteries are much less sensitive to temperature and also much better for the environment.
Nice job! Nevertheless what I'm missing here, is how this works automatically - you still manually select which handle to hold.
This type of gearbox was selected for automatics because it is simpler to control. But how the car choose which gear to select? Was it always computer, or were there some clever mechanical ways (in older cars)?
Older Automatics used things like spring loaded valve bodies, as RPM increased so did the pressure from a driven pump in the transmission causing the valves to open which would send pressure to pistons connected to brake bands around the planetary carriers, modern transmissions work almost the same but with solenoids opening the valves to tighten the bands with the ECU having a set shifting strategy in it from factory. This is atleast my understanding of how it works but I may be wrong, it's also important to note that some manufacturers don't use planetary sets in their automatics, the Volkswagen DSG transmission is one such case.
@@HStahlberg Awesome information, there's also CVT which are continously variable, meaning that the gear ratio varies with V-shaped pulleys that can change their diameter, making the output/input ratio smaller or bigger depending on the speed you need.
Exactly what this man says. This is the most important bit and it’s been left out. Not a very good explanation really.
started as hydraulic from what I remember and then eventually moved to computer controlled
Pressure...it's all based on pressure
You left out the only thing I didn't understand about an automatic gearbox. How the mechanism works that selects the appropriate gear.
This is very interesting. Before I retired I worked in a plastic factory that made components for automatic transmissions. Now I understand what the parts I made did.
it would be awesome if we could have a model of ravigneaux gearset, which can provide several gear ratios in a compact design.
and which is also quite a popular choice in automatic transmission
I just saw a video showing the 2D representation of the Allison 6-speed transmission and I will say I didn't learn anything from it.
However. I feel that I have a solid beginners understanding of an automatic transmission. Thank you!! Incredible video
Great explanation of the gear ratios, but how does it change gear automatically?
I assume theres a mechanism that just blocks the red/blue lever gear? Driven by pneumatics or so.
@@termitreter6545 yeah, thats supposed to be the point of the video.which actually lacks of the explanation.
This only explains a planetary gear transmition instead of a automatic transmition
@@magicalchords5145 i've never heard of this type of transmission being described as a planetary gear one; it was always called an automatic because autos always used planetary gears. with the introduction of DCTs now they're called torque converter autos or 'conventional' autos. I made another comment on this thread describing the basic operation of how gears are changed automatically
@@termitreter6545 they're hydraulic or electric, no modern system is pneumatic.
@termitreter6545 hydraulics actually, pneumatic is used for heavier duty trucks (18 wheelers)
This video should have been titled how does a dual planetary gearset work. This does not even come close to how an automatic works. At 2:36 you can see the gear turning in the opposite direction of the crank. This does not indicate the first gear as much of a reversed gear reduction. Oh and before I get all the wonderful hateful comments. I have worked on and rebuilt both automatic and manual transmissions. I like how he explained how a planetary set worked. My issue is the name of the video is very misleading.
In the US “almost all cars on the road are automatic” there fixed for you
No, he was correct. Worldwide, Automatics are now the norm, with only older vehicles and certain markets being majority manual.
@@dancooper6002no they aren’t. EU has more manuals on the road than automatics, east and west Asia too and central and South America.
@@sterkriger2572 False, you are spreading lies and misinformation. Go look up the statistics, globally more cars have been Autos now for over a decade. No one cares about the EU, its a tiny ass part of the world that doesn't own many cars.
It's like in movies where everything happens in USA and they're "saving the world"
Okay? So how does it automatically change the gears?
In a real car actuators will do the job.
Hydraulically in older cars
Computer controlled on newer ones
@@ahmedyassir5569 Nope. It is a series of hydraulic valves that are interconnected. The valve block looks a lot like a metal maze.
He changed the ratio by stopping the "handle" gears from spinning, in a real automatic transmission a clutch pack clamps down to perform that job
it does it automatically
@@protoborgthat's what the point of the actuators are....
So whats stopping the 1st and 2nd gear? How does it stop at certain rpm?
I just about get that this shows how the mechanism gives different gear ratios, though not why it uses a planetary arrangement. What I don't get at all (I'm in UK, where most cars are _not_ automatic, but I've owned several automatics) is how it does what its name suggests: _automatically_ "know" when to change, and then does so. (Including, how it works when the car is stationary without stalling the engine.)
Planetary gear boxes are more durable because more teeth are engaged around the perimeter of the ring gear vs just one side, so they can be made to produce loads of torque with less risk. A comment from another user above explains how the shifting is done automatically. The video would be better titled "how to combine two planetary gearsets." This isn't automatic at all. It's a very simple manual transmission.
Oh my god. Its just some gears are stationary while others rotate freely. You didn’t only teach me how automatic transmissions work, but also planetary gear systems!
It's worth mentioning that for a reverse rotation output, the planet carrier would have to be the held member of the three. A very good video nonetheless. Now add some other videos of how a torque converter and valve body works to give viewers a complete picture of how an automatic transmission works.
My Hero!
The most important thing noone else mentioned (that easy) until now ist the shared sungear! That was the one thing I needed to finally understand this simply built mechanism! 🙏🏽
Well that's just a planetary gear set which can exist in manual transmissions too but really doesn't explain how automatic transmissions work at all the are hydraulic circuits and steels and frictions and accumulators and all kids of stuff I mean I really have only messed with a 4l60e so I don't know much about others but they are mostly kinda similar
You have to manually switch the gears by holding the blue or red gear. The literal definition of manual. Maybe redo this one and show actual automatic shift based on the RPM.
0:07 "almost all of the cars in the road are automatic"
Actually nowadays most of the cars on the road have a CVT. Like an automatic but no gears.
At least in the us
I wouldn’t think most of them, is that really the case?
@@nepicness with an increasing amount of hybrid cars I wouldn't be surprised. Even then nom hybrid cars have them too. They get much better gas milages. I should really say most newer cars have a CVT.
Nope. Only compacts and SOME mid-size cars. Larger vehicles don't. Most mid-size vehicles don't. And no Domestic cars have them. Only on Nissan, Honda, Toyota, and Audi do.
@@protoborg all of Toyotas suv hybrids have had cvts for a few years now and the crv-v was one of the first SUVs to use one. compact cars have had them for a while now. Earliest for them I've seen is 2013
@@protoborg the ford maverick , bronco, and their hatchback and subcompacts do as well. As do some Chevys and some jeep suvs. Many korean cars have options for CVT hybrid as well as full electric. Most japanese cars use cvts now across all models as well
Came to see a demonstration of how gears change automatically in an automatic transmission.
I still haven't seen that. In fact, despite being labeled "automatic transmission" I'm not convinced this isn't a manual transmission
99 percent of automatic transmissions also use a torque converter… that would have been helpful to explain as well
The Torque Converter is more to transfer energy from the engine to the transmission(slippage 'till lockup) and to the front pump(direct connection as the T/C is bolted to the flexplate and the hub welded to it sit in the pump gear).
What he explained (grossly) in the video is mainly how A/T switch gears (ratios).
A/Ts are far more mechanical art than this 😉 hydraulic, mechanical, space maximizing and electric systems all in one box of 2×2×2 (i.e. th GM 6T70E)
Have a great Day sir ✌️
It's been 2 decades I'm trying to understand this thing. Still can't get much out of this videos
We dont NEED automatic transmissions in out cars.we have gotten along just fine with manual transmission cars.
i think he meant why we need a transmission in our cars, not why automatic transmission is needed over any other type.
Automatic transmission is just a blessing in auto industry.
Possible for you to do a CVT gearbox?
It's amazing how this little plastic gear can move an entire car. Amazing ingenuity
Amused. Automatic is fine, but people really should learn to drive on a manual. It really does just make people better drivers when they understand the basics of gearing.
Not even close. Manuals actually just distract you from the road.
@@protoborg You don't even think about changing gear after a while. You understand the road better as you have to be in the right gear for the speed you are doing. Just look how dangerous it is to drive in America vs Europe
@@protoborg and having a hand free all the time is a better idea?
I can guarantee you from being in the fire brigade that 8-9/10 accidents on the road where the driver wasn't paying attention were in an automatic. You have no incentive to fasten up that call or to put your food away quickly because that hand is free all the time.
This is one of those things that's so sophisticated and so simple in hindsight, sort of like a record player
Interesting, haven't seen a 3D printed auto transmission before, it really help to understand
These youtubers pulling out all the stops to make sure we fkn understand the automatic transmission
The only thing I don't understand is why YT recommended me this video. But that's a nice explanation that blow my basic knowledge of mechanics. Thanks
"Almost all cars on the road are automatic" not in Europe....
Nobody cares about Europe
Gonna be honest. I am more mesmerized by the quality 3d print of that gears
Did you already do a standard?
If not I recommend
You watched it here. This is a manual transmission. Nothing about it is automatic.
@@JamesBiggar it’s built to mimic the inside of an automatic, standard transmissions have a different method of connecting to the gears
I drive an Automatic and have always wondered how the gears work. Now I know, Thanks.
Almost all cars?🤔
He's american.
USA = whole world
Now THIS is real explanation. That 3d and 2d model ones made it more confusing.
Nice but "Almost all cars on the road?" - In the US. Anyway, you left the Hydraulic Torque Converter. There is also another myriad of automatic transmissions (CVT, AMT Automated manual, Clutchless manual, etc...).
Yes, he was right, you are wrong. Globally most vehicles are now Automatics.
Very educational video, although one thing I'd like to highlight: automatic does not equal automatic. I can list at least 5 types that are all considered automatic, but may fundamentally differ in the way the achieve what they do.
Okay, cool, but how does the car change gears automatically?
Gears are one of the coolest things humans have created. Fun to play with, watch, use.
“Almost all the cars on the road are automatic” That’s right, assuming there are no roads outside the USA. 😂
I’m sure there are roads outside the USA but who cares about those?
@@JamesSmith74740 As the usa falls lower and lower, losing influence and money, the counter question will soon be, who cares what's in the usa?
@@JamesSmith74740 More than 7 billion people cares for sure.
@@williamc.3886more than 7 billion people + his mom
@@JamesSmith74740bro the us is the only country 😂
Been here since 110k subs and I love your videos since,
Great video ! Using such colored 3D hand-sized parts realy helps to visualize and "feel" what is going on :-)
I would just have loved to see the other side of the mecanics while you were holding the blue or red part :-D
...and I cannot but wonder what would happend if you try to hold both the blue and red part at the same time ^^
I'm trying to figure it out in my head, but may need a bit of sleep ^^
Does anyone have an idea / a bet over what the result would be ?
It would stop the mechanism. Holding both gears at once would be the same as holding onto an axle going through the entire system (even though there isn't a continuous axle, I'm explaining it that way to make the concept easier to understand)
@@HelenaOfDetroit As someone who's job require to read a lot of unanswered tech questions describing exactly what is needed to make something works, I can only praise you for answering here despite the time! To anyone reading this: Be like Helena, you might save a Robin's sanity one day ;-)
cool video but this man glued it to this table
"why we need automatic transmissions in the first place"
No, no we dont.
Save the manuals
Well it's a lot easier to drive in i city traffic and eating ice cream at the same time with an automatic trans. 😜
@@mattias8546 i do the same with a manual
DEATH TO THE MANUAL.
Besides it's just so nice to be in gridlock and not have to worry about downshifting.
LOL, I still have no idea how an automatic transmission works. I barely even understand how the gear shifting works, and I was watching you do that manually, not automatically. Still, it's fascinating and I'll study this some more until I actually understand it.
Well. Now I wonder how it shifts automatically
valves, hydralics, servos, and more different ways of acctuating the clutches and gears in the transmission is how it shift automatically. Modern transmissions are all computer controled, but older transmissions can use engine vacuum or a governor to control the shift points
@@loafofbullets mm so that's how it holds the gears down. But what would trigger it?
@@davidstaffen6783 the trigger for when to shift would be separately programed for each car to shift gear at certain engine rpms ,at least in a computer controled transmission. In an older transmission it would most likley use hydralic or vacum pressure to find out whne to shift instead of sensors and a computer but certain engine rpms is aleays going to be the trigger for up or down shifts
@@loafofbullets oh. Okay using pressure build up from the engine building up rpms it then causes somthing else to clamp or un-clamp the gear shift. And I'm mostly wondering about the older analog ones not newer digital ones. Digital stuff is pretty easy for me to understand
@@davidstaffen6783 i dont know the old ones too well because they dont really teach us too much about that in college
Very simple but effective explanation. Thank you for the video
-Ah yes, automatic gearboxes require you to manually select the gear ratio. Makes sense.-
Edit: I realize that my comment doesn't explain myself very well. What I mean is that if the gearbox doesn't shift automatically, you're not demonstrating an automatic gearbox because the key mechanism is missing. Yes, he does explain the actual shifting part well, but he explicitly causes the gear shifts with his hand (aka manually). What I was expecting was a demonstration on how the gearbox is able to decide *when* to shift and how it does so. Imho, this video only explains half of a mechanism when both halves are crucial to the mechanism's function
It's a fukn demo... You don't expect the guy to make a full gearbox do you?
@@InDeath ppl just like to talk shit, if he can't see that this aint a full AT then something's wrong with him.
@@Comfy_Bed Man, it's insane how many of those kinds of comments there are on demo videos like this. After a while it really gets kind of old lol.
I apologize for my sarcasm. I have edited my comment to elaborate on why I believe this video does not do its job (completely).
@@minerforstone4136 Ah gotcha, that's what you meant. Well there's a reason why that wasn't exactly demoed. A car knows how to shift up due to, I believe a combination of sensors, oil pressure, and some other components I can't remember! (Bad at this stuff lol)
Basically this IS the auto part without the part that tells the car to change gears since it would be too much of a hassle to make the whole thing.
Look up how a manual car works with it's gear box and you'll see it more clearly!
Human beings came up with this. It’s so beautiful.
"almost all cars on the road are automatic" maybe in USA, but in the rest of the world the majority of cars are manual, especially in EU and Japan almost all cars are manual ;) so yeah, get your facts straight...
I watched a lot of videos on how auto transmissions work and have a fairly good understating of them. However, one thing no video has ever covered is how an auto transmission actually does the shifting from one gear the next and how it decides when to change.
First, ALL vehicle transmissions have at least FOUR forward gears and a reverse gear. Second, no vehicle on the planet uses a common sun gear as that it simply not the way it works. Third, the ring gear cannot possibly be the output as it has no way to output power to anything. Finally, this was NOT an automatic anything as you had to manually control the gear ratio.
Ok but that's not the point. This is just showing the mechanism behind the automatic transmission for demonstration purposes. It's not like this can drive a car.
uh. what?
no, ALL VEHICLE TRANSMISSIONS absolutely do not have at least four forward gears, "MOST" do, where did you get this "all" idea from?
Oh yeah also cvts don't have one gear ratio but if you think about it there's only two gears and a belt / chain so it can be considered as "one gear"
@@subadanus6310 The Ford C4 would like a word with him, also of course he has to manually select the gears since hes missing the rest of the transmission that would do that automatically... its just a model showing the main gears..
@@PhoenixT1953 I think the Pontiac ST300 or the Chevy Powerglide would probably want a little piece of this guy too...
Nice little demo.
It’s a pretty good system but it gives no fun at drive. Manual transmission is quite far superior.😀
Supsrior in what fashion ??
@@ACommenterOnRUclips Like wallet drainage if transmission goes into broken state. At least here in european sojuz.
@@kolomaznik333 ya know ... i have owned MANY cars in my life and all of them were automatic and MOST of them were in the 150k mile range and NONE of the transmissions ever failed or slipped .... EVER ... My wifes uncle has a 2005 Hyundai Tuscon with 195k miles on it and its STILL shifting smooth.
Most people today dont keep their car long enough to experience their automatic transmission failure ... 🤷🏽♂️ ...
So i am not worried about failure and manual is NOT superior and auto is not superior either.
And MOST people use the clutch to slow the car instead of using $20 brake pads as they were intended to do so, so when your clutch is worn down, break open hour wallet $$
You did a great job on these models!
0:06 uhm only in America
It would have been helpful if the orange wheel had had marking s on it so that we could see the rotation
Automatic transmissions are the sign that humanity is growing closer to complete impotency
They are amazing pieces of technology 🐖
Cope, Seethe, Mald, stay mad grandpa.
That might be how a transmission works, but you missed the "automatic" bit
this was the first video that made me sort of understand! thank you... this is so incredibly painful to learn
Was really hoping to hear how the Torque Converter works.
So, an automatic transmission works by using a magic ghost? The ghost grabs onto a gear knob, which determines which gear ratio to use?
OR - you have glossed over the most confusing aspect: how it "Automatically" changes gear ratios.
This is just a scratch of the surface of the automatic transmission. How does the transmission disengage when in drive but the car is parked? How does the transmission know when to change into a higher or lower gear? How does the reverse work?
Great video! Made it very clear
I vowed never to get an automatic-transmission car until I understood how automatic transmissions work. 17 years later and I'm still driving my '07 Mustang with a stick shift >.
I read a thick car mechanic book twice, and I didn't understand this. But full disclosure, I'm not a professional or even amateur mechanic. Pretty cool, though!
Excellent and easy to understand. Well done!
This answers the question of ‘how the planet or sun gears lock when shifting’ for me. All that is left is how the transmission knows when to shift.
How is this thing available for free on YT?? Amazed me totally
Very cool explanation
perfect demo! thanks so much
thanks dude i was thinking how transmissions work in a car im wondering that for all day
This is awesome! ❤Thank you!
I don't know About Other countries But in India people still like to Purchase manual transmission vehicles even if it's expensive than Automatic because Automatic cars are high maintenance and third party repair shops can't repair and parts are also expensive.
Just bought some sportline planetary gears, 200+ torque on dyno👍😎
One of those nice little moments that makes me proud to be a human.
Great video!
Black and Decker is for like making pilot holes in drywall. Use a real drill on speed 1 and it would do significantly better
Somewhere in this comment section there is someone felxing that they drive a manual because they are a real man, someone saying the best anti-theft is to drive a Manual and someone saying this was cool and all but they cannot afford to even own a car.
VERY EDUCATIVE. tHANK YOU REGARDS
Now I wanna know how automatic transmissions work.
Before this video showed up in my feed, I didn't care.
How do you know who made this video and where it is made?
"Almost all cars on the road are automatic"
This is only the case in USA.
That's super cool thanks for sharing
I still believe that automatic transmission is pure magic as i don't still understand how it works after watching like 10 videos how they work. Manual i did understand after 1 video.