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Shift by wire transmissions

J

jtvang125

Diamond Member
If you haven't heard or driven a car with it, it's basically an auto transmission that is shifted electronically into each drive mode rather than with a mechanical linkage.

The loaner car I received Friday was the very first car I've driven with it. Even after 3 days with it I'm still not use to it. I still find myself thinking about what I'm doing each time I need to shift. I get that all these "x by wire" systems are the future but numerous recalls and class action lawsuits on them doesn't instill much trust.
 
From what I can tell as long as your car has a transmission computer, then many cars have been electronically controlled the past 15 years. Are you sure it wasn't a CVT or any of it's variants that you weren't driving?

For me, it's cars with regenerative braking that I'm not used to. I enjoy coasting to the stop. Regenerative braking differs on every car and every stop so I have yet to figure those out yet. Of course it's just habit. Habits can be relearned.
 
I agree with that comment about the trans computer and such. I don't understand your question.

Regen braking just varies. My Honda hybrid would coast if you didn't touch the brakes. Press the pedal lightly and regen kicks in. Press harder and the regular brakes engage. You can adapt to it very quickly.
 
Aren't most auto trans cars shift by wire these days? I know my 328i is and I would imagine that anything with paddles on the wheel would have to be as well.
 
I would be hard pressed to find a modern car w/ an automatic transmission that had a truly mechanical shifting mechanism.
 
Hell, many manual gear boxes (DCT/DST ,etc) are electronically controlled. About the only transmissions that are not are full manuals and even then...


Brian
 
My truck still has a cable going from the shifter down into the transmission.

It also has a manual mode that will actually hold gears to redline and refuse to shift on it's own.
 
razel said:
From what I can tell as long as your car has a transmission computer, then many cars have been electronically controlled the past 15 years. Are you sure it wasn't a CVT or any of it's variants that you weren't driving?

For me, it's cars with regenerative braking that I'm not used to. I enjoy coasting to the stop. Regenerative braking differs on every car and every stop so I have yet to figure those out yet. Of course it's just habit. Habits can be relearned.
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_by_wire

No, I don't mean shifting through the gears in D (1,2,3..etc) but shifting between modes - P, R, N, D. On my current car there's still a metal cable from the shifter assembly to the transmission. There's that mechanical feel as you shift between modes.

With the shift by wire system it literally feels like pushing up and down a game joystick. It's all electronic. To park you can either press the P button on the shifter or just shut off the engine.
 
One of many reasons I can't stand modern cars. I've never driven a car that has "by wife anything" that felt good. Especially when it comes to gas pedal.

Transmission might not be so bad I guess....

But gas pedal by wire are just horrible. It's so hard to get a exact feel of what the car is going to do and it's just so unpredictable (it seems).

Mercedes tried brake by wife in the early 2000s with SL class......didn't work out too well when battery went dead.......of course they had a back up battery....but that failed to and MB scrapped the "idea" fairly quickly after that. My friend that was a MB Service adviser had some interesting stories about that....fun fun fun

Not sure if that has been brought back on the horizon.
 
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jtvang125 said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_by_wire

No, I don't mean shifting through the gears in D (1,2,3..etc) but shifting between modes - P, R, N, D. On my current car there's still a metal cable from the shifter assembly to the transmission. There's that mechanical feel as you shift between modes.

With the shift by wire system it literally feels like pushing up and down a game joystick. It's all electronic. To park you can either press the P button on the shifter or just shut off the engine.
Click to expand...

Yes, but that relay goes into an electronic management system that selects/engages from TCM command.
 
Understood, you mean drive by wire choosing between P, R, N, D, not the gears itself. I prefer the old the American steering wheel gear lever over the gear lever in the middle between the seats. You don't need that gear lever between the seats in an automatic anymore.

I don't mind the current electronic button systems if it were in the steering wheel column as a lever. Very dangerous to have it as a selector button between the seats. Too easy to inadvertently press a button there.

Also nearly all new cars contain so many computers and sensors that it's time to accept the fact that you really can't get a car running without electronics now. And with the future being hydrogen, there's less good reason for auto manufactures to continue with the old ways. Sad times it is.
 
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jtvang125 said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_by_wire

No, I don't mean shifting through the gears in D (1,2,3..etc) but shifting between modes - P, R, N, D. On my current car there's still a metal cable from the shifter assembly to the transmission. There's that mechanical feel as you shift between modes.

With the shift by wire system it literally feels like pushing up and down a game joystick. It's all electronic. To park you can either press the P button on the shifter or just shut off the engine.
Click to expand...

That probably has a lot more to do with how they chose to build their shifter, not mechanical vs electronic. You can build a mechanical 'feel' with heavy detents, etc on a purely electronic shifter after all.
 
NutBucket said:
Meh, it's all pointless anyway. Save the shifter space and just have some buttons or something.
Click to expand...

Sure, on some cars that would make sense - but some of them give you the option of running a manual mode where having the shifter in a traditional position makes it easier for the user to get accustomed to.

I have a hard time with flappy paddles on the DCT cars, I still reach for the stick when it's time to shift LOL
 
Generally speaking (unless its a Ferrari or something) the only reason I reach for manual mode is engine braking going down an incline. Otherwise, I still maintain it's all pointless.
 
You want that "disconnected" feeling, well.........

Back in the early '70s my first "professional" job was as an auto mechanic in a 4 mechanic shop.
I was given the compact cars.
I was also responsible for the non-US made stuff, as I "seemed to be the only one that would take the time to find the parts needed" (and the only one that had metric and whitworth wrenches).

Anywho, I had to work on a Citroen DS, late '60s vintage.
Those cars have the suspension and brake system run by a central hydraulic system and the brake pedal was what appeared to be a rubber bellows, about 2 1/2" - 3" in diameter on the floor.
This was a pressure sensor, but it had no movement at all.
And I really mean no movement at all! 😱
It just was like stepping on a rock, but the harder you pushed, the more braking forced was applied.
Really strange, but you eventually got used to it, after nearly running into things and nearly putting yourself into the windshield a few times.

And the reason the car was there, someone didn't properly tighten the lug nuts on a front wheel and 2 of the 3 (yes, a triangular pattern) had fallen off and were rattling around inside the flat hub cap, so the customer thought he had a bad wheel bearing.
 
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