Increasingly, car owners prefer vehicles with an automatic gearbox. This is explained by the simplicity of car control. Despite this, the automatic transmission hides many secrets that not all motorists know about. One of them is related to switching the selector. So, in some vehicles it is linear, in others it is stepped. What is the difference between each of them, we will figure it out with you.
How it all started
In the middle of the 20th century, the foreign auto industry actively began to switch to a new type of gear shifting - automatic. They were installed not only on premium autocars, but also on budget models. Among the new selectors, hydro-automatic prevailed. The speed switching algorithm for them has not yet been standardized and adopted by all auto giants. Each of them tried to bring something of their own to the automatic transmission. The drivers suffered from this.
So, in the United States, on most autocars, the gear selector on the mechanics was located under the steering wheel. In order to switch to the first speed, the lever had to be lowered down. With the advent of the first hydraulics, the speed switching algorithm has changed. The selector was switched in one of two sequences: P-N-D-S-L-R or P-N-D-L-R. Drivers who bought a car with a new automatic transmission switched gears the old fashioned way. Cars, instead of going forward, began to move backward. Because of this, many accidents occurred.
In addition, under the steering wheel it was not visible in what position the selector was located. Car owners had to switch it by touch. In the first automatic transmissions, the retaining spring was weak. She did not always hold the lever in the position in which the driver put it. On uneven roads, the selector shifted to activate reverse gear. As a result, the wheels were blocked, the car went into a skid. Vehicle owners did not put up with this state of affairs. In court, more and more cases began to be considered, where auto corporations were the defendants. This was an incentive for engineers to rethink the automatic gearbox design.
How the international automatic transmission standard appeared
In order to prevent the hydraulic selector from jumping while the car is moving, grooves were designed. This design of gear shifting required more area. It was cramped under the steering wheel. Therefore, automakers began to place the selector in the horizontal plane. The space between the front seats turned out to be the optimal place for him. So car owners visually saw in what mode the lever is. By stuffing their hand, drivers could change gears by touch. In addition, the horizontal placement of the grooves - a stepped selector, reliably held the lever in the desired position. He did not spontaneously jump out of the grooves. In addition, it was difficult to move if the driver or passenger accidentally hit the selector with his elbow.
In addition to the design and visual features of the automatic transmission, the engineers also revised the stages of gear shifting. The automatic selector travel algorithm has become P-R-N-D-L. It was first used in 1964 on Ford autocars. The staggered gearshift algorithm has proven to be successful. At first, it was enshrined in the United States at the legislative level. A little later, it was approved by the SAE - the community of automotive engineers. It was then standardized for European and Asian car manufacturers.
Experiments have not been canceled
Technological progress does not stand still. This also applies to the automotive industry. The first experiments with the automatic selector were carried out on sports cars. The engineers decided to simplify the gearshift algorithm. They removed the steps - the grooves. This is how the automatic transmission linear selector appeared.
In order to prevent the lever from moving on its own, technical changes were made to the box. The automatic transmission with linear gearshift has a special retainer spring. It prevents the selector from spontaneously jumping between D and R modes. In order to move the lever to the desired position, the driver must press a special button. It was placed under the thumb. This makes it more convenient to operate the selector.
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Over time, automatic transmissions with a linear lever stroke began to displace the step selector. But technical progress has made its own adjustments. Increasingly, large auto-building corporations began to produce cars with a new type of "automatic". An electronic gearbox is installed on premium autocars. In it, the selector has ceased to have a mechanical connection with the transmission. The choice of speed and driving modes is carried out using electronic signals. This algorithm of the box's operation was reflected in the selector. It has turned into a joystick that does not need to be moved back and forth. Speed modes are selected by tilting it from side to side. If the driver moves the joystick into reverse mode while driving, the electronics will not allow it to be activated.
Thus, the stepped stroke of the automatic transmission selector was made in order to secure the control of the gearbox. Especially if the drivers were inexperienced. The linear stroke of the automatic transmission lever allowed to save time for gear shifting. In modern autocars, speed control is facilitated by an electronic joystick.
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