What Transmission Is in My Truck?

Most people don’t know what transmission they have in their car or truck. That’s not a bad thing, for two reasons. First, the complexities of how a transmission works don’t make for great discussion, and they are not that interesting at all. Can you imagine striking up a conversation at a party, “Hey, did you hear about the new wet-clutch six-speed transmission?” Crickets, right?

Second, because transmissions last between 100,000 and 300,000 miles if properly cared for, you aren’t faced with the need to replace or repair them often. We all know brake pads wear and need replacing. You need to change your engine oil regularly. Tires need rotating and replacing too. Transmissions need very little maintenance, so there’s less discussion and less information passed around.

How Does a Transmission Work?

For those that need to know, a transmission moves the power from the engine to the wheels using a gear system that converts the engine’s torque to the drive train. The process varies by the type of transmission, but regardless of type, the transmission allows the gear ratio between the engine and drive wheels to adjust as your truck speeds up and slows down.

When your truck stops, the transmission disconnects the drive wheels from the engine. This disconnect allows the engine to idle without moving the wheels, either in neutral or park. Transmissions allow for quick acceleration and let the engine run slower, cutting down on wear while the truck travels at a consistent speed.

Manual Transmissions

For many years, manual transmission was the only option. Also known as a stick shift, the manual transmission uses a clutch pedal on the floor to the left of the brake pedal and a “stick” that manually shifts through gears located in the center floor or console between the driver and front passenger seat. You must depress the clutch pedal and then move the stick from gear to gear to speed up or slow down.

Automatic Transmission

The first automatic transmission was patented in 1923 by Horner Munroe, a steam engineer. It had four forward gears, no reverse, and no parking gear. It wasn’t until the 1980s that automatic transmissions took hold in the automotive industry. The automatic transmission simplified driving by eliminating the need to shift gears manually. Today, car enthusiasts insist that the manual transmission offers an authentic driving experience, but the simplification has taken hold, and most vehicles come standard with an automatic transmission.

The automatic transmission operates by moving a gear lever from the park position into drive or reverse to engage the drive wheels. If you have an automatic transmission, there will be positions labeled P, N, and D for park, neutral, and drive. Some vehicles have a drive one and drive two positions for low speed, and some have an overdrive position for high speeds.

Automated Manual Transmission

This type of transmission operates in a hybrid fashion between a manual and an automatic. You do not need a clutch pedal as the transmission engages through a pneumatic, hydraulic, or electronic operation. These transmissions allow the driver to shift gears through a straight gear stick or paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel.

Continuously Variable Transmission

The creation of the continuously variable transmission (CVT) eliminated the gears. A CVT works with a belt and pulley system. One pulley attaches to the engine and another to the drive wheels. These pulleys adjust based on computer input allowing for smoother, more efficient driving.

Dual-Clutch Transmission

Dual-clutch transmissions (DCT) operate electronically to control the manual shifting of gears. Speed and power ratios are preset, and a hydraulic unit makes gear shifting easy. As the name implies, DCTs have two separate clutch systems, one for even gears and another for odd gears. A DCT lets you shift gears manually, or you can choose a fully automatic operation and let the system change gears for you.

DCTs can be challenging to drive at first, but once mastered, offer a more spirited driving experience. The drawback of a DCT comes in electronic component failure, which can be expensive to repair.

Types of Automatic Transmissions

Three basic types of automatic transmissions exist. The traditional automatic transmission uses a hydraulic fluid coupling or a torque converter to shift gears instead of the manual clutch pedal. A direct-shift gearbox has a similar setup as the dual-clutch transmission, using two clutches to shift alternating gears. This system delivers smooth, responsive shifting and power on demand. Also known as a wet transmission, this system will last decades as long as you change the transmission fluid regularly.

The Tiptronic transmission developed by Porsche in the ’90s works like the manual transmission through a torque converter instead of a clutch pedal. You have the option for automatic or full manual gear shifting.

Types of Manual Transmissions

There are two basic types of manual transmissions, the sliding-gear transmission, and the constant-mesh transmission. Older trucks have sliding-gear transmissions. The gears have different diameters and tooth numbers which create gear clashes because the gears rotate at different speeds. The constant-mesh transmission fixed that issue by keeping the gears in constant motion. When a shift occurs, a dog clutch locks the gears into place.

How Do You Find What Type of Transmission Is in Your Truck?

The simplest way to find your transmission type is to look in your owner’s manual. Your manual should have the name and type of transmission, along with service information. If you’ve misplaced your owner’s manual, most trucks have a white label printed on the inside of the driver’s door. This label has all the pertinent vehicle information listed, including the type of transmission. You can look up all the information on your truck by its vehicle identification number (VIN). The VIN contains all the details about your truck, from how often you should service your brakes to tire pressure and even your transmission type.

If you have concerns about your transmission, you can bring your truck into Cochran Buick-GMC. One of our factory-trained technicians can tell you what type of transmission you have and answer all of your questions. Our state-of-the-art service center can service or repair any kind of transmission. We only use OEM parts and repair techniques, so when your truck leaves our service department, you can be confident knowing it will work the same as the day it left the factory. You can schedule service online or bring your truck in anytime.

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