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Automotive vocabulary · Transmission and Drivetrain

Transmission

Meaning in automotive, with examples

/trænzˈmɪʃən/nounCore term

In automotive, transmission means: The unit that changes the gear ratio between the engine and the wheels so the car can pull away, accelerate and cruise efficiently. It can be manual or automatic.

In Turkish: şanzıman, vites kutusu, transmisyon

How it is used

Used in sales, service and engineering. Common types are manual, automatic, CVT and dual-clutch (DCT). Technicians talk about transmission fluid, slipping and harsh shifts. British speakers often say gearbox.

Example sentences

  1. The customer says the automatic transmission slips when it shifts from second to third.

  2. We flushed the transmission fluid and updated the software, and the harsh shifts are gone.

Common collocations

  • automatic transmission
  • manual transmission
  • transmission fluid
  • dual-clutch transmission
  • gear ratioThe number of turns the input shaft makes for one turn of the output shaft, for example 3.5:1. Low gears have high ratios for pulling power; high gears have low ratios for cruising.
  • clutchThe part that connects and disconnects the engine and the gearbox, so the driver can change gear and pull away smoothly. In a manual car it is operated with the left pedal.
  • powertrainAll the parts that create power and deliver it to the road wheels: the engine or electric motor, the transmission, the driveshafts and the differential.
  • differentialA gear set on a driven axle that lets the left and right wheels turn at different speeds when the car goes around a corner, while still sending power to both.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Transmission and Drivetrain

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