On a car with standard or manual transmission, the driver has to manually shift into first gear and then after the car starts to roll, the driver has to shift manually into second, then third and so on as the speed of the car increases.

An automatic transmission meanwhile allows the car to change gear ratios automatically to shift from first, second, third and so on. The automatic shifting is made possible thanks to the series of valve and switches that control the hydraulic pressure. Most cars in the market now are available in automatic transmission.

If the automatic transmission has problem, you will notice that when you accelerate from a stop, the transmission does not shift to the next higher gear. The car seems to be dragging even though the engine speed increases. You can hear the engine screams louder than usual but the car does not really move smoothly.

This is because if there is failure in the transmission control system, the transmission stays at the low gear and the car is moving faster than it should in the low gear or first gear thus loud roaring sound can be heard from the engine.

If you put the automatic transmission selector at the “Drive” position, the normal shift from the first gear to the second gear occurs when the speed of the car reaches sixteen miles per hour. If the transmission does not shift, the engine speed will keep on increasing but the car will still not gain its normal speed.

The first thing you need to do is to check the level of the transmission fluid. Top up with the correct type of fluid if you found that the fluid is at low level. When checking the level, check also the color of the transmission fluid on the dipstick. Light green or red means there is no major problem with the transmission system but if the color is either dark brown or black, the car will need major transmission repairs.

Some cars come with an additional device installed on the transmission known as a modulator where it will create excellent vacuum to make the transmission works correctly. The transmission will not shift or there will be delay in the shift if the vacuum hose is disconnected or blocked. Just highlight this to your auto mechanic if you are not sure if your car is equipped with the transmission modulator.

Apart from the above, it is also possible that the problem with the transmission comes from a misaligned, disconnected, bent or broken transmission-shift selector linkage. This means the position indicated on which gear you are on is not tally with the actual transmission gear.

On some cars, the shift point, which is the exact speed where the transmission shift, is controlled by a cable. The transmission will not shift appropriately if the cable is disconnected or broken.

The tips above can surely help you before you agree with the auto mechanic for any major repair on the transmission system.

The fives types are gear, friction disk, automatic, CVT, and hydrostatic.  I’ll spend a few minutes going through each type so you have a better idea of the best type for you. I am not going into the details of how each one works.  Just Google the transmission type and you can read to your heart’s content.

Gear

Five years ago the gear drive transmission was the most popular but today hydrostatic and automatic transmissions have replaced them in popularity. Often called Manual transmissions this type uses a series of gears to change the ground speed of your tractor.  The biggest downfall of this type of transmission is you have to stop the tractor to shift to a different speed (range).  This makes them harder to use when you have a lot of garden beds and landscape features to go around.

To drive the tractor you must push in on the clutch, shift the transmission to the gear you want to use, release the clutch, and hang on.  This is a dependable  transmission that will give you years of service.

Friction Disk

This is actually the transmission of choice for snow blowers but there are a few mowers like the Snapper Rear Engine Rider that use this trans.  It is a good, dependable transmission when used properly.  It uses a friction wheel and disk to change the forward speed of your rider.  Don’t use this transmission to pull heavy loads…you will tear up the friction wheel.

You can shift-on-the-go with some models but to get the longest life most brands suggest you push down on the clutch/brake pedal and then shift to the speed you want.

Automatic

This is essentially a belt and variable pulley system similar to the drive system in a snowmobile.  John Deere originally used this in conjunction with a manual transmission on the Model 110.  Now days, MTD is using this on most of it’s cheapest lawn tractors. Like the friction disk this trans is designed to the mower application and they are not designed to pull heavy loads.  Some of the Brands have confused the issue by calling their inexpensive hydrostatic trans an “automatic” so if you are unsure ask.

To drive the tractor you typically have two levers.  One for forward or reverse and the other for the speed. Move the F/R lever to the direction you want to go and then simply move a fender mounted lever to change the speed. This is a dependable  transmission that will give you years of service for flat lawns and pulling very light loads.

CVT/IVT (Continuously/Infinitely Variable Transmission)

The automatic mentioned above and the hydrostatic below are essentially CVT’s  but now days this means a variable disk or ball/disk system.  This is the transmission of the future because it uses fewer moving parts than a gear trans and less oil than a hydrostatic, but at this point in time they are not yet cost effective for lawn tractor applications.  MTD tried using the dual IVT Infinitrak in the Cub Cadet and Craftsman Revolution but consumers were not ready to spend the extra money to own this type of transmission. New Holland is using these effectively in their 50 hp and larger tractors.

These transmissions are very easy to use.  Either a fender mounted lever or foot control varies the speed and direction.

Hydrostatic

The most common transmission for lawn tractors today is a form of Continuously variable transmission called the hydrostatic transmission. These transmissions take several forms, from pumps driving separate motors, which may incorporate a gear reduction, to fully integrated (enclosed) units containing a pump, motor and gear reduction.  Hydrostatic transmissions are more expensive than mechanical transmissions but they are easier to use and can transmit greater torque to the wheels as compared to a typical mechanical transmission.

Hydrostatic – Enclosed Single

These transmissions are very easy to use.  Either a fender mounted lever or foot control varies the speed and direction.  The enclosed hydrostatic transmission is a single unit that houses the variable pump, motor, differential and drive axle.  Most of lawn tractors, yard tractors, garden tractors and estate tractors today have an aluminum housing to give off the heat the moving oil creates.  These transmissions are sized to the mower application.  The garden tractor and estate tractor transmissions are built to handle heavy loads and ground engaging attachments.

These transmissions are very easy to use.  Either a fender mounted lever or foot control varies the speed and direction.  The pedal on the left side of the tractor is the parking brake.  You do not need to depress that pedal to shift the tractor.   The forward and reverse is controlled by either a lever on the right fender or two pedals on the right side floorboard.  To go forward push the fender lever forward or press on the large pedal on the floor board.  To stop the tractor pull the lever back to the middle position or lift your foot off the pedal.  To back the tractor up pull the fender lever to the rear or press the small pedal on the floorboard.

On the fender mounted control you HAVE to move the lever to the middle to stop your tractor.  It will not go to neutral by itself like the foot controls.

Hydrostatic – Enclosed Dual

Two hydrostatic transmissions are mounted side-by-side in the residential zero turns.  Each trans controls a separate rear wheel.  That is the primary reason why zero-turn mowers cost more than the lawn tractors. Again these trans are designed for the application and most are not designed to pull loads, just mow and bag.

Most of these transmissions are controlled by individual levers that sit in front of you.  With a little practice these are very easy to use.  A large lever on each side of the seat controls that side transmission.  To go forward push on BOTH levers.  To stop, pull them back.  (The easiest way to explain how to drive a two-lever zero turn mower is to  use a shopping cart as an example.  With the mower turned off sit on the seat and put your hands on the two large levers in front of you.  Close you eyes and pretend you are gripping a shopping cart.   What do you do to move a shopping cart forward? Right, you push on the handle.   To back up? Right, you pull back on the handle.  To go left?  To go right?  Correct, you PUSH the handle in the direction you want to turn the cart.  Two lever zero turns work the same way.  Instead of one bar like a shopping  cart, the bar is split in two and you move each side to make it move.)  This type of transmission takes practice to keep the tires from digging into your lawn.

Hydrostatic -Pump & Motor

The more expensive commercial zero-turn mowers, stand-ons, and some golf course mowers use a separate variable pump near the motor connected to the wheel motors with hydraulic hose or metal lines.  These are usually cast iron for long life and durability. A few of the high-end commercial mowers are now using enclosed cast iron hydros.

One of the most commonly over looked aspects of a vehicle is the transmission. Many people tend to either ignore their transmission all together, or simply do not understand how it works. And that is fine and dandy until the day comes that things start to get ugly with it. A busted transmission is another way of saying a car that isn’t going to be running any time soon without some serious work. The transmission is the power source, and it provides proper application of the power of your vehicle. So if you want to ensure your vehicle’s transmission lasts just as long as possible (and most will last the entire vehicle’s life time if maintained properly), then you will want to get on top of changing your automatic transmission fluid.

Benefit Number One: Preventing Lock Up

Odds are you know what tetanus is, because it is commonly referred to as “lock jaw.” You would never want to have lock jaw. Not only would it be painful, but it would be inconvenient. Well, it would surprise you to know that it would be twice as inconvenient if your vehicle got lock jaw. Lock up happens when your vehicle’s transmission gets so hot that your vehicle simply shuts down. It no longer runs. Changing your automatic transmission fluid when it turns black can prevent this happening to your car.

Benefit Number Two: Saving Money

Who doesn’t like saving money? Literally every person you meet does things to save money, unless they’ve got tons to throw around or are children. Usually, they amount to the same. Changing your automatic transmission fluid when it turns black (not flushing it-flushing your automatic transmission fluid can be dangerous to your vehicle, tantamount to bleeding it dry then trying to fill it back up with new blood) can help prevent most transmission problems from occurring, meaning you save the woes of a blown transmission.

Benefit Number Three: Run Cleaner

Changing your automatic transmission fluid, and using the right fluid, can make your engine run cleaner and more efficiently than it has since it was brand new. This means better fuel economy (which we’ll get to next) and better oil usage. However, using the wrong fluid, any fluid not recommended by the manufacturer for your specific make and model, can damage your transmission greatly, so be sure to check.

Benefit Number Four: Better Fuel Economy

Less work means less wear. Less wear means your transmission, and your engine, last longer. Changing your automatic transmission fluid when it turns black can help you to keep your transmission running strong for a very long time, making your vehicle more fuel efficient.

Benefit Number Five: Cost Effective

What do you think costs less: a new transmission, or automatic transmission fluid? Hopefully, you went with the latter choice. A new transmission is expensive, while automatic transmission fluid is relatively cheap in comparison, making taking care of your transmission a no brainer.

There has always been some debate on the pros and cons of changing your transmission fluid on a routine basis, per your vehicle owner’s manual recommendation. One of the many rumored suspicions is that doing so will open your car up to having dreaded transmission issues sooner. To debunk those conspiracy theories, let’s get into the meat of the topic and explore, together, why it absolutely makes sense to change it regularly; and how not doing so could actually cause your car to run sluggishly – potentially costing you precious pennies in the long run!

1) Heat is the enemy

The number one reason that manufacturers recommend you change your transmission fluid regularly is because it degrades as it continually heats up during driving. There are exhaustive studies about the precise temperatures in which its effectiveness actually wanes. Suffice it to say that most owner’s manuals duly recommend changing your fluid every 30,000 miles. There is one exception to this rule: newer vehicles using Dexron III ATF fluid can often go up to 100,000 miles before needing to be changed. As you drive, and the transmission heats up, the viscosity of your fluid changes; over time, this heat causes transmissions to burn up and this is the single-most cause of transmission repairs today – burned up transmissions.

2) Gunk and sludge

As your transmission continues to heat up and it continues to break down, your car’s transmission components begin to get bogged down with gunk and sludge. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that gunk and sludge are going to clog up your transmission gears, causing unnatural wear and tear on your vehicle’s transmission. If you want your transmission to continue to operate smoothly, it is vital to keep it clean.

3) Leaky seals and putrid odors

No, I’m not talking about a horror flick here. A well-maintained machine is one whose owner regularly checks the transmission fluid levels – yes, using the dipstick! You should ideally check your transmission fluid level when your engine is warm and idling. Transmission fluid should be bright red and should smell sweet, not putrid or rancid. It shouldn’t be brown or black or even dark red. It should look like the tip of the spindle after Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger. If your transmission fluid level is low, or the color is not right, it’s time to change your transmission fluid and check (or have checked by the mechanic) all of the seals around the transmission for leaks.

If you want your transmission to last throughout the life of the car, it is imperative that you change your transmission fluid regularly, following your owner’s manual guidelines and a few common sense rules. In today’s world of disposable everything – neglecting your transmission can be a rude awakening to your wallet. The potential costs associated with ignoring the routine maintenance guidelines on your transmission could total thousands of dollars that would be better spent on a nice, warm vacation to a sunny spot this summer.

A silent killer of automatic transmissions or gearboxes is water or coolant mixing with automatic transmission fluid (ATF). This problem used to be seen in older vehicles with neglected engine cooling systems, but is becoming common in later model cars and trucks that have followed their maintenance schedules. The result is always the same: the transmission must be completely overhauled or replaced.

Can the Contaminated Fluid be Cleaned Out Before Damage Occurs?

Just about every automatic transmission on the road today uses cellulose based paper lined plates called clutches or frictions. These clutches act like brakes for moving and stopping different components inside the gearbox. When the shifter is placed into drive or reverse, it’s the frictions that are being applied.

The paper that lines the clutch plates is a very delicate material that is glued to a steel backbone. Before the paper is glued to the plate, it has the strength and consistency of a graham cracker. Once the material is bonded, it becomes much stronger and can last a very long time under normal operating conditions.

The clutch material is Hygroscopic. This means when the clutches are exposed to moisture, the paper material will displace ATF for water. That moisture reaches the steel plates causing rust, and breaks down the glue that bonds the paper to the plate. A study done by International Lubricants Inc about the effects of water exposed to automatic transmission clutches states, “The testing indicated that water added at levels as low as 600 mg/kg migrated to the surface of untreated paper frictionals and contributed to loss of the paper coating and erratic torque transfer properties.” In laymen’s terms, that means less than a tablespoon of water or engine coolant in a transmission can cause a failure.

How Did Water Get There?

There are three ways water can enter a transmission:

1. Through the engine’s radiator. From the 1950’s to now, most automatic gearboxes are cooled with the same water based system that keeps the engine from overheating. There’s a separate tank in the radiator for transmission fluid that allows the coolant to take heat away from the ATF without mixing the two liquids. When a leak occurs between the ATF and engine coolant tanks in the radiator, the fluids will mix with each other. It was more common in older vehicles that had eroded cooling systems due to neglect, but some of today’s newer vehicles are using materials that are failing because of pressure problems in the cooling system.
2. Exposure to deep water. Driving through large puddles during rain storms or off road driving can expose the transmission’s breathing system to moisture. The best chance of preventing a failure is to check for water in the ATF after a vehicle has been in this type of scenario.
3. Moisture entering through the dipstick. Most vehicles have a dipstick where ATF is checked and added. Moisture can easily enter the transmission if the dipstick was sprayed with water during an engine cleaning, or in some cases, water draining from rain or a carwash drips onto the dipstick. GM and Chrysler have bulletins pertaining to this problem on some models of their vehicles. Qualified shops will have access to check for these types of bulletins. A tell tale sign of this problem is moisture or rust around the dipstick tube.

Replace or Rebuild?

It depends on how much water mixed with the transmission fluid, how long the vehicle was driven with the contaminated ATF, and the type of gearbox your vehicle has. Metal and electronic parts inside the transmission will quickly corrode when exposed to moisture. If there is too much damage inside of the gearbox, the cost of the parts to rebuild the trans will exceed the cost of replacing the unit with a remanufactured product. Some manufacturers like Nissan and Chevy have computers inside of the gearbox that will fail when exposed to moisture. These computers or mechtronics cost as much as $2,000 and that does not include rebuilding the rest of the unit. When parts cost that much, it’s often a better decision to replace the gearbox entirely.

To sum things up, if water gets in a transmission, there’s no way to get around an expensive repair. Flushing the fluid out will only cost you extra money and can make the inevitable failure happen sooner. Service the engine’s cooling system regularly and ask a professional transmission mechanic if your car is common for this type of failure. If it is, bypass the radiator with an external oil cooler.

What are Optical Fiber Cables?

Optical fiber cables are a mode of data transmission using pulses of light. It is a futuristic way of data transmission and provides a significant speed for it. It provides many advantages over traditional ways since it can transmit data to a very long distance in a very short time with the best efficiency. It transmits data without the interference of electromagnetic pulses which saves the output from distortion. The most amazing feature of these cables is that they offer all these excellent features at a very reasonable cost. These cables have the least data loss ratio among all data transmission cables.

Fiber Coloring Machines and their Benefits

This machine is used to color the optical fiber cables. It is an important machine because coloring the cables in different colors helps to differentiate in their data input and output. While it is an important factor, it is not easy to color it and requires special machines to do so. These machines do it with precision and finishing. Optical fiber cable coloring machines come with a huge load of functions and features. There are also machines of optical fiber proof-testing and these machines help to proof-test the quality of a wire which certainly helps to a great extent to provide the best quality product to the customer. Fiber coloring machines certainly help to color large bundles of wire in a short time and help in manufacturing units to produce fiber on a large scale with quality aspects. These machines also help with winding the wires as it is an important factor in their transportation and handling. These machines save a lot of money for the manufacturers.

Secondary Coating Line Machines and their Benefits

Secondary coating line machines are used to extrude the loose cable covers. They make durable, polished, and perfectly-round cable covers and provide strength to the wires. They make covers of optimum width to protect the optic fibers from any damage and provide adequate insulation. These machines are very important for optic fiber production because its production is not possible without these coating machines. It includes blowing, drying, and cooling techniques to produce the best quality fibers. The secondary coating is the second line of protection. Its main purpose is to protect the first line of coating. If the second coating is not done nicely, it directly influences the finished product.

How Optic Fiber has changed Data Transmission

Optic fiber has truly changed data transmission and has given rise to a new age of data interpretation. The almost 100% efficiency of data input and output is nothing short of a miracle in people’s lives. People don’t really understand that they are being provided this speedy and easy data transmission. There is a huge network and industry behind it. The data protection and compactness of optic fibers are unmatched and it took years of progress and many people behind the scenes to achieve this. The way it is influencing people’s lives, it is not wrong to say that it has truly revolutionized data transmission and changed people’s lives for good.