The Suzuki Ciaz AT is equipped with a tried and tested conventional 4 Speed torque converter to handle your automatic needs.
In the following content I will explain what a torque converter is and how it behaves in an automatic transmission car. I will talk about all the good things and not so good things. But don't forget to read the bottom line at the end of the article. If you don't it might seem like I am criticising this transmission and do not approve of it.
A torque converter gives the feel of a manual transmission where the engine rpm rises and the gears change when required, only automatically. A torque converter connects the transmission and the engine not through direct contact but through an oil or transmission fluid. This chamber of transmission fluid works as a clutch. Because there is no direct contact between the engine and the transmission, you are able to break to a complete stop without the engine stalling. The transmission side of the chamber keeps moving the fluid in the chamber but the tyres that are attached to the other rotor can be brought to a complete stop.
Many people don't realise this but all automatic cars need some sort of a clutch. Even though you are not using one while driving, the transmission uses it. For a torque converter automatic it's the oil chamber that works as the clutch. Dual clutch automatics like Volkswagen and BMWs actually use a dry clutch quite like the manual transmission counterparts.
In the following content I will explain what a torque converter is and how it behaves in an automatic transmission car. I will talk about all the good things and not so good things. But don't forget to read the bottom line at the end of the article. If you don't it might seem like I am criticising this transmission and do not approve of it.
What Is A Torque Converter
In order to understand how an automatic car drives, you have to understand the kind of automatic transmission it uses. There are many to choose from. There is a conventional automatic which is the torque converter, then there is a CVT (Constant Variable Transmission), AMT (Automatic Manual Transmission) and the Dual Clutch system which is know by different names for different brands.A torque converter gives the feel of a manual transmission where the engine rpm rises and the gears change when required, only automatically. A torque converter connects the transmission and the engine not through direct contact but through an oil or transmission fluid. This chamber of transmission fluid works as a clutch. Because there is no direct contact between the engine and the transmission, you are able to break to a complete stop without the engine stalling. The transmission side of the chamber keeps moving the fluid in the chamber but the tyres that are attached to the other rotor can be brought to a complete stop.
Many people don't realise this but all automatic cars need some sort of a clutch. Even though you are not using one while driving, the transmission uses it. For a torque converter automatic it's the oil chamber that works as the clutch. Dual clutch automatics like Volkswagen and BMWs actually use a dry clutch quite like the manual transmission counterparts.
Every time that you are moving at a crawl in one of these cars and using the break, the clutch is being used. Every time that that gears change in a dual clutch automatic the clutch gets used. For the dual clutch automatics that means wear and tear of the clutch plates which can prove to be an expensive repair whenever it comes up. This is one of the reasons why torque converter is a more reliable and long lasting form of automatic transmission as compared to the dual clutch system. There is less wear and tear in the transmission components.
This is also why I recommend that you put your car in neutral and pull the handbrake when you have stopped at a traffic light. Many people just sit there with the gear stick in drive and their foot on the break. This is like sitting with in a manual transmission car with the car in the first gear and the clutch depressed. You wouldn't do this because you know that it will be bad for your clutch plate. So do not do this in an automatic transmission also because even if you are not the one the pressing the clutch, your car is still using a clutch to free the transmission from the wheels.
But that is EXACTLY what the Ciaz AT will do if you try an aggressive overtaking manoeuvre. If you prod the accelerator with a little gusto, the gears will downshift, like in any automatic. But they might shift all the way up to the 1st gear which cause a huge jump in the engine RPM and is really not the result you are after. It's not a very smooth sensation. So that is my grunt with this transmission.
The biggest omission I find in this car is the lack of manual control over the transmission. It would have been much appreciated if there was some way to stay in a particular gear especially while cruising on an expressway. Many cars will have this kind of control but I guess as a measure of cost-cutting Suzuki thought better as to not to provide it. You don't miss it too much in the city but you definitely miss it in more challenging driving conditions like being on an expressway or driving in the mountains.
So what you need to learn is how much to press the accelerator to get the desired gear change. Sometimes you do not want a gear change at all, but good luck with that., Unless you are feathering the gas pedal with the softest of touch, the gears will shift down from the top gear whenever you are attempting to overtake or just catch some speed.
We have written another post on how to change gears in an automatic transmission car. You can read it here to understand more about how this particular transmission behaves and how you can get the desired output from it. How to Drive an Automatic Torque Converter Car.
Another way to reduce sudden gear changes is to switch of the Overdrive which is essentially the 4th gear in this 4 speed torque converter. For more high powered manoeuvring switch to the L2 mode that is essentially like using the first 3 gears of a manual 5 speed transmission. The 4 gears in a torque converter are like 5 gears in a regular manual transmission. Thats because of how a torque converter works.
The thing with this transmission is that it tends to coast. It's not like a manual transmission that stays in gear and uses engine braking when you take your foot off the accelerator. In the drive mode or in any other more for that matter, there is a very little engine braking when you let go of the accelerator.
The car slows down for a very little while but then once it realises that you are not using the throttle, it switches to neutral and the car just coasts from there. The minute you touch the gas pedal it goes back into gear again. This is often a disconcerting feeling and makes the drive a little un-smooth. This feeling is more pronounced when you drive with the Overdrive off or in the L modes.
For this reason, for a smooth drive it is recommended that you leave the car in the drive mode of the time unless you are in special driving situation such as driving in the hills etc.
How The Torque Converter Drives And Behaves
So you are ambling along in the 3rd or the 4th gear. Have you ever jumped to the 1st in order to overtake another car or to pick up some speed? I don't think so. You might downshift to the 2nd gear from the 3rd, but not the 1st.But that is EXACTLY what the Ciaz AT will do if you try an aggressive overtaking manoeuvre. If you prod the accelerator with a little gusto, the gears will downshift, like in any automatic. But they might shift all the way up to the 1st gear which cause a huge jump in the engine RPM and is really not the result you are after. It's not a very smooth sensation. So that is my grunt with this transmission.
The biggest omission I find in this car is the lack of manual control over the transmission. It would have been much appreciated if there was some way to stay in a particular gear especially while cruising on an expressway. Many cars will have this kind of control but I guess as a measure of cost-cutting Suzuki thought better as to not to provide it. You don't miss it too much in the city but you definitely miss it in more challenging driving conditions like being on an expressway or driving in the mountains.
So what you need to learn is how much to press the accelerator to get the desired gear change. Sometimes you do not want a gear change at all, but good luck with that., Unless you are feathering the gas pedal with the softest of touch, the gears will shift down from the top gear whenever you are attempting to overtake or just catch some speed.
We have written another post on how to change gears in an automatic transmission car. You can read it here to understand more about how this particular transmission behaves and how you can get the desired output from it. How to Drive an Automatic Torque Converter Car.
Another way to reduce sudden gear changes is to switch of the Overdrive which is essentially the 4th gear in this 4 speed torque converter. For more high powered manoeuvring switch to the L2 mode that is essentially like using the first 3 gears of a manual 5 speed transmission. The 4 gears in a torque converter are like 5 gears in a regular manual transmission. Thats because of how a torque converter works.
The thing with this transmission is that it tends to coast. It's not like a manual transmission that stays in gear and uses engine braking when you take your foot off the accelerator. In the drive mode or in any other more for that matter, there is a very little engine braking when you let go of the accelerator.
The car slows down for a very little while but then once it realises that you are not using the throttle, it switches to neutral and the car just coasts from there. The minute you touch the gas pedal it goes back into gear again. This is often a disconcerting feeling and makes the drive a little un-smooth. This feeling is more pronounced when you drive with the Overdrive off or in the L modes.
For this reason, for a smooth drive it is recommended that you leave the car in the drive mode of the time unless you are in special driving situation such as driving in the hills etc.
The Bottom Line
The torque converter automatic transmission has been around for a very long time. Other kinds of transmission came later. In the earlier days torque converter transmission was criticised for compromising on fuel economy. Things have changed a lot. The torque converters today are almost as efficient as the manual transmission counterparts in most of the cars.
You must have read above that the torque converter transfers powers to the wheels through a transmission fluid. This results in loss of power to a certain extent. The loss used to be more a few years back and its less now. This is due to improved components as well as technology like using a lock-down clutch system. At higher speeds the transmission end of the torque converter physically locks to the engine so there is not loss of power through the transmission fluid.
The torque converter is a work horse and has the reputation of being the most reliable of all automatic transmissions. It can handle high power engines and torque. The gear shifting is smooth with minimal lag and jolts.
As of now, it is the automatic transmission of my choice.
Very good explanation.
ReplyDeletevery well presented article, has all the required information. I own suzuki CIAZ 2018 petrol auto. As you said it is smooth, coasts and can give a trouble free drive either within city or on highways. Once we get used to how the transmission reacts to throttle we can work out way through the right gears, just like it was manual.
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