Maintaining Fuel Efficiency as You Drive

By Mister Transmission

More gears, electronic shifting, and dual clutches: here’s how modern transmissions are improving fuel economy

In the unending quest to increase vehicle fuel efficiency, some auto manufacturers are adding more gears to automatic transmissions. It’s two-pronged answer to improving vehicle mileage and adhering to increasingly stringent carbon dioxide emission standards for cars and light-duty trucks.

Adding gears to improve performance is not an entirely new idea, but much of the thrust for doing so concerning maintaining fuel efficiency is the idea that more gears reduce the engine’s operating range. That concept gave way to the creation of continuously variable transmissions (CVT). By keeping engine revs low, a CVT ensures no more fuel is burned than what is required for any type of driving.

Some people believe a manual transmission provides better fuel efficiency than an automatic transmission. There may be a hint of truth to that – and only just – but it depends entirely on the model of vehicle you drive. However, on the whole, a modern vehicle with an automatic transmission is more economical than one with a manual transmission.

Other Transmission Technology Advances

Expanding the number of gears in automatic transmissions or installing a CVT in a car are two approaches intended to increase and maintain fuel efficiency, but here are other options, including automated manual transmissions (AMT) and dual-clutch transmissions (DCT).

AMTs, aka automated clutch-manual transmissions, are thought to provide better fuel economy than other automatic transmissions because they have a clutch instead of a torque converter. That may not be indisputable with the invention of lock-up torque converters and electronic gear shifting. Nevertheless, AMTs also use electronics to shift gears and they provide a similar driving experience to a traditional automatic transmission.

DCTs, also referred to as a twin-clutch transmission, house two clutches: one for even-numbered gears, the other for odd-numbered gears. Compared to a traditional automatic transmission, DCTs reportedly reduce fuel consumption between 3% and as much as 9%. DCTs, powered by a car’s onboard computer, are becoming increasingly common in both domestic and imported vehicles.

The Drive Toward Better Mileage

It’s the automatic transmission innovations among competing auto manufacturers that are transforming the cars we drive, and their improving fuel efficiency. Since the mid-1990s, Canadian motorists have been gravitating toward purchasing vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. That, in turn, led to the increasing rivalry between carmakers to develop more efficient transmissions.

Not to be overlooked, improving your car’s fuel efficiency requires more than adding gears or choosing a vehicle with a CVT. Sleeker auto bodies, buying high-quality tires, and regularly scheduled maintenance of your transmission can all add up to fuel cost-savings.

If you have a question about your car’s differential or transmission, contact the Mister Transmission service centre nearest to you.

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Work was perfect
Rick Greenhough
Work was perfect
Date: November 18, 2023
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Great people, knowledgeable and very...
Tanya “Smokin’Granmommy”
Great people, knowledgeable and very helpful thank you
Date: November 18, 2023
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Jason & his team are...
Dahlia Chaudhery
Jason & his team are extremely professional,helpful, communicative and I appreciate the service they provided me with my Mercedes transmission flush . They kept me updated with texts got me booked in within a timely manner. Would highly recommend them .
Date: November 17, 2023
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So I just purchased a...
Doug Baumken
So I just purchased a 2015 Evoque . There was nothing wrong with the trans , I just wanted to do any required maintence . The manager told me that Range Rover does not recomend any fluid change . Now he could have told me that , YES he could change the filter and fluid and bill me $500.00 plus , but he did'nt , he told me the truth , which I might add does not happen to often anymore . I highly recommend this business , and it's not hard to understand the reason why they have been in business so long . Thank You -SIR, for your honesty
Date: November 17, 2023
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Dave is knowledgeable and will...
Dennis Babb
Dave is knowledgeable and will get your ride back running how it should recommend using Lethbridge mister transmission
Date: November 17, 2023
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No one wants car trouble,...
Fanta Tait
No one wants car trouble, but Coquitlam's Mr. Transmission made mine better than your average car repair. Thanks team!
Date: November 16, 2023
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Fixed my work truck transmission...
Timothy Arthurs
Fixed my work truck transmission quickly, truck drives great and timeline was good. Got me back to work and the truck drives perfectly
Date: November 15, 2023
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I would highly recommend this...
Joe Lima
I would highly recommend this shop,they're very busy but the service is excellent.
Date: November 15, 2023
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Ken has been and continues...
Subie Norm
Ken has been and continues to be our family's go-to guy for all things driveline and transmissions related for probably close to 2 decades now. He's honest, transparent, and master of this craft. We get peace of mind knowing that it's done right. We've had everything from transmissions and differentials rebuilt by Ken on our Ford heavy duty vehicles to even some custom driveshaft repair work on our Subaru. He replaced those pesky non serviceable joints on the Subaru driveshafts with serviceable ones, instead of needing to replace the whole shaft assembly (would have cost a lot more). Every repair has been flawless. More recently my old Subaru Forester developed a squeak in the rear end. Brought it to Ken and he was able to diagnose and pinpoint several potential areas where the noise was likely coming from. After he worked his magic, the noise is now gone! Highly recommended! Thanks Ken!
Date: November 15, 2023
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Good timely service, transmission rebuilt...
Kevin C
Good timely service, transmission rebuilt in 3 days, price was fair and performance is good again. I noticed a small drip the following week and we put it on the hoist to discover transfer case seal was the source of the dripping. The transfer case wasn't part of the job but it was removed to service the transmission. Ken ordered a seal as I waited and installed it two days later at no charge, awesome. The shop blew me away when they diagnosed my lack of 4WD and found a bad vacuum actuator. I tried to pay for the diagnostics and they would not take my money. I can't remember the last time I got a freebie at a shop. Highly recommend Ken, Chris and the staff
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