The Basic Parts of an Automatic Transmission (Part 1)

[@btarrh]

This tear-apart rocks the house, thanks for taking the time to post this. I'm a car guy myself and love repairing these items, my friends think I'm crazy but it's an addiction and adrenaline rush. I guess some guys get it, most guys don't.

[@ryanrabi]

who are you man ? you have dedicated half of your life for others to learn .God bless eric ii salute you

[@2005jgkay]

Whoever designed Automatic Transmission is a mad man who could think of this its amazing

[@justinp8946]

agree

[@DannyZabolotny]

+Jason K Well you have to keep in mind that it wasn't one person. It took many years of trial and error to get a smooth, reliable automatic transmission. So there were a lot of brilliantly smart people who were involved in the making of this. Same goes for most other engine components. It's really amazing to see how far car technology has come!

[@UndefinedSlope]

+Jason K It's a product of the free market. That little things Sanders wants to get rid of.

[@bradleypreston5282]

+Danny Zabolotny very true! hard to believe that 45 years ago people had clothespins on their fuel lines in the summer and points in the distributor. Now we have computer controlled fuel injection that can self adjust constantly, depending on current situation. also thankfully,no new car ignition systems require points! which I am very happy about.

[@evancourtney7746]

Henry Ford. All planetary gear automatic transmissions are adaptations of Ford's model T transmission. He thought of using a pair of planetary gears with bands to arrest the ring gears thereby changing the drive ratio. The T's transmission bands were operated by foot pedals, not hydraulics, but the operating principle is Henry Ford's.

[@crosstolerance]

Thanks for a very detailed and informative video about the inter-workings of a automatic transmission. As a car enthusiast, I appreciate your time and effort put into this video to educate us!

[@ColettaHughes]

I have learned so much from you it's amazing. Not that I'd ever want to work on a transmission, but knowing how one works when talking to the mechanic is very reassuring. Thank you.

[@rgseven6557]

I am a final year engineering student and I this video is something I can truly relate to. Thanks a lot Eric!

[@ernst2]

Great video, I 've driven manuals my entire life. I never imagined a AT Trans was going to be this interesting. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@waynefish888]

Thank you very interesting, it looks like a lot of work,

[@Nikiaf]

Informative videos like this should be mandatory for all drivers to watch. Understanding how components work can lead to less ripoffs at the garage, and potentially better drivers for understanding what's going on inside their cars.

[@jeremybentley820]

Brilliant! Eric. Truly wonderful mentoring. Refreshing to see such clare tutoring on the bench. Good one -Thank you

[@PKwhl]

Thanks Eric, I have been an Automotive Engineer and no one ever explained the Torque Converter, as you did. I wish I had seen this about 10 years ago. Thanks again. Pl keep teaching us.

[@Djhg2000]

Never seen the inside of an automatic transmission before, amazing stuff!

[@cj92157]

Your videos are awesome! Being in the auto field, the on line tutorials from work are hours long, and not interactive at all. I learn so much watching your videos... right to the point. Keep on doing what you do!

[@ericthecarguy]

The TQ has it's own video after this series is done.

[@PerryCS2]

I think its absolutely fantastic that some geek way back said, if we put these thousands of pieces together we can have an automatic transmission. Fluids. Pressure. Grooves. Electronics. Precision machinery. All working together usually in harmony. The genius of the human race is absolutely astounding. Too bad we weren't smart about other things... but technology rocks! :) Great video. Clearly presented. Much appreciated :)

[@automatictransmissionexper1456]

Automatic Transmission is a piece of art

[@andygarner4798]

I would have to watch this 13 times to really understand everything. Thanks for all your informative videos

[@zarkosarar7378]

Thank you for your presentation. It was helpful to understand how work AT on my car, and what I must to do for long life of my car . Zarko (Croatia)

[@rickjames5998]

Zarko Sarar you seem like you could be an evil villain from a spy movie

[@getredytagetredy]

You are a great human being...Thank you for all of your work that you do to smarten up dummies like me....

[@o0DraastiK]

Not going to lie, when I got my current car (which is Manual, first one) I was worried about traffic. After about 2 weeks of owning the car, you're right. You really don't think about the motions after a while.

[@teiwakohiti1727]

Really love this guy. Really easy to understand his explanation. I didn't know anything about transmissions. Now I can understand everything about how they work. Keep up the good work Eric the Car Guy

[@elimalinsky7069]

so many moving parts and the complexity is astonishing compared to manual transmission. No wonder so much power goes to waste in automatic transmission. Stick shifts for life!

[@wasafifanstv6317]

Eli Malinsky What he's shown is just 20% of the auto, he hasn't got to the details, its crazi i tell ya, he hasn't got to the solenoid and the sensors that work in unison with tha AT networked by the car's ECU and ETC, its madness!

[@Sheehanjacobks96]

The quality of your video is outstanding. You spoil us with amazing videos. And I thank you for each and every video you produce.

[@ericthecarguy]

Stay tuned. That's covered in the torque converter video that will be out after this series completes.

[@istishhadi]

Awesome video. I love how you explain how pressure is created. (most people would think the pump creates pressure). But really its the small passages that it goes through "the resistance of flow" that creates pressure. The explanation/visual representation of the the two gears that drive the pump was spot on. It almost resembles a turbocharger and how the turbine contains the air within the fins.

[@filmaker256]

This is great My Camry is extremely similar. One thing To know when your trans gets too warm it shifts very loose .

[@jersoneslao7655]

Filmaker25 what could be the solution for this problem? I have similar one, when my trans gets hot it shifts very loose,..

[@rrbrian222]

Yep, the transmission is an Aisin-Warner A245E (Toyota part number 30500-1A640) from an 8th generation (1998-2002) Toyota Corolla with a 1ZZ-FE engine. I have one parked in my driveway right now. ;) Great little car. Better, IMHO than the 9th and 10th gen. 'Rollas. Thanks for the unbelievably relevant video, Eric!

[@Richard1979hush]

holy smokes! i have a whole new respect for mechanics

[@bpettett29]

They are not called mechanics anymore, they are called technicians.

[@xXSethTheGreatXx]

A mechanic can fix cars. A technician knows exactly why what they're doing is fixing the car.

[@aceable7202]

True Mechanic/Technician Is whole truly knows what’s his doing doesnt give up till its fixed and doesn’t let the car leave till street safe Trust Me Experience is proof

[@bamboo59.52]

Absolutely Incredible the engineering and genius of people that work all this out! Would love to see a dissection of a C V T transmission.

[@Sagetower7]

Amazing video, I've never dissected one of these and I found the video very informative. Keep up the good work

[@beaubryan5525]

Thank you for your videos and your deep deep insight into vehicles. I am a novice, and you have taught me much. Thanks again. Keep 'em coming. Videos on older cars and electrical stuff are recommended.

[@vernonbocock1516]

Hey Eric thanks for all the info and help with understanding trans And how to match up the stall speed with the HP tork of the engine.

[@scottouimet2865]

Out of all the car guy videos I like how you show and explain things best, keep up the good work brotha!

[@bryan10444]

It's a a245e transmission from corollas from 93 to 08 lol it's bulletproof if you dont let metal shavings contact the solenoids

[@prizedcoffeecup]

+Bryan So metal shavings contacting these solenoids somehow is actually possible let alone a common defect here?

[@evan937]

I agree. Built by Aisin Seiki in Japan for Toyota. My 2000 Corolla has 220,000km and going strong.

[@angellawless7413]

Evan93 mine has delayed engagement now, 175k miles. Bought it used a few years back tho

[@Chisox636]

I can do a lot of things on cars by myself after watching your videos, but transmissions...I'll leave that to the dealership. There's no telling how bad I would mess things up if I got inside one of those. One of the most complicated devices I have ever seen.

[@ericthecarguy]

Unfortunately those transmission fail on a regular basis. It's likely you'll have to replace it.

[@mpnistal]

Is it true for all ATs? Or just specific types of AT?

[@nsxt290]

Normally, I have understood all of Eric's videos. Awesome explanation and an apprection of how cars are made, service etc. This video, I had to watch 3x times to undestand this. You are right a complex work of art. Thanks for keeping us educated!! ;)

[@1061shrink1061]

Auto transmissions are just unreal.... The fact that we can even build something this complex is beyond me. I find RWD autos more impressive to look at it bits though.

[@gooddad1975]

One of the best transmission take aparts I've seen yet

[@jordanlevibutton]

Eric I noticed someone else also had this concern that If you haven't changed your ATFluid in a long time and then change the trans fluid it could cause more harm than good. Is this true?

[@romansmirnov3351]

Yes. In fact in newer cars you don't ever need (or should) change transmission fluid. I've never gotten an exact explanation for this, but was told that a sort of harmony is created between the fluid and different clutches and assemblies.

[@samohtnotslar]

Roman Smirnov Its called job security, they don't make money if you prevent your transmission from failing prematurely

[@romansmirnov3351]

That's pretty pessimistic Matt

[@alcool0828]

If you have a new car, it is best to keep up with automatic transmission maintenance. Have the fluid drained and refilled every 30,000 miles

[@fredrickmfungati305]

First Name Last Name Fredrick mfungati

[@johnervin8033]

Awesome service you provide for us knuckleheads, I know nothing about cars, and thanks to you now I do!

[@aquarius9491]

I'm just wondering how many mechanical engineers, hydraulic specialists, electricians, Mathematicians, Software & computer programmers, to design this ?

[@ghost.protocol]

Mostly, mechanical or automobile design engineers with a knowledge in design and simulation softwares. I don't think u need a mathematician, electrical engineer or a software engineer to design this. I am a mechanical engineer btw.

[@aquarius9491]

@@ghost.protocol so true, What the hell do I know ??? LOL

[@wyattandwill12]

I’ve been trying to learn how automatic transmissions work in full for years but especially with me wanting to rebuild the one in my mother’s vehicle, I am circling back around to it and watching this video again!

[@buzahraful]

I thought engine is most complicated thing in vehicle , I was wrong

[@TTGLiLPM1]

I really don't get it why you don't get more views. I mean, i'm not a mecanician, but i still watch all of your videos cause they are really instructive. I love your work here on youtube, i hope you will get really big one day here!

[@SianaGearz]

Epic the Car Guide.

[@TheOnlyTeenBeach]

Awesome to see a trans video! Now i am not entirely clueless what goes on in a auto trans and where parts are generally located! Thanks eric!

[@TheDrunkardHu]

... All the king's horses and all the king's men could never put the automatic transmission back together again.

[@nultari1]

ha.

[@marinedoc0311]

Thank you so much for educating the masses Eric! You really are doing a service for humanity. I haved learned soooo much from watching your videos and you have helped inspire & motivate me to tackle many jobs that I would have never attempted prior.

[@Tr33People]

"If I find a problem with an automatic transmission I just replace it". I understand why mechanics do this (less chance of future failure, easier than fixing, make more money), this thinking creates a lot of waste and makes things much more expensive for your customers. Put simpler this way of doing things is better for you than for the customer.

[@nikolaibreckenridge2287]

Ra0king maybe, maybe not. the transmission being removed usually gets rebuilt and sold to someone else. Meanwhile buying a rebuilt instead of having a mechanic try and repair it, when it may not be his speciality, is more likely to leave you with a more reliable car. Sure, a bit more expensive, but sometimes reliability is worth the expense.

[@RzVids]

You could fix it yourself then 🤷‍♂️. Instead of simply remove and replace with warranty for a labor intensive job like this you could attempt to repair it w/o warranty and see how she goes

[@wildbill23c]

Well in the case of tearing an automatic transmission apart to replace say a $5.00 bearing, they've pulled the transmission out, torn it apart, removed the old bearing, installed the new bearing, inspected the transmission for possible other faults, reassembled it, put it back in, test driven it....that's a lot of hours so yes, it makes sense monetarily to just replace it at that point. The transmission rebuild for my 1988 Ford Bronco 2 (A4LD) was $2400 that included removal, tear down, inspection, rebuild with upgraded components, reinstall, test drive, etc. As well as a 2 year warranty. It shifts great now, and haven't had any issues from the rebuild 3 years ago. They said they could have just replaced whatever broke, but by the time they did all the removal, tear down, inspection, part replacement, and reassembly and install it was actually about the same cost as just having it rebuilt since it was already apart anyways, and it just made the transmission better....a good shop will not only do a rebuild but they'll also do all the newest updates and upgrades within reason, and can always add additional upgrades like shift kits, higher grade parts, etc. if the owner wishes to pay the additional cost of whatever additions they want.

[@CraigArndt]

A lot going on there, making some slushomatics fuel suckers. But nowadays, they have so many electrical components that they get very comparable fuel economy. Good stuff man.

[@filmaker256]

And never let mechanics "road test" your vehicle. They will make sure it comes back with more problems.

[@michaelkennedy8573]

Bull shit. Absolutely bull shit. Isn't the mechanics fault your car is problematic

[@filmaker256]

@@michaelkennedy8573 UM no garage in history wants to make more money? EVERY mechanic is honest?? Tell the truth

[@michaelkennedy8573]

Filmaker25 okay so a mechanic does a suspension arm and finishes it up, gives you the keys and says there ye are, you drive it and it knocks its brains out who you going to complain too?

[@Zzeke]

Troll

[@filmaker256]

@@michaelkennedy8573 Yeah, and some of those wise ass grease monkey's don't go and peel out with your car, right?? When he he is given me the keys back with that grin on his face -- I know exactly what he did!

[@MrUltraworld]

Who doesn't love to see things torn apart? I'm proud to say I'm 50 & I've never owned a car with a auto trans. BUT if you own a performance car w/ auto trans, you owe it to yourself to call a performance trans shop (and order one. You get to tell them what gear you're running, how much HP you have & what mods are coming up. You'll get a trans that is rated for a specific amt of constant TQ, the right converter etc. Nice to have 400 lb/ft with a trans rated to hold 650 lb/ft of constant TQ.

[@ericboyles7208]

Very interesting! It blows my mind that people thunk this stuff up!! Just blows my mind! But, I'd need a xanax the size of a hockey puck to assemble it all again :(

[@wildbill23c]

If you stop, slow down and think the process through and take your time disassembling and reassembling one isn't too bad, use the factory manual and go step by step and don't try and take short cuts. They're not as complicated as people think, just a lot of smaller parts to try and not lose or forget...and you really don't want to forget any as often times if you do the whole transmission has to be pulled apart again due to the way they're assembled. Many of the components are broken down into smaller groups of components, which helps a lot, so disassembling or reassembling the smaller groups of components makes the whole process much easier to understand.

[@jefflitman773]

Eric, great high level overview. I started doing my own tranny rebuilds a few years back. If you have a large CLEAN working table space, they are not that tough if you lay each assembly out as they go together. SOOO many seals come with your rebuild kits. Many are very close in size but if you put the wrong size in the wrong spot.... You are screwed. Also, I do a pressure test manually using an air chuck on each clutch assembly before I reinstall them.

[@RaptorDiablo]

Never mind I don't wanna be a mechanic lol

[@bradleypreston5282]

+Theist God couldn't have said it better myself, today we have so many specialists in the automotive industry and it makes sense when you think about it. there are so many different systems making up a modern car that it tends to be easier and more sense able for some to specialize in one area (transmission, electrical, suspension etc.)

[@cherondavis2603]

🤦😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@Marc99GT]

I enjoyed this video. I have not taken a transmission apart since technical school. I remember now why I prefer pulling engines apart vs Automatic transmissions. If one of mine fails, I will rebuild it myself.

[@FORDmustangs100]

Manual Transmissions are easier than Auto's

[@aguilayserpiente]

Educational. Eric is the Mr. Rogers of auto tutorials.

[@netdoctor1]

Differential operation is FASCINATING when you finally understand how it works.

[@theoldwizard998]

TV Cable - Throttle Valve Cable. Because it represents the amount of power the engine is making, on "traditional" automatic transmissions, it performed 2 functions. First it controlled the internal "line pressure". Less pressure applied is during light throttle operation. There is typically an over ride for reverse so that max pressure is delivered. As you mentioned, it is one of the primary "signals" for the valve body to decide when to upshift/downshift. The other input to the valve body for "shift scheduling" is "governor pressure". This pressure is created by the "governor" which is actually a small pump connected to the output shaft. More governor pressure means the car is going faster. TV cables and governors are a thing of the past with modern electronic transmission.

[@JesseFK]

When I see this, I marvel at how amazing humans are. So many inventions created are so amazing. It just boggles my mind to see all the components of this transmission and how it was thought of and changed to work so well. Same with computers and how small the "transistors" in a CPU are 22 nano-meters and shrinking. It's like 100 times smaller than a blood cell! Humans are amazing. I only wish I was smart enough create something so intricate.

[@ramsurntashan9920]

Hi Eric , you are one of my most favorite teacher you are just too amazing .Your tutorial are so explicit that its simple to understand thanks a lot . You are a genius.

[@PM-sx9vb]

Thanks Eric I heard a metallic sound coming from the final drive. People tell me it's not possible. It's a 99 corolla with 90k. But you just showed me. I know it's the carrier in the final. Thanks again.

[@BryanRamirez16]

Thank you for your feedback! I feel honored that you replied! Once again thank you and keep up the videos, there always of good help!

[@gladeye2]

Cheers mate, I could rebuild a whole car by watching your videos

[@filmaker256]

Good point at 16:00 I do put the e-brake up but sometimes the car may still lunge a little. One thing I have always noticed for some reason when you let your car heat-up for a little longer than normal -- it comes outta park flawlessly .Or another trick I used to do to my 2000 dodge neon was go to the front or back , whichever direction the car rolled in, step out and say it rolled forward, push back on it some, and that always seemed to help to.

[@imaderobotsoccerteam]

ETCG you are effin awesome!!! You have a video on literally everything car related!

[@trucktechie]

Thanks, for your thorough explanation Eric. I can't wait for Part 2 of this dissection and to see a Torque Converter taken apart.

[@k0vert]

First time seeing the inside of an automatic transmission, what a beautiful piece of machinery!

[@hg2.]

8 minutes in... Well done, well organized, well presented. I'm subscribing. Have found my Transmission "start here" home.

[@hg2.]

I'm watching this again and was going to make the same comment at the same place. 😜

[@jjamesstewart]

When I started watching this I didn't expect to watch the whole thing, but it was fascinating.

[@KelseySry]

Thank you so much!! I have an auto transmission test in class tomorrow and I'm in high school. This helps A LOT!!!

[@Themawechsel]

Who the hell is always disliking Erics videos?

[@rwbishop]

I'm not an auto trans guy either, but a few thoughts: I think the Teflon rings at 17:10 are actually 'back up rings', there to help protect the actual 'O' rings. The front pump @ 18:42 is a gerotor type 'gear pump' Pretty sure the bearing at 21:10 is actually a one way 'Sprag Clutch' All the quoted items above have good looking Wikipedia articles. The 'gear pump' article has a good animation of the Gerotor pump operation. Also check 'Automatic Transmission'

[@travistaylor7939]

I don't have the personal funds to work on my car that much, meaning tools and parts and all that, but when I start tweaking things, I'm gonna be glad I watched these videos. I'm kinda trolling your channel, tbh. Lol

[@1SourceSEO]

Eric, you are a role model... Nice professional video. I am inspired that one day our team can create nice in-depth technical videos such as yours.

[@austingoerner9559]

I do agree with the suggestion to apply the parking brake when parking your car, but if someone doesn't use the parking brake on a regular basis or at all, applying it may cause the cable that activates the brake to seize, and lock holding the brake in its activated position. So when purchasing a new car or even a newer vehicle use the parking brake on a regular basis if you feel the need, or desire to do so. Don't wait till later down the road to start using it just in case that cable becomes corroded and decides to not retract to it original position, causing it to hold the car in "park". Also Great video it gets to good points, and explains the main components very successfully.

[@sc0tte1-416]

That's a correct simple explanation...Automatic transmissions are pretty complex pieces of engineering

[@Yamahog]

Great Vid, Eric. Not to be a bug, and many have probably figured this out in the 9 years that have passed since..... The Pump is a Gerotor Pump. ( a design name for " Generated Rotor" ), also the meshing of the teeth of the driven gear and the outer ring gear create the pumping action by squeezing the fluid out of the pockets made by the ring gear teeth, So.... @20:05 , as you are turning the inner driven gear counter clock wise in the Video, the oil would enter from the left side at about the 11 o'clock position as we're looking at it and be leaving the pump at it's 3 o'clock position. The Crecent moon shaped divider in the pump body is a thrust block to prevent hydraulic pressure from pushing the inner and outer rotating parts apart from each other, which would cause leakage between the inlet and outlet of the pump if it were allowed to do so.

[@Dillithium]

So many questions I want to ask you right now. Everything you showed in this video just makes me want to take one apart myself and try to figure it out. Thank you for this video, I can't wait for part two.

[@josebriseno7833]

taking your time is the key to unlocking the best way to repair automatic transmissions.

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

For the explanation of how a differential works, there is a great vintage movie on youtube, it's called "Around The Corner (1937) How Differential Steering Works" and was uploaded by the user "USAutoindustry". After having watched this, I knew how a diff does its job, it's a great piece of film. So old and still so good for learning.

[@martinotieno3803]

In automatic transmission what's really the relationship between break and shifting system, example mazda demio ZJ engine looses break on a reverse gear

[@jermainerodgers]

This hepls me alot. Im studying automotive . This is our final exam.. its hard but i really enjoy

[@alimcanuff6056]

My brother thanks much you make it so easy to understand you are one of the best channel to watch thanks again bro for these wonderful video keep up the good work blessings on you and family one love from jamaica

[@AGuysGarage]

Hey eric, thanks for the info man. You forgot action packed...."fun filled and action packed episode" there...thats better. hehe. As long as you keep the videos coming i will keep watching them for sure. Thanks again for your time and effort.

[@-BEASTOR-]

I love this kind of video's. For me this is the best learning progress :) If you ever run into a manual transmission do the same thing. The other side of the world doesn't use auto transmission that much. But this is verry usefull. Love it.

[@formulaonehotwheel]

Really informative. I had no idea what a torque converter was or what it looks like, till now! I can see that low transmission fluid can really wreek havoc on a transmissions life expectancy!

[@shwanaku7525]

it's truth i really enjoy when i watch your videos ..

[@TheGamerPalace]

I driven a manual car for a wee and gave it back to my friend and its exhausting. And looking at your page shows me you probably never drove a car.

[@prepaidbrian]

Thanks Eric...your videos teach me more than my college instructors!

[@MichaelMa84]

Special Math is just plain cool. This guy's pretty cool too. He's like the Faraday of transmissions.

[@FirebirdFarmboy]

A hard shift to a certain extent is easier on the 2nd gear band because that means there is less slip and less heat built up. It isn't a bad idea to change your oil so you know it has the correct grade in it. There are a few types of auto trans oil and they are not interchangable.

[@austinshelley2570]

I'm 6 years old and I've been driving a manual for 9 years. Before that I drove an automatic for 4. I highly recommend a manual over a automatic because I love rubbing my hands up and down on the stick shift!

[@Connorlancin1]

Bro what

[@BaronVonPwn]

I got a transmission tech with 40 years of experience diagnosing and repairing GM transmissions. Its gonna be a sad day when he retires here soon. Because I dont see a younger tech being able to fill his shoes .

[@ZE7379]

Thank you Eric, to share your knowledge. It helped me here on Brazil to study more on our cars at my auto course in Brazil, we have got many good cars here to study, thank you.

[@dusty1268]

I have a new respect for Automatic Transmission Rebuilds..

[@Scott21]

I have always used my parking brake because I have never known when not to. I am so glad I have ingrained this as a habit, because that small piece of metal doesn't seem like a lot.

[@to2055]

Wow, I learned so much from many of your videos. This one is just amazing - can't wait for the secons part. Thank you! Tobias

[@davsaltego]

It’s incredible how much work an engine has to do