But DCT clutches demand use of a more costly dual-mass flywheel, so the torque converter solution is no more expensive overall, according to Kipfer. The torque converter, supplied by Cardington Yutaka Technologies, Inc., is more expensive than a clutch for the same application. In fact, the TLX 2.4-L car accelerates to 60 mph 1.5 s faster than the TSX did, thanks in large part to the use of a torque converter, he noted.
ACURA DCT TRANSMISSION DRIVERS
Incorporating a torque converter into the unit not only provides internal NVH benefits that help deliver the low-speed refinement most drivers seek, but its inherent torque multiplication boosts off-the-line acceleration. “The main issue is the low-speed launch.” Honda's product planners and engineers interviewed drivers of cars equipped with DCTs, and “the main thing they talked about was how unrefined and unsporty they are,” said Kipfer. This gives the DCT-equipped TLX the smooth low-speed driving dynamics of a traditional automatic transmission with a gearbox that is more efficient, according to Chris Kipfer, the Assistant Large Project Manager responsible for drivetrain.
Honda claims it's the first production DCT so equipped. The base car pairs its 2.4-L I4 with a Honda-developed 8-speed DCT, which features the novel twist of a torque converter in place of a clutch. The 2015 Acura TLX replaces the TSX and the TL, and offers a ZF-sourced 9-speed automatic transmission (the 9HP) with the optional 3.5-L V6. In the case of the Acura TSX, that meant only five speeds at a time when six is standard and 9-speed automatics are available. Honda has traditionally built its own automatic transmissions (uniquely without planetary gearsets), a strategy that has led to its transmissions sometimes falling behind industry fashion in the number of gear ratios. The Honda-built DCT upshifts 33% faster than the 5-speed automatic used in the outgoing TSX. The cars can lurch when trying to move at parking-lot speeds, and a DCT can make inch-perfect parallel parking frustrating.
ACURA DCT TRANSMISSION MANUAL
Dan Carney Because of its torque converter, Honda's 8-speed dual-clutch transmission as fitted to the 2015 Acura TLX doesn't need a costly dual-mass flywheel.ĭual-clutch transmissions-essentially two parallel gearboxes that hand off power from one to the other, and do it more efficiently and quicker than either planetary automatics or conventional manual transmissions-seem like a dream technology for engineers seeking both performance and fuel economy.īut computer management of their clutches is tricky, and drivers accustomed to the silky launch provided by a torque converter-equipped planetary automatic are frequently disappointed by the driving dynamics of DCTs.
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