My Left Foot Research Paper

My Left Foot: A Question of Transmission What do I do with my left foot? That is a question car and truck buyers may face when deciding on that next vehicle. If the buyer chooses a vehicle with a standard shift transmission, the left foot will keep busy while driving to push the clutch in and out to engage and disengage the engine from the transmission. If the buyer chooses a vehicle with an automatic transmission, the left foot can do nothing at all since the torque converter will automatically transfer power between the engine and transmission. Some vehicles only come with an automatic transmission, so in that case, there is no choice, but for the vehicles that do come with either transmission, there are some important considerations so buyers make the right choice. By looking at how each transmission system works, fuel mileage, durability and overall driving experience, a buyer can make an educated choice when purchasing a vehicle. With a standard transmission, the driver must physically select and change the transmission's gears to keep the engine operating in the proper RPM range. Today's vehicles usually have five forward gears and one reverse gear. It takes a good bit of attention to monitor engine speed to make sure the right gear is used. Use of the wrong gear can cause excessive fuel consumption, lack of …show more content…
Each system does have positives and negatives. In evaluating both systems, it seems that the advantages and disadvantages have a lot to do with the driver's knowledge and skills. For example, a standard transmission can get better fuel mileage from a physical perspective, but if drivers do not use the transmission properly, mileage can suffer. Standard transmissions can also last longer and be cheaper to repair, but the clutch can potentially be destroyed quickly if the driver abuses