Do Automatic Transmission Vehicles Have a Clutch?
3 Answers
Automatic transmission cars do not have a clutch pedal. Automatic transmission vehicles have two pedals: one is the accelerator pedal, and the other is the brake pedal. Below is an introduction to the clutch: Brief Overview: The clutch is located within the flywheel housing between the engine and the transmission. The clutch assembly is secured to the rear plane of the flywheel with screws, and the output shaft of the clutch serves as the input shaft of the transmission. During driving, the driver can press or release the clutch pedal as needed to temporarily disconnect or gradually engage the engine with the transmission, thereby cutting off or transmitting the power from the engine to the transmission. The clutch is a common component in mechanical transmissions, allowing the drivetrain to be separated or engaged at any time. Its basic requirements include smooth engagement, quick and thorough disengagement, ease of adjustment and repair, compact size, lightweight, good wear resistance, sufficient heat dissipation capacity, and ease of operation with minimal effort. Commonly, clutches are divided into two types: jaw clutches and friction clutches.
I did some specialized research on this when I modified my automatic transmission car. Automatic transmissions do have clutches, but not the pedal type we press. They're hidden inside the gearbox, with multiple sets of clutch plates surrounding the gears. When shifting, the computer controls the hydraulic system to engage or disengage different clutch sets, achieving automatic gear changes. The single-plate clutch in traditional manual transmissions is prone to overheating, but the multi-plate design in automatics has better heat dissipation - though it requires dismantling the entire transmission for repairs, which is particularly labor-intensive. When stopped at a red light in D gear with the brake pressed, these clutch plates are actually in a semi-engaged state, which is why there's slight vibration.
During my auto repair training, the instructor disassembled an automatic transmission. It indeed contains a clutch system, though called differently – mainly divided into two mechanisms: the torque converter and multi-plate clutches. The torque converter achieves flexible power transfer through transmission fluid, completely replacing the traditional clutch pedal. Modern dual-clutch transmissions are even more sophisticated, featuring pre-selected gears where one clutch controls odd-numbered gears while the other manages even-numbered ones, shifting ten times faster than manual clutch operation. So while driving an automatic doesn't require pressing a clutch pedal, the transmission internally performs precise clutch operations constantly.
