What brand is the Buick Excelle transmission?
3 Answers
The manufacturer of the Buick Excelle transmission is Aisin. Established in 1969, Aisin is a world-renowned professional developer and manufacturer of automotive automatic transmissions. In the field of automotive automatic transmissions, Aisin's products hold the world's highest market share. The Buick Excelle transmission uses either a CVT continuously variable transmission or a 5-speed manual transmission. The continuously variable transmission does not have specific gears. In operation, it is similar to an automatic transmission, but the change in speed ratio differs from the gear-shifting process of an automatic transmission—it is continuous, thus providing sustained and smooth power transmission. For the Buick Excelle's transmission in daily use, the following points should be noted: Do not go too long without changing the transmission oil. Prolonged failure to change the transmission oil can lead to damage to internal components such as bearings and the housing; Avoid prolonged coasting in neutral. When driving a manual transmission model, many 'experienced drivers' tend to coast in neutral, but for automatic transmission models, coasting in neutral can cause the automatic transmission to overheat, and shifting back into D gear can create a certain impact; Never shift into D/R gear before the vehicle has come to a complete stop. Many drivers, to demonstrate their 'smooth' operation, shift directly into reverse gear before the vehicle has fully stopped, which can cause significant damage to the transmission gears and, over time, lead to gear grinding and other faults; Do not frequently climb steep slopes in D gear. When facing steep slopes, automatic transmission vehicles often overheat due to high load or shift up too early, resulting in insufficient climbing power. In such cases, manual mode can be used to limit low gears or sport mode to protect the transmission; Do not tow over long distances. When an automatic transmission vehicle breaks down, a flatbed tow truck should be used to move the vehicle onto the tow platform while it is in N gear. Towing ropes or direct towing by another vehicle should not be used.
I remember that the Buick Excelle's transmission is usually a product of General Motors itself, such as the early 4T40 series automatic transmission or the later GF6 series. Specifically, the Excelle models sold in the Chinese market, since their launch in 2003, have focused on cost-effectiveness, so many were equipped with GM's 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmissions. There isn’t much difference between versions from different years, but later facelifted models may have been upgraded to a 6-speed automatic transmission. If you’ve driven this car, you’ll notice smooth gear shifts, but if maintenance is neglected, jerking issues can easily arise. It’s recommended to regularly change the transmission fluid and check the fluid level. Overall, it’s reliable and consistent with Buick’s general style, making it very suitable for daily commuting.
I've been driving a Buick Excelle for several years, so let me talk about its transmission brands. It generally uses GM's in-house transmissions, like the early 4T40 or newer 6T series. When purchasing the car, I consulted a mechanic who confirmed these brands are used for the Excelle in the Chinese market—they have decent reliability but aren't top-tier. Shifting feels smooth, especially effortless on city roads. If buying a used one, pay attention to the transmission fluid condition to avoid premature wear. Overall, Buick is trustworthy, with well-matched transmission designs that outlast some Japanese models in durability.
