What do M+ and M- mean in an automatic transmission?
1 Answers
M+ and M- in an automatic transmission refer to the manual mode of the gearbox, where '+' means upshift and '-' means downshift. After engaging the M mode, the driver can control the gearbox to upshift or downshift using the gear lever or paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, which can be useful during aggressive driving. A common type of automatic transmission in cars is the dual-clutch transmission (DCT), a popular automatic gearbox whose structure is similar to that of a manual transmission. The DCT has one more clutch and one more gear-shifting control mechanism than a manual transmission, with one clutch controlling the odd-numbered gears and the other controlling the even-numbered gears. The DCT offers fast shifting speeds and relatively high transmission efficiency.