I read somewhere that Acura only produced 6% manual transmissions for the TSX model. This is quite a low percentage given the sporty nature of the car and the most excellent 6-speed manual they supplied. I'd imagine a manual would be an even harder sell for most people looking at a full-sized truck.
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Originally Posted by 2000mc
i think its because the new diesels w/ 750+lbs of torque tend to break stuff.
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The 2nd generation Dodge Ram trucks had notoriously terrible automatic transmissions that would overheat or otherwise destroy themselves in relatively short order. I've got one ('98.5) in dire need of rebuilding.
Off topic question- has the reliability of the 3rd gen Dodge/Cummins automatic transmission been improved? I'm thinking it might be time to buy another used full-size diesel.
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Originally Posted by mechman600
I have heard in my field that the hardest part of meeting emissions with a diesel is transient events - shifting gears, when the engine goes from 0%-100% fuel, or coasting down a hill and then flooring it for the uphill. This event in a diesel always causes the puff of black smoke or any other number of pollutants that must be caught by the aftertreatment, if possible. Using an automatic, at least, eliminates the transient events during shifting, making it easier to meet emissions. I am told that in an upcoming diesel emission step (2017?), we are likely to see a mandatory switch to advanced powertrains (aka: hybrids? automatics?) even in the heavy duty truck side for this reason.
Who knows.
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Makes sense to me.
Hybrids seem to make the most sense for a large truck since they have so much mass to move, have extra space for batteries, controllers, etc, and require lots of torque- which electric motors are most efficient at delivering. I'm very surprised these were not the first vehicles to support the technology. I actually figured UPS (delivery trucks) would be first to embrace electric hybrids.