Filed under: SUV, Truck, Work, Nissan, Off-Road

Nissan is facing a rash of complaints about automatic transmission failures in the company’s trucks and SUVs, according to The New York Times. Certain 2005-2010 Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra models may have an issue with their radiators which could cause coolant to mix with the automatic transmission fluid. That’s not supposed to happen, and it could cause premature failure. Nissan, meanwhile, has extended its warranty coverage on the radiators and any component damaged as a result of the fault, though owners say that they’ve been stuck with expensive transmission repair bills after the extended warranty dries up. The new coverage extends to 80,000 miles.

The NYT reports that Nissan extended its radiator coverage in October of last year after the company discovered that internal oil cooler tubes may crack and leak. The Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association, meanwhile, says that the radiator coolant tanks themselves are rupturing, which then allows the fluid to mix with coolant before being pumped back into the transmission.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received upwards of 200 complaints on the issue, though it’s still unclear at this point whether or not the government agency is looking into the problem. For its part, Nissan has said that if the problem occurs on vehicles still within the 80,000 mile radiator warranty, any transmission repairs would also be included in the coverage.

Nissan SUV and pickup owners experiencing transmission failures originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Technology, Porsche, Rumormill

Remember simpler times when transmissions came in two flavors? Choosing a manual or an automatic was a straightforward decision: enthusiasts took the manual, commuters took the automatic. The emergence of in-between options like sequential and dual-clutch gearboxes may make it easier if you’re an enthusiast who also has to commute, but what does it mean when these robotized transmissions shift faster and smoother than any set of human limbs could ever hope to?

That debate will rage for years to come, but when it comes to one of the world’s purest driving machines, we could have our answer right here. According to reports circulating the interwebs, the next-generation Porsche 911 GT3 could lose the choice of a manual altogether, replaced by the PDK dual-clutch transmission. (Of course the stick could, mind you, come back for the yet more hardcore GT3 RS should enthusiasts object.)

That one bit will be enough to have purists up in arms, but that’s not the end of it. An enthusiast on the Rennlist forum citing high-up Porsche sources also claims the GT3 will pack a 4.0-liter flat-six with some 480 horsepower on tap and nearly 200 fewer pounds to schlepp around. Purists may also take exception to the point that the engine is slated to move forward from its trademark position behind the rear axle to a more optimal mid-engine layout.

Finally, notions of a streetable implementation of the Williams-developed regenerative braking system from the GT3 R Hybrid is apparently off the table as well – at least for the GT3, anyway. Guess a hybrid, robotic-clutched, mid-engined GT3 would be one step too far, even for the people who came up with the Porsche Cayenne.

[Source: Rennlist via 0-60]

Rumormill: Next-gen Porsche GT3 to ditch manual transmission, rear-engine layout and KERS? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Technology, Ford

The 2012 Ford Focus is an exciting piece of machinery for a variety of reasons. It puts the Focus on equal footing across the globe, along with being a stylish and well-equipped compact that should be an entertaining steer. On that last bit, Ford is hyping some of the new driver-centric technologies under the Focus’ skin, beginning with the PowerShift dry-clutch six-speed automatic with its Torque Hole Filling Technology (THF). What’s that? Ford’s glad you asked…

When you’re driving along in a car equipped with a traditional automatic transmission, you get a momentary lag after an upshift. This is known as the torque hole. Ford wanted to find a way to fill this gap, so with some trick computer modeling and enough math to last a lifetime, the Blue Oval engineers created a system where the engine and transmission talk to each other and prepare for potential torque holes. Additional torque is supplied to fill the hole and the resulting shifts are more seamless to both driver and passengers.

If you want even more geeky details, click past the jump for Ford’s complete release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford details Powershift transmission for 2012 Focus

Ford details Powershift transmission for 2012 Focus originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: China, Technology, GM

General Motors has reached an agreement with one of its primary Chinese partners, Shanghai Automotive Industries Corp. (SAIC), on the joint development of powertrains for small vehicles.

GM and SAIC will develop and produce a family of four-cylinder engines ranging from 1.0- to 1.5-liters with direct injection and turbocharging. The GTDI engines should cut fuel consumption by around 20 percent compared to similarly-sized engines with equivalent output.

The engine will be used in GM and SAIC vehicles in China and around the world, and to go along with the new engine, the partners will also develop a small dual-clutch transmission that should provide a 10 percent boost in efficiency over current six-speed torque converter automatics. Work on the engine and transmission will occur at GM’s powertrain engineering center in Pontiac, MI and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center in Shanghai.

GM has yet to announced when the new powertrains will debut in production, but mid-2011 is a safe bet.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading General Motors and SAIC to jointly develop small engine and dual clutch transmission

General Motors and SAIC to jointly develop small engine and dual clutch transmission originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: SUV, Europe, Videos, Land Rover, UK, Luxury, Off-Road

It may seem hard to remember now, but back in the day – before Porsche Cayennes roamed the earth alongside Mercedes SUVs aplenty – the Range Rover was the be-all-and-end-all in the luxury sport-ute market. Today Range Rover may have some stiff competition, but JLR is keen to prove its top of the line is still the king of the hill, and to that effect has released a series of upgrades to the 2011 model.

First and foremost is the diesel drivetrain: a new 4.4-liter LT-TDV8 with 308 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque (rumored to be sourced from Ford) replaces the old 3.6-liter unit, coupled to a new ZF eight-speed automatic. The 7.5-second sprint to sixty may be a far cry from the 5.9 seconds it takes the gasoline-burning supercharged 5-liter V8, but for a heavy oil-burner returning over 30 miles per gallon on the European combined cycle (the first Range Rover to break that particular efficiency barrier), that’s nothing to cough at. Speaking of the Supercharged model, that engine carries over essentially unchanged, while the diesel benefits from the Supercharged model’s Brembo braking system.

Other revisions include an upgraded Terrain Response system, some minor cosmetic changes, new wheel options, an optional Exterior Design Pack and a special 40th anniversary Autobiography Black edition. These details – more of which you can read about in the press release and view in the video after the jump – are unfortunately limited to the European model, so we’ll have to sit tight for the revisions to reach American shores. No word on plans to bring the diesel model across the pond, so for now we’ll just have to add this to the growing list of torque-tastic diesels to admire from afar.

[Source: Land Rover]

Continue reading Updated Euro-spec 2011 Range Rover includes new diesel, transmission [w/video]

Updated Euro-spec 2011 Range Rover includes new diesel, transmission [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Auto Parts Philippines Inc. (TAP), a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP), is planning to reduce the output in transmission plant due to the slowdown in the global demand for automobiles.

In an interview, Toyota vice chairman Alfred Ty said they might decrease the production of transmission due to a drop in demand in key export markets.

Last year TAP has invested P5.4 billion to double the production capacity of its transmission plant in Laguna.

The transmission plant in Sta. Rosa Laguna is already operating at full capacity with a total output of 180,000 units per year.

The multi-billion Sta. Rosa facility is Toyota‘s 4th R-Type Transmission production plant in the world in addition to Aisin AI Japan, Aisin AI Thailand and ToyotaKirloskar AutoParts in India.

From the time TAP was established in 1990, it has produced G-Type Transmissions and Constant Velocity Joints.

Meanwhile, Ty said that Toyota is targeting a flat growth this year. “We would like to maintain the same volume.”

Ty said their plan is to introduce new models in order to push automobile sales. In fact, they will be bringing in the first commercially available environmental friendly cars in the country by July.

“We just received the approval from the head office. We will bring the Prius in middle of this year,” he said.

According to Ty, there is a market for hybrid vehicles here even if these environmentally friendly cars are pricier than normal vehicles.

“We will start with the Prius first. We have a go signal for this,” Ty noted.

Ty said they have not yet determined the price of the Prius or how many they will import here to sell. “There is no price range yet.” The Toyota website stated that starting price for the 2009 Prius is $22,000.

However, the price here may differ given importation charges and various taxes which will add to the cost of the car. Ty said they will ask for incentives from the government to at least lessen the taxes.

By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio, Philippine Star

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