Automatic Transmission: Do Their Benefits Outweigh Their Issues?
Hello guys!
I'm starting this thread, in response to the several automatic transmission failures, documented on these boards.
Now many would state they prefer automatic transmission, due to ease of driving, Lagos traffic etc. Some prefer automatic transmission, simply because it make their automobile seem more "full option".
Personally, the benefits of automatic transmission over manual don't seem worth the issues that go with them. We all know Nigerians have this obsession with fuel economy, reliability, low maintenance etc. Do these benefits outweigh those offered by manual, which is pretty much maintenance free?
Automatics make any car thirstier, that's a known fact. They are heavier, sap valuable engine output, require more periodic maintenance, are very unforgiving of contamination, do not like heat (the most common killer) and their malfunction can pretty much ground all but the most expensive of vehicles. The mere action of keeping the shift in D, holding the vehicle with the brakes in traffic also loads up the engine, leading to over heating. They require specialist repairs if they go bust. The cost also weighed against the value of a 5-year old compact sedan may also spell the end of such a vehicle.
I am also a culprit of automatic transmission. My current car has the ZF5HP24-A tiptronic. Now I didn't buy my car with this tranny, because I love auto. I had no choice. RHD Audi S8 all had tiptronic only, the get the excellent 6-speed manual would mean buying a LHD Euro-spec car. So I am undertaking a manual conversion.
Without going on other make forums, I don't need to hear tales of woe, with regards to automatic transmission failure. On this forum alone, there are enough threads relating to auto tranny failure to fill a book fatter than the Koran. On Audi fora, the ZF transmission failure has been well documented. Jaguar, Range Rover, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and a host of others use ZF auto transmission, and failures are not uncommon.
Manual, on the other hand, don't have reliability issues. There are hardly any manual tranny failure threads on Nairaland, if any. Most manual trannies will outlive the engine and the body shell. Scrap yards don't often bother removing manual transmission from the cars, for the simple reason, they seldom get any call for them. The only desirable manuals these days, are 6-speeds, whereby people buy them for converting automatics to manual, or older 5-speeders to 6.
So, manual gives better gas miles, lower maintenance bills, will take severe punishment without going bang, are not controlled by a pesky computer. They don't require servicing, in most cars they are filled for life, so unless there's an oil leak from a tired seal, you could actually forget it has oil in it! Long traffic stretches don't do them any harm either, so heat isn't an issue.
With all these issues, does the benefit of not using your left leg outweigh the benefits of manual? Lets hear views from both sides - auto and manual. Any issues too will be good to read about, again from both sides.
I'm starting this thread, in response to the several automatic transmission failures, documented on these boards.
Now many would state they prefer automatic transmission, due to ease of driving, Lagos traffic etc. Some prefer automatic transmission, simply because it make their automobile seem more "full option".
Personally, the benefits of automatic transmission over manual don't seem worth the issues that go with them. We all know Nigerians have this obsession with fuel economy, reliability, low maintenance etc. Do these benefits outweigh those offered by manual, which is pretty much maintenance free?
Automatics make any car thirstier, that's a known fact. They are heavier, sap valuable engine output, require more periodic maintenance, are very unforgiving of contamination, do not like heat (the most common killer) and their malfunction can pretty much ground all but the most expensive of vehicles. The mere action of keeping the shift in D, holding the vehicle with the brakes in traffic also loads up the engine, leading to over heating. They require specialist repairs if they go bust. The cost also weighed against the value of a 5-year old compact sedan may also spell the end of such a vehicle.
I am also a culprit of automatic transmission. My current car has the ZF5HP24-A tiptronic. Now I didn't buy my car with this tranny, because I love auto. I had no choice. RHD Audi S8 all had tiptronic only, the get the excellent 6-speed manual would mean buying a LHD Euro-spec car. So I am undertaking a manual conversion.
Without going on other make forums, I don't need to hear tales of woe, with regards to automatic transmission failure. On this forum alone, there are enough threads relating to auto tranny failure to fill a book fatter than the Koran. On Audi fora, the ZF transmission failure has been well documented. Jaguar, Range Rover, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and a host of others use ZF auto transmission, and failures are not uncommon.
Manual, on the other hand, don't have reliability issues. There are hardly any manual tranny failure threads on Nairaland, if any. Most manual trannies will outlive the engine and the body shell. Scrap yards don't often bother removing manual transmission from the cars, for the simple reason, they seldom get any call for them. The only desirable manuals these days, are 6-speeds, whereby people buy them for converting automatics to manual, or older 5-speeders to 6.
So, manual gives better gas miles, lower maintenance bills, will take severe punishment without going bang, are not controlled by a pesky computer. They don't require servicing, in most cars they are filled for life, so unless there's an oil leak from a tired seal, you could actually forget it has oil in it! Long traffic stretches don't do them any harm either, so heat isn't an issue.
With all these issues, does the benefit of not using your left leg outweigh the benefits of manual? Lets hear views from both sides - auto and manual. Any issues too will be good to read about, again from both sides.
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