And then there was the push-button transmission. I think that was on a
Desoto. No shift lever, just a vertical series of buttons on the dashboard to
select the gear. The buttons operated a series of solenoids that in turn
operated the transmission. I've only ever seen one of those in first person.
And in the 1930s there was a car (Chrysler?) where they combined the
starter and generator as a single unit. If the engine stalled it would restart
itself.
>
>Going further back in time, right after WWII, Chrysler offered "Fluid
>Drive", with a high and low range on the shift lever, a fluid coupling,
>and two speeds in each drive range. In normal drive range, you started
>off, reached about 15mph, and lifted your foot off the accelerator to
>shift into high range. My first driving was done in one of these.
>
>
>> 'Way back in the days of yore, Volkswagen had an "automatic stick
>>shift", which was basically a manual transmission without a clutch. It
>>was not popular and only survived a year or so in production.
>>
>>> When you reach my age, automatic transmissions can be helpful in some
>>> cases, and cause problems in others. Most of my driving is within the
>>> city limits, seldom above 45mph. Much of it on streets marked 30mph.
>>> When I had problems with sensor fouling on my 2007 Volvo V70, I talked
>>> with an old-time Volvo specialist, who is no longer with us. I learned
>>> about fouling from low rpm cruise speeds. My friend showed me how to
>>> take advantage of the manual shifting side of the transmission
>>> selector. If I'm feeling sharp, I cruise around town in 3rd gear rather
>>> than 4th as selected by the automatic shift. This raises the rpm to
>>> just above 2000, and the sensors stay clean. If I'm not at the top of
>>> my game, I leave it in automatic.
>>>
>>
>
Chris
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro
- Hunter S. Thompson
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