Car manufacturers are constantly evolving, engineering safer and more energy-efficient vehicles to meet compulsory standards. Vehicles with advanced-driver-assistance-system (ADAS) features such as lane-departure warning, autonomous emergency braking and collision avoidance are a few examples of how manufacturers are meeting safety standards. However, innovation goes beyond passenger safety. Manufacturers must also produce cleaner, more fuel-efficient gasoline-powered vehicles to meet emissions-reduction targets placed on their fleets.
In 2013, GM* and Ford,* two of the leading automotive manufacturers in the United States, teamed up to create a new 10-speed automatic transmission. Over the years, they’ve modified and differentiated the basic unit to work in specific applications, replacing six- and eight-speed transmissions in select SUVs, trucks and high-performance sports cars. Not only do modern 10-speed transmissions have more gears, which keeps vehicles in the power band longer, providing better performance, they also offer more overdrive gears, leading to better fuel economy.
Designed for the Modern 10-Speed Transmission
As transmissions evolve, manufacturers are tasked with managing higher horsepower, and torque, coupled with higher payload and towing capacities, while drivers demand smoother shifting performance across a longer service interval. All these improvements come from a transmission that’s roughly the same size, and fluid capacity, as its six-speed predecessor. The result is higher operating temperatures and pressures that can shear inferior transmission fluids.
As transmission technology advances, it also becomes more sensitive to pressure changes and frictional properties. ATF must maintain proper viscosity and frictional properties across the operating temperature range to ensure proper shifting performance whether operating in extreme cold or heat.
AMSOIL Signature Series ULV 100% Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid is purpose-built for this role. It targets the performance requirements of the DEXRON® ULV and MERCON® ULV specifications, providing the highest-quality protection on the market for their 10-speed applications. The ultra-low viscosity of this fluid also helps with fuel efficiency by reducing drag on clutch plates and other moving parts – improving the vehicle’s overall performance.
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Alex Thompson is Director of Product Marketing at AMSOIL. He guides product strategy, technical positioning and market development for automotive and commercial lubricants. Thompson works with product-development and communications teams to connect product capabilities with customer and equipment requirements. His AMSOIL Magazine Tech Talk contributions address oil consumption, hydraulic-system operation and the role lubricants play in component protection and system performance.
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