As gas prices continue to rise, automakers are striving to win battles of increments. The new Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon achieves 1 to 2 miles per gallon more than its competition. According to the Ward's article, “General Motors Corp. appears to be winning sales," with fuel efficiency on the minds of those in the industry, suppliers are getting in on the “battle over small increments†as well. Germany-based LuK GmbH & Co. oHG has developed a new multi-function torque converter for automatic transmissions. The design promises to improve fuel economy in the EPA’s city cycle by up to 6.9%. The torque converter actually disengages itself from the driveline during idle and goes into “lockup†mode faster than a conventional torque converter during acceleration. >> Read More
Now, all that drivers of EXISTING automatics need to learn is that they, too, can "actually disengage" their converters from the driveline during idle by popping into neutral when waiting at lights. And many other well-known MPG-improving practices. If they care. http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/mpghints.html . _H*
I have a manual lockup switch in my Camaro. I can lock the torque converter in second and fourth gears. it makes a huge difference in mpg although I'm not sure I would want that feature to be computer controlled. Locking the TC is like engaging a clutch...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tnthub @ Aug 8 2006, 03:53 PM) [snapback]299850[/snapback]</div> All the newer LSx based cars/trucks have computer controlled lock up converters. In the early 2000s some of the racers would put a manual lock-up switch inline and hit it at the top of 3rd gear for increased trap speeds. Now most people just use EFI Live or LS1Edit etc to control the lock-up feature. Comes in handy when dynoing an auto. In my 4x4 I lock it up near the top of 2nd gear since i now cross the traps at 105mph in 2nd gear.
