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The torque converter is a large, metal device that sits between your car’s engine and its transmission. It acts as a buffer between the two and helps to smooth out the power transfer from one to the other.

How It Works

The torque converter of a manual transmission vehicle works very simply: it is just a coupling that allows the engine to run while the vehicle is stopped, and yet still allow for gear changes. The vehi cle’s computer or an automatic transmission mechanic can then reposition the fluid inside of it and lock and unlock different sets of gears when necessary.

The torque converter in an automatic transmission is much more complicated. For this type of vehicle, it works like a combination lock that has multiple sets of gears all in one unit.

When the driver goes to shift gears, the computer in an automatic transmission vehicle calculates how long to leave the torque convertor in each gear by measuring engine speed and throttle position. This can happen almost instantly and is called torque multiplication or “slipping the clutch”.

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