The 2010 Acura TSX is available with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine or a 3.5-liter V6. The four-cylinder comes with a choice of manual or automatic transmission, while the V6 comes with anautomatic. The four-cylinder is rated at 201 horsepower and just 172 pound-feet of torque but itrevs happily and, with the six-speed manual, it’s the enthusiast’s choice; figure on 0-60 acceleration in the mid-seven-second range. Fuel economy, according to the federalgovernment, for a TSX four-cylinder automatic is 21/30 mpg City/Highway.

In part 4 of our “how to” series for monthly automotive maintenance, we are going to learn an easy to do, and easy to remember method of keeping our transmission fluid topped off, thereby keeping our engine running smoothly.

Checking the automatic transmission fluid

Tips to know before you start

1.    Your owner’s manual will tell you which type of automatic transmission fluid you should be using. The two common types are Type F, and Dexron, also known as Mercron. Some carmakers, require specially designed, unique automatic transmission fluid for new models.
2.    Automatic transmission fluid does not get used up, if your fluid level is low, then you need to find the leak.
3.    When adding automatic transmission fluid, be very cautious, that the fluid does not accidentally come into contact with the exhaust manifold. If it does, it could cause a quick and furious engine fire.

The steps to take

1.    Always check your operator’s manual before you perform this maintenance check on a vehicle for the first time. Some makes of car need to have the engine running for this, and some do not. You could end up in serious trouble if you use the wrong procedure.
2.    Make sure the car is parked on a level part of the road or driveway.
3.    Leave the engine running, in park or in neutral, and give the engine a chance to warm up thoroughly. Unless your owner’s manual states otherwise.
4.    The reservoir for automatic transmission fluid is actually in the transmission, located near the back of the engine.
5.    The dipstick for the automatic transmission fluid looks very similar to the dipstick for engine oil, once you locate it, pull it completely out, wipe it off, replace it, and now pull it completely back out again.
6.    On the dipstick, you will see two distinct level markings, one for a warm level reading, and one for a cold level reading.
7.    If the fluid level does not reach the full line for the warm reading, then you need to add transmission fluid.
8.    Be very careful not to over fill, adding too much causes the fluid to foam, and it could splash you, causing minor to sever irritation, or even burns to your skin or eyes.

The automatic transmission fluid is a translucent, reddish color when it is in good, clean condition. If the fluid in your transmission is a dark, murky red, or a blackish hue, then you will most likely need to have the transmission fluid flushed. This is a maintenance measure, best done by someone who has done it before. make payment with payday loan

Manual Transmission

Lower base price, repair, and maintenance costs. Manual vehicles generally have a lower base price than automatics. On the average, a manual costs $1000 dollars lesser than an automatic. When it comes to repair and maintenance costs, manual transmission appears to be more superior. The clutch, which is one of the most expensive and labor intensive components of a car when it gets damaged, is more easily maintained in manual than in automatic transmission. And any mechanic can tell you that working on a manual transmission is much easier than working with automatic gear boxes. So the repair costs for automatics are significantly higher. In the long run, manuals require less service, thus making maintenance cheaper.

Gives higher gas mileage. Even if a manual car is relatively more difficult to drive, it doesn’t eat up too much fuel, consuming 5%-15% lesser fuel depending on road conditions and driving habits. Automatics, even though easier to use, ultimately burn a lot more gas than their manual counterparts.

Gives better control. The basic premise is that manual transmission allows for better control of the car. With a manual, you can keep the power of the engine right where you want it, based on the conditions of the road. And no matter how sophisticated the electronics, automatic transmission will never be smarter than the human brain that’s actually driving the car. Simply put, manual transmission gives you full control with your gears but with an automatic your choices are limited between two pedals. Manual transmission gives you more freedom when it comes to maneuvering on steep hills or curves. It also allows you to combat tough weather conditions more comfortably.

With all these advantages of a manual transmission notwithstanding, here are the reasons why automatics have been very popular nowadays:

Automatic Transmission

Ease of use. Generally, automatic transmissions are easier to operate. There are only two pedals, so it’s almost like driving a go-kart. In a traffic jam, this is a big plus. Manuals are generally more tiring to drive in traffic, because of the need to use the clutch pedal.

Relatively safer. When driving an automatic, a driver will have his/her left foot free and both hands on the wheel. A manual requires a little too much concentration from the driver: the continuous pumping of the clutch pedal and the constant shifting of gears is enough to distract a novice driver.

The best of both worlds. With new options like manumatic transmissions, automatics may finally be gaining on manuals, combining ease of use with power. At the onset of the 21st century, this new transmission mode was introduced by automobile manufacturers. Manumatic transmission is basically an automatic transmission that possesses certain manual-transmission features. A good example is the luxury cars of Chrysler. It’s definitely automatic, only that you have more control in shifting your gears.

Conclusion:
In the end, your decision shouldn’t be based only on the advantages and disadvantages. It ultimately boils down on your needs. For example, if you want maximum performance and superior control, you may want to consider getting a manual transmission. If you want ease of driving, especially in heavy traffic, automatic transmission is your best choice.

While driving, an automatic transmission system in a car does not require a driver’s intervention. The driver just needs to only use the acceleration and brake pedals, and can enjoy the drive without changing the gears. Interestingly, 95% of car buyers in the United States go for cars that have automatic transmission. However, it did not appeal to customers for long here. Now those days are gone. The cars with automatic transmission are gaining popularity, particularly among the women.

Basically the concept of automatic transmission in cars is still new to India. In fact, the cars with automatic transmission are different from those with manual transmission in terms of power, acceleration, fuel economy, and driving comfort.  Women are feeling they are easy is to drive and are buying such cars especially in urban areas. Consequently, the demand for such cars has gone up and the car manufacturers are launching the automatic variants of their models.

Women are finding automatic transmission good because of its smooth shifting capabilities. The occupants enjoy a jerk-free ride and the fuel economy of the car also sees an improvement. Some customers are even go for both manual and automatic switch options.

Some of the cars with automatic transmission that are popular in the country are as follows:

• Mahindra & Mahindra launched the automatic version of Scorpio in 2008. The Scorpio AT comes with a complete 6-speed automatic gearbox and the powerful 2.2 litre mHawk engine. Being a flagship model of Mahindra & Mahindra, the Scorpio is also the first sport utility vehicle (SUV) to be equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission in the country.

• Leading Japanese car maker Honda is released its variants with automatic transmissions Civic, Accord, City and the CR-V to the Indian market and they are being widely well received by the customers here.

• American auto major General Motors is offering a four-speed automatic gearbox option for the Chevrolet Optra. Its Captiva LTZ comes with a five-speed automatic transmission.

• Hyundai’s small car Santro Xing comes with automatic transmission and an H-matic four-speed automatic transmission is available in the Sonata 2.7 V6 variant.

• Maruti Udyog’s Wagon R and the Esteem also feature a three-speed automatic transmission system.

• As a special offer on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Hyundai released the automatic version of the Santro. It was a limited version which witnessed huge sales and thus Hyundai was able to find out the target customers for its automatic models.

• Hyundai’s i20, Chevrolet Captiva (AT version), Fiat’s Linea, Honda City, Mitsubishi Outlander, Mahindra Scorpio and Mitsubishi Outlander are the other models that feature automatic transmission.

• The Hyundai i10 has been one of the most popular cars with automatic transmission. It received a great response from women. Other than i10, Verna from the sedan segment also comes with automatic transmission.

Encouraged by the growing demand for such cars, the car manufacturers are now offering five to six speed automatic transmission systems which deliver better fuel-efficiency clubbed with improved pick up and performance. All these things indicate that the trend of automatic transmission cars is here to stay and have proved the notions of many people who have predicted that such cars will not be a success here.

The transmission is a device that is connected to the back of the engine and sends the power from the engine to the drive wheels.  An automobile engine runs at its best at a certain RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) range and it is the transmission’s job to make sure that the power is delivered to the wheels while keeping the engine within that range.  It does this through various gear combinations. In first gear, the engine turns much faster in relation to the drive wheels, while in high gear the engine is loafing even though the car may be going in excess of 70 MPH.  In addition to the various forward gears, a transmission also has a neutral position which disconnects the engine from the drive wheels, and reverse, which causes the drive wheels to turn in the opposite direction allowing you to back up.  Finally, there is the Park position.  In this position, a latch mechanism (not unlike a deadbolt lock on a door) is inserted into a slot in the output shaft to lock the drive wheels and keep them from turning, thereby preventing the vehicle from rolling.

There are two basic types of automatic transmissions based on whether the vehicle is rear wheel drive or front wheel drive.

On a rear wheel drive car, the transmission is usually mounted to the back of the engine and is located under the hump in the center of the floorboard alongside the gas pedal position.  A drive shaft connects the rear of the transmission to the final drive which is located in the rear axle and is used to send power to the rear wheels.  Power flow on this system is simple and straight forward going from the engine, through the torque converter, then through the transmission and drive shaft until it reaches the final drive where it is split and sent to the two rear wheels.

There are a number of other arrangements including front drive vehicles where the engine is mounted front to back instead of sideways and there are other systems that drive all four wheels but the two systems described here are by far the most popular. A much less popular rear drive arrangement has the transmission mounted directly to the final drive at the rear and is connected by a drive shaft to the torque converter which is still mounted on the engine. This system is found on the new Corvette and is used in order to balance the weight evenly between the front and rear wheels for improved performance and handling.  Another rear drive system mounts everything, the engine, transmission and final drive in the rear.  This rear engine arrangement is popular on the Porsche.

If insurers kept claim costs for cars with adult drivers separately for men and women, as they do for young drivers, non-insurance mileage and accident statistics indicate that the price for adult men would be about 40% above the current unisex price and the price for adult women would be about 30% below it (Butler et al., 1988). This is not an argument for expanding discrimination between men and women to include all cars instead of a small minority of them. Nevertheless, since a large majority of cars are classified as unisex, one can reasonably ask how the real difference between men’s and women’s average mileages for these cars is expressed in insurance prices? Why is the cost difference ostentatiously responded to in youth cars and ignored in the far larger group of adult cars? Even if all cars were classified by the sex of a driver, however, many men drive fewer miles in a year than women’s average and some women drive more miles in a year than men’s average. Therefore, driver sex fails at all ages as a measure for the miles individual cars travel. More about  teenagers auto insurance, visit http://74.200.250.2/~allidexc/blogs/onlineautoinsurance/auto_insurance_for_teenagers.html