Q. about throttle sensitivity in first and second

[shiftmate]

Obviously in a MT car, in first and second gear, you have to ease on and off the accelerator for a smooth ride. Why isn't this the case for AT cars? After all, they use first and second gears at very low speeds, but you don't need to be nearly as smooth with the accelerator for a smooth ride, and the difference is especially noticeable when releasing the throttle. If an AT is in first gear, why doesn't quickly releasing the throttle result in the same engine braking effect one experiences in MT cars?

[Shadow]

A/T and M/T are completely different animals. If you were to manually lock an A/T into first gear and jab & release the throttle, it would behave similarly to a M/T as far as engine braking is concerned...

[six]

Because the torque converter of an AT is a liquid coupling, the jolts and shocks are "absorbed" by the liquid. The clutch of a MT is a direct coupling. Think of it this way: imagine a jolt is like throwing a punch... with a MT, it's like punching through air; with an AT, it's like punching while you are underwater.

As far an felt engine braking is concerned, most automatics... ummm... automatically... drop you down a gear or two once you release the throttle, so with the higher gear, there is less engine braking. You will get the same effect if you drop down to 2nd or 3rd gear in a manual right after you release the throttle in 1st. If you shift your AT all the way down to "L" or "1" and jab the throttle, engine braking will feel similar to a manual. Just dampened a little.

[Rope-Pusher]

Because you brush with the wrong toothpaste!

[shiftmate]

Because the torque converter of an AT is a liquid coupling, the jolts and shocks are "absorbed" by the liquid. The clutch of a MT is a direct coupling. Think of it this way: imagine a jolt is like throwing a punch... with a MT, it's like punching through air; with an AT, it's like punching while you are underwater.

Thanks for the explanation.

As far an felt engine braking is concerned, most automatics... ummm... automatically... drop you down a gear or two once you release the throttle, so with the higher gear, there is less engine braking. You will get the same effect if you drop down to 2nd or 3rd gear in a manual right after you release the throttle in 1st. If you shift your AT all the way down to "L" or "1" and jab the throttle, engine braking will feel similar to a manual. Just dampened a little.

So an automatic in first gear will upshift to second when you release the throttle? Interesting.