Daughter pays homage to dad who raised herRight suit first might be

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jun 21, 2009

Tom: I hate to disagree with your mechanic, but it probably is the torque converter solenoid.

Ray: Modern automatic transmissions have a device called a lock- up torque converter that improves your fuel economy. Normally, in an automatic transmission, power is transmitted through the (how is this for an inventive name?) "automatic transmission fluid."

Tom: By using a viscous fluid to transmit power from the engine to the wheels, the transmission allows for some "slippage." That way, the engine can keep running even while the wheels are stopped (like when you are at a red light).

Ray: If you had a rigid mechanical connection, like in a manual transmission, you would need to push in a clutch to keep the car from stalling when you stopped.

Tom: But that slippage, which is necessary in stop-and-go driving, is undesirable at sustained high speeds. When you are going more than 30 mph or so, you don't want any slippage, because it just wastes energy and lowers your gas mileage.

Got a question about cars? Write to Click and Clack in care of this newspaper, or e-mail them by visiting the Car Talk Web site at www.cartalk.com.

King Features Syndicate