Contents
What are paddle shifters?
Paddle shifters are special features added to an automatic transmission car to enable shifting up and down gears by hand. They are located around the steering wheel and can be described as levers. They come in pairs: one for shifting up the other for shifting down.
The principle of paddle shifters is to allow the driver to change gears in an automatic transmission car or stay longer in a gear. With paddle shifters, you can change gears without having to rely on the automatic transmission software.
This information raises the question, are paddle shifters manual or automatic? Paddle shifters are operated by hand, they work more like the traditional manual transmission system. To answer this and more questions we will delve deeper into the minutia surrounding paddle shifters.
So, Do Cars With Paddle Shifters Have A Clutch?
The answer is no, except in semi-automatic transmissions which have the clutch pedal for use when stopping and setting off. Unlike manual transmissions, they do not need to engage the clutch before changing gears so a clutch’s role is nonexistent in this type of car. This makes the whole process easier, more fun, and most of all, faster.
However, one downside about shifting gears with paddle shifters is that you cannot skip gears. You can only move from one to two and then three. This is different from the traditional manual system which allowed the driver to shift the fifth gear to the first as long as the clutch engaged.
The inventors built them for use in formula one race cars but engineers realized the good it would do the rest of the world to have them. Expensive car brands are the most common users of this technology although not some not so expensive car brands are catching up.
Are Paddle Shifters Only For Cars With Automatic Transmission?
No, paddle shifters are not entirely built for automatic transmission cars, engineers can easily make paddle shifters work with any transmission. This question arises because paddle shifters are mostly used on automatic transmissions with planetary gears.
There are instances where semi-automatic transmissions and dual-clutch transmissions come with paddle shifters. A semi-automatic transmission with paddle shifters will most likely be a race car.
The car will have paddle shifters for shifting gears instead of the ordinary H-pattern. These cars however still retain the clutch pedal for several reasons. The clutch is used when the car needs to come to a halt without stalling or setting off from a standing point.
Are Paddle Shifters Reliable?
The reliability of paddle shifters is subjective, mostly because people enjoy driving differently. There are however several reasons that could lead to the conclusion that paddle shifters can be relied upon to improve the overall driving experience.
Paddle shifters are a form of technology built to make driving especially fast driving easier and sportier. An automatic transmission system determines whether to shift gears by use of sensors, which are sometimes ineffective.
Through the use of paddle shifters, you can employ human intelligence in determining whether to shift from one gear to another. A driver can anticipate future occurrences on the road better than a car system.
Using the paddle shifter you can lower the gear to increase torque right after a turn. They also come in handy when headed downhill since you can easily lower the car’s speed by simply clicking the left paddle without even stepping on the brakes.
When faced with a steep hill you can increase power using the left paddle shifter by downshifting with high revolutions. When in the rain and the road gets slippery you can downshift to reduce speed instead of using brakes: this improves your grip on the car. An upshift can easily get you out of the snow.
Automatic transmissions are reliable but they are unable to understand the weather and terrain. With paddle shifters, you can easily conquer some of the difficulties experienced by automatic transmission drivers.
The reliability of a car’s performance on its ability to utilize gears effectively is unquestionable, paddle shifters offer a more enhanced gear system that the car can rely on.
Are Paddle Shifters Bad For Transmission?
When a manufacturer installs paddle shifters in a car they include safety tools to prevent any misuse of the system which could have adverse effects on the engine. The paddle shifters simply enable gear shifting while overriding the system’s pre-programmed shifting points.
Upshifting and downshifting is done just fine in any transmission type without any engine damage. The fear is uncalled for considering the fact that some drivers do not even use the paddle shifters, the automatic transmission system works well enough for them.
Accurate use of these levers can increase your control over the car and make the whole driving experience more fun.
Are Paddle Shifters Better Than Manual?
The reason racing teams prefer shift paddles is the quicker gear change. Car performance is quite subjecting due to there being different drivers and different cars so gear shifting speeds might vary.
However, a straight unbiased comparison between the gear shifting speed in a vehicle using a manual transmission and the same vehicle using paddle shifting will prove the latter is quicker.
When should you paddle shift?
Experienced drivers only need to listen to the car’s engine to determine when to use the paddle shifters. Modern cars however have installed user-friendly features that signal the less experienced drivers when it’s time.
These features include a warning light on the dashboard that tells you when to shift up or shift down. Anyone with a license can effectively use paddle shifters.
The whole idea however is to let drivers shift when they feel the need, like when they are about to go uphill or downhill. Relying on the car’s system to tell you when to shift up and gear down is similar to just letting the car do the shifting itself.
Bottom Line
With the advent of technology, more sophisticated systems were introduced into automobiles. Paddle shifting allows for gear shifting in an automatic transmission without the need for a clutch.
Gear shifting is now quicker especially for rally drivers and other drivers who want more control over their cars’ response to terrain and environment. These paddle shifters can be installed on any car.
