The Tricky Trans. (pix)

[a2jack]

Here it is. Looks tame enough to me. (from Canadian Driver Mag).

[jonnysan]

Pretty slick looking housing...hope it works and lasts as nice as it looks!

[lhoboy]

I'd sure like to see an exploded view of this transmission. So far, it looks like converting it to a full manual is not out of the question.

[Old smart]

jwight wrote in regards to the Car & Driver review:
“… (C&D) Didn't like the brakes, transmission or acceleration. … I agree with their comments that for a second generation car the brakes and transmission should have had the kinks worked out.�

We know that the smart has a “hill assist� feature that keeps the brakes locked for 0.6 seconds after release (time to get one's foot onto the accelerator pedal). It is also rumored that it has a “creep-forward� feature (similar in result to a full automatic transmission in “D� but with naught but idle RPM). So, it may be that the smoothest start from rest will be to let off the brake and wait for it to release, and then to begin to creep on its own before accelerating with the pedal.

[kmeinhold]

I cant figure out what Im seeing. Is that a fly wheel? But then there is no clutch plate. Perhaps the fly wheel drives another gear within the transmission where the electronic clutch also resides?

Still trying to figure out how the "creep" works without burnig the clutch. Looks like there is an electric motor imbeded in the transmission.

[mfoster]

Should be another picture of the trans

[spdickey]

Originally Posted by mfoster

Should be another picture of the trans

Non paying members cannot see this picture. Please post again using something like tinypic.com

[Mitspowered]

Originally Posted by kmeinhold

I cant figure out what Im seeing. Is that a fly wheel? But then there is no clutch plate. Perhaps the fly wheel drives another gear within the transmission where the electronic clutch also resides?

Still trying to figure out how the "creep" works without burnig the clutch. Looks like there is an electric motor imbeded in the transmission.

If you're speaking of the large "gear" in the pic on the lower left, that seems to be the differential, which would drive the axle shafts that go to the wheels. I'm also guessing that large motor looking thing either drves the clutch (making up for the petal, master and slave cylinders and the hydrualics in most regular stick shifts), or the mechanism that shifts the gears.

I'm purely guessing, but I would think the "creep" is achieved by clutch slipage-ie: the clutch just barely being engauged by this mechanism.