The transmission serves three main roles: It connects and disconnects the motor from the rest of the drivetrain (drive shafts, axles, wheels). It provides gearing that allows the engine’s limited range of operation to take the car from a standstill to high speeds. It allows the driver to change direction from forward to backward. Additionally, transmissions can serve to hold the car in place when it’s off, either in the Park setting (automatics) or by remaining in gear (manuals). Thanks to tech advancements for both transmissions and lubricants, many of today’s transmissions require less maintenance, or less frequent maintenance, than they used to. See more detail in the automatic transmission and manual transmission entries.
