Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) in Car: How it Works & Pros Cons Explained

A dual-clutch transmission (DCT) lets you shift your vehicle gear without manual input. You do not need to push the clutch pedal and position the gear stick yourself. The process is automatic, in which the computerised transmission control takes care of the gear shifting process. One of the major advantages of DCT is that you can enjoy a smooth gear transition without any noise and shift shock. Let us know about DCT transmission in detail.

As the name suggests, it is a transmission mechanism having two clutches. Unlike manual transmission, you do not get a clutch pedal to shift gears. Rather, a computerised module for transmission control manages and automates the overall gear-changing operation.

Dual-clutch transmission enables you to enjoy both the responsiveness of transmission and acceleration. You can quickly get a higher speed as it takes a few milliseconds to switch the gear.

In a dual-clutch transmission, two sets of clutches work in a unitary way. Among these, one contains a set of even gears, and the other one has a set of odd gears. In a 6-transmission engine, one clutch shaft has Gear 2, Gear 4, and Gear 6, and the other shaft contains Gear 1, Gear 3 and Gear 5 with a reverse gear.

Two clutches of this transmission remain concentrically attached to the vehicle’s input shafts. When a vehicle’s engine remains engaged with one clutch shaft, its transmission control keeps the other shaft prepared so that the next gear can be attached and active at any moment. For example, if your vehicle is in the 3rd gear, the shaft having even gears stays ready so that its engine may be connected with the 4th gear quickly if its RPM increases.

However, you do not need to intervene or give your manual input in all these; the transmission control properly handles all these intricacies. It guesses the next possible gear so that power inflow from the engine does not break.

In comparison to other transmission mechanisms, DCT has both advantages and disadvantages. Listed below are some major advantages of dual-clutch transmission:

• Increased Fuel-Efficiency: Since the DCT enables you to change the gears smoothly without any interruption of the power inflow, your vehicle's engine consumes less fuel than manual or fully automatic transmissions.
• Quicker Acceleration: DCT takes approximately 1/10th of a second to move on the next gear and gain the acceleration. This is because you do not need to push the clutch pedal and manoeuvre the gear shifter to change gears
• Eliminate Noise and Shift Shocks: You can get a soundless gear-changing process. Besides, as the clutch remains engaged even while changing gears, you can avoid shifting shocks, letting you enjoy your ride without inconvenience even in traffic where gears change frequently.

Besides advantages, you also need to know about the downsides of this DCT transmission:

Here are some disadvantages of dual-clutch transmission:

• Higher Maintenance Cost: Due to complex mechanisms and double clutch, maintenance of DCT becomes costly.
• Jerking in Lower Speed: If you drive a vehicle with DCT at a lower speed, it may jerk. So, while the car is in reverse gear or you drive slowly during traffic, you may have to cope with this inconvenience a bit.
• Not Available in All Cars: Since dual clutches are pretty expensive, these are usually available on only high-end premium vehicles.
• Difficult to Start After a Full Stop: You will not get the essence of a double-clutch transmission when at a full stop. It is because high performance is not applicable as gears shift slower compared to when the car is running at speed.

There are different types of automatic transmission systems, including DCT, AMT, and CVT. All these transmission systems work differently.

AMT vs DCT

In an AMT or (Automated Manual Transmission), the hydraulic clutch actuator does the work of a clutch pedal and gear lever. Nevertheless, an Electronic Control Unit or ECU inside the engine controls the actuator's performance. This ECU assesses several pieces of information, such as speed, acceleration, Revolution Per Minute or RPM, etc. and compares them against the stored data.

All these intricate processes help it to understand which gear would be appropriate. After this, it signals the hydraulic clutch actuator to shift the gear accordingly.

Contrarily, DCT does not have a clutch actuator for shifting gears. As mentioned earlier, the computerised transmission control keeps the next possible gear on the cue. It helps this transmission system to shift the gear when the vehicle’s speed increases or decreases.

CVT vs DCT

Continuously Variable Transmission or CVT does not have any gear. It fixes the acceleration and RPM with the help of belts or pulleys. It can enable a car to get any gear ratio, considering the RPM requirements. However, the CVTs are expensive in comparison to AMT and DCT.

However, in DCT, there are two sets of gears in two different clutch shafts. These two clutches, one with odd gears and the other with even ones, help the engine change gears without interrupting the power inflow.

To conclude, dual-clutch transmission helps you to shift your gear effortlessly. You can also enjoy better fuel efficiency as it does not interrupt the power inflow while the gear increases or decreases.

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