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HereticBatman t1_iy0quz3 wrote

Reply to comment by griz75 in ELI5 how automatic cars avoid chewing up first gear by neonpablo

I've asked people before if the brake in automatic vehicles disengages the clutch and I never got an answer.

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travelinmatt76 t1_iy2a3ar wrote

Automatics don't have a clutch, they have a fluid coupler, torque converter. Think of it like 2 fans facing each other. The fan attached to the engine is always spinning and blowing on the second fan which makes it spin. Since there is no direct connection you can hold the brake and stop one of the fans.

These old Army Corp film reels are great for learning about mechanical systems. Here's a film about torque converters. https://youtu.be/leCEmJA0WsI

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