euroStyle

I know accelerator pedal is drive by wire, eletronically. but is the clutch also drive by wire or is it by cable?

Dan Martin

It's a hydraulic clutch. No electronic aides there...

biker

There's no way to properly translate the analog feel of a clutch via the digital world of drive by wire.

Proo

I wouldn't say no way, but they haven't done it yet. Probably would have said the same about the accelerator years ago, and I don't think they've "perfected" it yet (maybe it's arguably better than the real thing).

sveet

The single biggest reason for drive by wire is emmisions control.

Marketing see's it as a "sales point", but in reality it provides very little, if any, benifit to the driver.

Proo

I thought it might help fuel economy, too. And I feel more at ease about flooring it, trusting that it will do something optimal rather than just dump fuel into the cylinders. Maybe it's just me, but I find it rather hard to control the jerk sometimes.

Dan Martin

You will never see an electronically assisted clutch in a conventional manual. If you are going to have a computer helping with the clutch it might as well be a sequential manual.

Proo

Good point. But what if they start trying to make cars in different shapes and trying to rearrange the passenger compartment ergonomically... wires allow for more flexibility in layout when you don't have to worry about mechanical linkages.

joerockt

I dunno, if they can get rid of another fluid to replace in a car, an electronic clutch wouldnt be too far fetched.

Electronic brakes are probably next...

biker

By its very nature the clutch is an analog thing whose simple implementation in most cars seems very difficult to improve upon by going digital. Unlike other systems in the car for which some software tuning might help I don't see that happening for a clutch.

MB already has a hybrid electric brake system - and reviewers don't like the feel. Many things in a car have lived just fine for a long time in the analog world and today's digital world is having a hard time improving upon that.

sveet

Even with a normal cable connected to the throttle plate, modern fuel injected cars don't simply dump fuel into the cylinders. They fuel delivery is completely controlled by computer anyway.

They claim that they can work in different gain rates on throttle actuation, etc... and they can better control throttle closing, etc... which I am sure is in the best interest of emmisions and fuel economy.

I, too, find it hard to drive without jerking, particularly when first comming into the throttle. It is like is delays a slight bit then overdoes it. Like sticking, then lets go.

sveet

The Acura appears to have a throttle cable about 3-4 feet long going from the pedal up to a box on the firewall, in the engine compartment, onthe passenger side. I assume that this is the gas pedal position sensor?

I was wondering if all cars still have a cable like this to a remote sensor, or have other manufacturer's done the position sensing closer to the pedal??

biker

It varies and I'm sure Honda did the cable thing for a reason - although the sensor by the pedal would make more sense.

sauceman

Even more precision.