Conversion from manual to automatic

Aaron113

Torque Junkie
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Location
Canada
Car
206
Hi, can someone help me understand what does it take to pair up an autobox to an engine that never had one from factory?

The engine designation is DV6TED4 and the transmission im looking at is an Aisin AM6 or something on the line of it (transverse engine layout). I get that i may need an adapter for whatever i decide but how do i control the transmission (besides the obvious shift knob) in technical terms when to shift, how etc etc.
 
IMO the best thing I would say is to trade it in on a car that has an auto transmission to save all the hassles involved.
 
That would complicate a modification to a full project. From what i could dig up they still use somewhat the same engine but sell it with an autobox so i was thinking if one could make the transmission control unit as a standalone i wouldnt need to transplant everything and mess with the cars ecu.
 
Is there any particular reason you want to fit an auto ?
Is it due to whoever is going to use it can't drive a manual shift?
 
Im tired of it especially being stuck in traffic every day for the past several years + my other half would probably like it too. I have nothing to gain from a manual + the dual mass flywheels are expensive and im wrecking it daily by shifting from neutral to first and then back to neutral again being stuck in said traffic. General quality of life upgrade i would say.
 
Good valid reasons and that is why I drive an auto 4WD as my daily car but have a 6 speed manual Honda that I track and use for shortish drives in between events for pure enjoyment.
 
I share too many memories with my little bugger, i just want one mod for some more comfort but everyone wants me to buy a new car, no rust, no problems, good mileage, sometimes i dont understand this kneejerk thing of buying something, like killing a tiny bird with a nuke.
 
The simplest way to do it is to buy a wrecker of your exact vehicle (you didn't share what that is) that has an intact auto transmission. That way you have the right ECU/PCM, wire harness, driveshaft, relays, etc the list goes on and on. Trying to install one yourself with your own programming is a real nightmare. It involves taking inputs not just from the throttle but the engine RPM usually from the crankshaft sensor, the brake signal, and others and making a complex brain box of low voltage signals to tell each solenoid in the transmission when to upshift and downshift. Any mistakes will result in stalling out the engine or potentially bouncing off the rev limiter when not shifting when it should.

You'll obviously need a secure place to not only store the wrecker but your own vehicle as a manual to auto conversion doesn't happen in a day. It often also requires the removal and replacement of the engine itself depending on how accessible the transmission is, especially on front-wheel drive vehicles.

If you are thinking I'm trying to persuade you away from doing the transmission swap and instead buy an auto, you would be correct in your thinking.
 
Thats an in-depth guide, thank you. The engine no matter how i looked did not have any automatic options in any of the makes and models it came with so i started to look for generic options with maybe a way of a standalone controller for the transmission.

The only thing ive found was that only dsg from vag had a standalone aftermarket controller. I was hoping of reverse engineering a controller from a semi-modern box in hopes that given the correct input it would operate correctly with the settings it came from factory.
 

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