Clarity is for Old Folks? (poll)

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by MrFixit, Jul 6, 2019.

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As a Clarity Owner, How old are you?

  1. In my 20's

    10 vote(s)
    7.4%
  2. In my 30's

    36 vote(s)
    26.5%
  3. In my 40's

    20 vote(s)
    14.7%
  4. In my 50's

    30 vote(s)
    22.1%
  5. In my 60's

    28 vote(s)
    20.6%
  6. In my 70's

    12 vote(s)
    8.8%
  7. In my 80's

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  8. In my grave

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. Wdave

    Wdave Member

    I'm 27 the only reason I considered the car was the incentives on the lease while I try and work and go back to college I needed a cheap reliable mode of transportation to continue to be able to do both.
    At 230 a month the money I save soley on gas from what I used to drive to now is practically paying for my lease
     
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  3. M.M.

    M.M. Active Member

    The lease option, particularly on an EV where you might be saving a substantial amount on fuel if you commute moderate distances regularly, is a separate bin, but I agree completely--I could not have afforded the Clarity at 25, or even most of my 30s unless I chose it over a house.

    We are fortunately reaching the point where there are enough used Volts and Leafs floating around (not including Sparks because there seem to be so few) that there at least are options for most people in the 20-something price range. I sold my Volt to a young couple, and I bought it used myself.

    Well-deserved snark aside, and showing my ignorance of how an ICE vehicle works (I'm an electrical engineer, traditional car ignorant), am I right that leaving aside the stupidity in relation to most of the electric drivetrain, that even the mechanical ICE transmission, being a single-speed linkage with no slip mechanism, doesn't have anything to cool?
     
  4. Pushmi-Pullyu

    Pushmi-Pullyu Well-Known Member

    I perceive by your use of the word "transmission" for a single-speed linkage, that you must be British. To us Americans, "transmission" means a multi-gear linkage while a single-speed, fixed-gear linkage is a "gearbox". From what I've read, you use the terms in precisely the opposite way?

    I'm really not the guy to be asking; I've never done more than change the oil, oil filter, fan belt, or brake pads on a car, and after the one time I changed the pads I swore I'd never do it again. Too much work.

    But if my rather limited understanding is correct, then no production car, not any gasmobile nor PHEV nor BEV, uses a transmission/ gearbox cooler. I know Tesla cars do use a cooler (heat exchanger) for the motor, but I don't think that extends to the gearbox.
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2019
  5. M.M.

    M.M. Active Member

    No, I'm born and raised American, so I'm probably just ignorant of the proper terminology (and/or oversimplifying for descriptive purposes).

    I just know that there is a mechanism to link the ICE directly to the wheels, and that mechanism only has a single gear ratio. I was calling it a transmission for lack of a more precise term. And wondering if it even has the sort of hydraulics involved in a "regular" automatic transmission that could accept a cooler, or if it's just an on/off direct linkage.
    Again, I'm anything but an expert, but I'm pretty sure that whether any ICE cars come with one stock, it certainly is possible to install a transmission cooler on an ICE with an automatic transmission, and they're recommended for such vehicles pulling heavy loads (or, apparently, overly aggressive drivers, although I'd expect most of that type to have a manual).

    My assumption was that the person recommending adding a transmission cooler to a Clarity pulling a trailer was basing that recommendation on generic experience with ICE automatics, but no specific knowledge of the Clarity's drivetrain.
     
  6. Pushmi-Pullyu

    Pushmi-Pullyu Well-Known Member

    Pretty clearly you know more than I do about it, so thanks for the info!

     
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  8. 2002

    2002 Well-Known Member

    The transmission cooler reference was someone on Facebook providing misguided advice about Clarity to another Clarity owner who posted a picture of their Clarity towing a trailer full of mulch. We were just having some fun with it, you will have to excuse our dry British humour around here :)
     
  9. M.M.

    M.M. Active Member

    To be clear, I understood the setup and appreciated the dry humor of it. I was just peripherally curious, as an engineer, whether even theoretically speaking the Clarity's mechanical ICE transmission/gearbox/whatever even contains any oil or whatever that could possibly be cooled. That is, whether the suggestion was just silly, or literally impossible.
     
  10. MajorAward

    MajorAward Active Member

    Page 492 of the big manual... Specified fluid: Honda ATF DW-1 (automatic transmission fluid)
    If you haven't done so already, go to the link below and download a pdf copy. Lots more in there than in the printed version that came with your car:

    https://owners.honda.com/vehicle-information/manuals?year=2018&model=Clarity-Plug-In-Hybrid
     
  11. 2002

    2002 Well-Known Member

    Probably not literally impossible but likely practically impossible or at least very difficult since there is not an existing external fluid loop that could be tapped into so you would have to attach something to the drain and fill plugs. Adding a cooler to a system that already has an existing external cooling loop is a walk in the park by comparison.

    Normal automatic transmissions have factory installed coolers, essentially a small radiator, which on passenger cars is typically built in to the main radiator although they do not share fluids. The reason that only automatic transmissions have a cooler is because you are not really trying to cool the transmission itself you are trying to cool the transmission fluid. ATF is not only a lubricant it also acts as a hydraulic fluid, and hydraulic fluids are more susceptible to heat damage than lubricating oil, combined with the fact that in an automatic transmission the fluid is subjected to a lot of stress and heat build up as it does its job of changing gears and applying driving force through the torque converter. Manual transmissions only use lubricating oil, and the oil is not really "working" it's just being splashed onto the parts to provide lubrication. So manual transmissions do not need fluid cooling, at least not at the passenger car level or even when towing a trailer with a pickup truck.

    When someone refers to installing an automatic transmission cooler what they are really talking about is installing another cooler that will be used in addition to the factory installed cooler, so that essentially the transmission fluid will flow through two separate "radiators". The additional cooler is usually placed in front of the AC "radiator" (condenser) so that air flows through it first before passing through the other radiators including the factory cooler. Bypass hoses are installed which redirect the ATF fluid so that it flows through both the factory cooler and the aftermarket cooler.

    Even though a supplemental transmission cooler can be added to any car with a normal automatic transmission, it is normally only needed for high power applications like heavy towing, especially if you will be towing in hills or mountains.

    ATF fluid can also be used in other applications, in fact for many cars ATF is used as power steering fluid. In heavy duty applications such as performance cars some people add power steering coolers. Cars don't have built-in power steering coolers, but since they have an external reservoir and a pump you can tap into that line and run the power steering fluid through a small radiator.

    Clarity uses ATF fluid in its "gearbox" likely for clutch purposes, as well as of course for lubrication. Presumably even if towing the ATF fluid won't get excessively hot, but even if it did there is no practical way AFAIK to install a cooler for the ATF fluid.
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2019
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  13. MDClarity07

    MDClarity07 New Member

    Bringing up the 20's tally --- though I do turn 30 this month!
     
  14. AlAl

    AlAl Active Member

    30-something. I was seriously teetering on a P3D, Bolt or Clarity but ultimately decided against the Tesla after realizing my money could be used towards a DP on another house. I figure by the time I'm ready for a Tesla, the BEV market will have brought some serious advancements storage tech..

    That and a slim hope of converting the clarity into some sleeper performance vehicle down the road.
     
  15. MajorAward

    MajorAward Active Member

    If you do a conversion, keep us informed. Those guys over at the Tesla Racing Channel need some Clarity in their lives.

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOpdDZoLH9IDJ8IuNZzz2iQ
     
  16. craze1cars

    craze1cars Well-Known Member

    Love it! I'm a bit of a drag racer/modder in the gasoline world. Always trying to add a few more HP to most everything I run. I've never modded anything electric as it largely intimidates me but I'm curious if I could get past the learning curve. The occasional electric drag car shows up at local drag strips and puts a serious hurt on some of the loud gas burners, so I think everyone knows darn well that's where the future of racing is gonna go, even if most fans hate to admit it. Despite the boring silence and the lack of FIREBALLS spitting thru the air, nobody with racing in their bones can deny the lunacy and incredible allure of HUGE torque at ONE RPM, that only electric can provide. Drag racing will see all the big advancements first, cuz battery capacity isn't an issue when you only need to go 1/4 mile.

    You and I are a rare breed in the Clarity world LOL! Everyone and their brother is racing Teslas out of the box in ludicrous mode, cuz they seriously boogie. Clarity would be embarrassing in stock form...don't try it you'll just get laughed at.

    For real world road performance that still has some usable range you could simply add traction motor as needed to run the rear wheels to instantly double the power output and add AWD at the same time...

    A little cutting...a little aluminum welding...a little wiring...a little programming...maybe borrow some Tesla components and graft them in place of the Honda components for more oomph.

    Git er dun, man...

    But my wife's Clarity will probably be 10 years old before she lets me cut it up. So like you, I might actually do it...someday...when Teslas are littering salvage yards making parts a dime a dozen and the Clarity has a $2K trade-in value...
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2019
  17. Tim66

    Tim66 Active Member

    Take you current salary and subtract what you would be getting in retirement for the same time period. That is what you are really working for.

    Tim
     
  18. ryd994

    ryd994 Active Member

    Consider it's price. Even many young kids likes it, they won't afford.
    Plus it's fat and heavy.

    Young boys will go buy civic.

    PS: I'm in 20s, and wanted to future proofing (for potential family even I don't have one) when I bought my Clarity.
     
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