What do all these terms mean?

When purchasing cooling products such as radiators and condensers, you may come across abbreviations such as "MT", "AT", "CVT", or "VARIABLE TRANS". These refer specifically to the vehicle transmission type:

What is a transmission?

A transmission is an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the driveshaft by which power is transmitted from an engine to the wheels of a motorized vehicle. The transmission is the connection between the motor and the rest of the drivetrain, including the drive shaft, axles, and wheels. Gearing allows the engine to take the car from a standstill to high speeds and also allows the driver to change direction either forward or backward. Transmissions can also hold the car in place when the engine is off by either setting in Park (for automatics) or by remaining in gear (manuals).

Transmission type is particularly important for cooling parts due to differences in their transmission oil coolers and transmission fluids used for the radiator's transmission oil cooler (TOC). Using the wrong fluid can result in poor lubrication, overheating, and possible transmission failure.

Manual Transmission (MT):
Also known as "stick shifts", this transmission uses a driver-operated clutch, often engaged and disengaged by a foot pedal or hand lever for regulating torque transfer from the engine to the transmission. The gear selector can be operated either by hand or by foot. The driver must select the gear using a clutch and gear shifter to achieve the desired speed on the moving vehicle.

Automatic Transmission (AT):
Also know as "auto shift", this transmission allows the vehicle to change gears at different speeds without direct control by the driver. Under normal operations, drivers only have to choose whether to Drive, Reverse, or Park.

Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT):
Otherwise known as "shiftless transmission", "belt and pulley transmission", or "continuous velocity transmission", this transmission type is similar to automatic transmission, but differs by never actually shifting gears. Instead, the transmission provides a continuous range of gear ratios. Special CVT fluid is required for this particular transmission.

Dual Clutch Transmission:
This transmission is found more often in performance cars and contains two clutches for higher shift speeds. This can be controlled electronically as manual (shifting through paddles on the steering wheel) or automatic. It can also be described as two separate manual transmissions with their respective clutches contained within one housing and working as a unit.

How does this apply to cooling products?

Ordering the correct radiator or condenser is essential to preventing issues with your transmission. Using the incorrect fluid can result in overheating or transmission failure, because the viscosity of AT fluid and CVT fluid are different. While AT radiators can often be interchanged with MT applications (by bypassing the transmission cooler), CVT applications may not always share the same radiators.

Let's take the Nissan Versa for example:

• The Nissan Versa S is either a 4-speed AT or a 6-speed MT. This trim  level does not have CVT. In contrast...
• The Nissan Versa SL is either CVT or 6-speed MT.
• Thus, the radiator for the Versa S will not work and is incompatible with the Versa SL radiator. Note in the images below, for the 2007-2011 Nissan Versa, that the transmission cooler ports are in different locations:

At Parts Nation, we want to provide our customers with the options their vehicle requires. We carry radiators, condensers, and transmission coolers for vehicles of all makes and models. If you ever have questions about our products or anything else, we're always happy to help! Simply hit the chat button and an agent will be ready to assist you.