7G-Tronic is Mercedes-Benz's trademark name for its 7-speed automatic transmission type 722.9. It was produced from 2003 to 2020 in different variants as converter-7-gear-automatic transmission (German: Wandler-7-Gang-Automatik). The core models W7A400 and W7A700 are for engines up to 400N⋅m (295lb⋅ft) or 700N⋅m (516lb⋅ft) maximum input torque.
↑ 2nd generation of advanced automatic transmissions, at Mercedes-Benz referred to as NAG2 (New Automatic Gearbox Generation2 · German: Neue Automatikgetriebe-Generation2)
This fifth-generation transmission was the first 7-speed automatic transmission ever used on a production passenger vehicle. It initially was introduced in autumn 2003 on five different V8-cylinder models: the E500, S430, S500, CL500, and SL500. It became available on many 6-cylinder models too. Turbocharged V12 engines, 4-cylinder applications and commercial vehicles continued to use the older Mercedes-Benz 5G-Tronic transmission for many years.
Development took place at the group's headquarters in Stuttgart-Untertuerkheim. The transmission was produced only at the Daimler plant not far away in Stuttgart-Hedelfingen, the site of Daimler-Benz's original production facility. In July 2009, Mercedes-Benz announced they were working on a new nine-speed automatic.
Specifications
Operating modes
Regular
The W7A uses neither bands nor sprag clutches. It is fully electronic controlled. On vehicles with 6 or 8 cylinder engines with comfort mode engaged, as well as on off-road vehicles with low range selected, the transmission will always use 2nd gear as initial gear.
The transmission can skip gears when downshifting. It also has a torque converter lock-up on all 7 gears, allowing better transmission of torque for improved acceleration. The transmission's casing is made of magnesium alloy, a first for the industry, to save weight.
„Limp-home mode“
If the transmission control unit senses a critical fault during driving, it will activate an emergency operating mode: Upon hydraulic failures, it will stop shifting gears and permanently retain the currently selected gear; if the failure can be pinpointed to one of the internal hydraulic control valves, the transmission will continue shifting but stop using the affected gear(s). Upon electrical failure, the transmission shifts to 6th gear. If the critical fault persists after the vehicle is stopped and the engine restarted, only 2nd gear and reverse gear #2 are available.
AMG SpeedShift
AMG SpeedShift TCT
The TCT transmission is essentially the 7G-Tronic automatic transmission including "Torque Converter Technology". Sporty, performance-oriented version with the same gear ratios. First used in 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG. In 2007, 7G-Tronic transmission with AMG SpeedShift was also called '7G-Tronic Sport'.
AMG SpeedShift MCT
Mercedes-AMG developed the 7-speed MCT "Multi Clutch Technology" planetary automatic transmission. The MCT transmission is essentially the 7G-Tronic automatic transmission without a torque converter. Instead of a torque converter, it uses a compact wet startup clutch to launch the car from a stop and also supports computer-controlled double-clutching. The MCT (Multi-Clutch Technology) acronym refers to a planetary (automatic) transmission's multiple clutches and bands for each gear.
The MCT is fitted with 4 drive modes: "C" (Comfort), "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) and "M" (Manual) and boasts 0.1second shifts in "M" and "S+" modes. MCT-equipped cars are also fitted with the new AMG Drive Unit with an innovative Race Start function. The AMG Drive Unit is the central control unit for the AMG SpeedShift MCT 7-speed sports transmission and all driving dynamics functions. The driver can change gears either using the selector lever or by nudging the steering-wheel shift paddles. The new Race start Function is a launch control system that enables the driver to call on maximum acceleration while ensuring optimum traction of the driven wheels.
It is available on the 2009 SL63 AMG and E63 AMG, and will be used for the 2011 S63 AMG and CL63 AMG, and the 2012 CLS63 AMG and C63 AMG. Compulsory on the 2014 CLS63 and E63 AMG models, as well as their "S--Model" variants. Improved with the release of the 2015 model year, by decreasing the lag time between shifts.
Planetary gearset concept
Improved fuel economy
The main objective in replacing the predecessor model was to improve vehicle fuel economy with extra speeds and a wider gear span to allow the engine speed level to be lowered (downspeeding), which is a decisive factor in improving energy efficiency and thus reducing fuel consumption. In addition, the lower engine speed level improves the noise-vibration-harshness comfort and the exterior noise is reduced.
Torque converter lock-up can operate in all 7 forward gears. The company claims that the 7G-Tronic is more fuel efficient and has shorter acceleration times and quicker intermediate sprints than the outgoing 5-speed automatic transmission.
Reduced manufacturing complexity
In order to avoid a further increase in manufacturing complexity while expanding the number of gear ratios, Mercedes-Benz switched from the conventional design method—in which the planetary gearset concept was limited to a purely serial or in-line power flow—to a more modern design method that utilizes a planetary gearset concept with combined parallel and serial power flow. This was only possible thanks to computer-aided design and has resulted in a globally patented gearset concept. The resulting progress is reflected in a better ratio of the number of gears to the number of components used compared to existing layouts.
This is Mercedes-Benz second generation of advanced automatic transmissions. The design is more advanced than its direct predecessor, but significantly less economical than its competitors. Since Mercedes can charge higher prices than many of its competitors, it was possible to include the 7G-Tronic in the range. With its all new parallel power flow the W7A is referred to at Mercedes-Benz as NAG2 (New Automatic Gearbox Generation, starting with type 722.6 as generation 1 and continuing with type 722.9 as generation 2).
Automobile manufacturers drive forward technical developments primarily in order to remain competitive or to achieve or defend technological leadership. This technical progress has therefore always been subject to economic constraints
Only innovations whose relative additional benefit is greater than the relative additional resource input, i.e. whose economic elasticity is greater than 1, are considered for realization
The required innovation elasticity of an automobile manufacturer depends on its expected return on investment. The basic assumption that the relative additional benefit must be at least twice as high as the relative additional resource input helps with orientation
negative, if the output increases and the input decreases, is perfect
3-speed transmissions with torque converters have established the modern market for automatic transmissions and thus made it possible in the first place, as this design proved to be a particularly successful compromise between cost and performance
It became the archetype and dominated the world market for around 3 decades, setting the standard for automatic transmissions. It was only when fuel consumption became the focus of interest that this design reached its limits, which is why it has now completely disappeared from the market
What has remained is the orientation that it offers as a reference standard (point of reference, benchmark) for this market for determining progressiveness and thus the market position of all other, later designs
All transmission variants consist of 7 main components
12345Standard50:50 —50% is above and 50% is below the average gear step—
With steadily decreasing gear steps (yellow highlighted line Step)
and a particularly large step from 1st to 2nd gear
the lower half of the gear steps (between the small gears; rounded down, here the first 3) is always larger
and the upper half of the gear steps (between the large gears; rounded up, here the last 3) is always smaller
than the average gear step (cell highlighted yellow two rows above on the far right)
lower half: smaller gear steps are a waste of possible ratios (redbold)
upper half: larger gear steps are unsatisfactory (redbold)
1234567891011In line with the logic for the 2nd reverse gear of the predecessor 5G-Tronic, the extended layout provides this 3rd reverse gear, but it was not used in the transmission that was finally launched on the market
1234StandardR:1 —reverse and 1st gear have the same ratio—
The ideal reverse gear has the same transmission ratio as 1st gear
no impairment when maneuvering
especially when towing a trailer
a torque converter can only partially compensate for this deficiency
Plus 11.11% minus 10% compared to 1st gear is good
Plus 25% minus 20% is acceptable (red)
Above this is unsatisfactory (bold)
see also Total ratio span (total gear ratio/total transmission ratio) effective
↑Standard1:2 —gear step 1st to 2nd gear as small as possible—
With continuously decreasing gear steps (yellow marked line Step)
the largest gear step is the one from 1st to 2nd gear, which
12345StandardSTEP —from large to small gears: steady and progressive increase in gear steps—
Gear steps should
increase: ΔStep (first green highlighted line ΔStep) is always greater than 1
As progressive as possible: ΔStep is always greater than the previous step
Not progressively increasing is acceptable (red)
Not increasing is unsatisfactory (bold)
12345StandardSPEED —from small to large gears: steady increase in shaft speed difference—
Shaft speed differences should
increase: ΔShaft Speed (second line marked in green Δ(Shaft) Speed) is always greater than the previous one
1 difference smaller than the previous one is acceptable (red)
2 consecutive ones are a waste of possible ratios (bold)
↑ 2nd generation of advanced automatic transmissions, at Mercedes-Benz referred to as NAG2 (New Automatic Gearbox Generation2 · German: Neue Automatikgetriebe-Generation2)