EDC box: operation, maintenance and price

The EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) transmission is an automatic dual-clutch transmission. This is a new generation gearbox presented by the car manufacturer Renault. Developed by Citroën under the name BMP6 gearbox and Volkswagen DSG gearbox, it improves driving comfort and reduces pollutant emissions.

🔍 How does the EDC box work?

The EDC box, created in 2010 by Renault, is part of an ecological approach to reducingcarbon footprint your car. Produces on average 30 grams less CO2 per kilometer than a standard automatic transmission.

The advantage of the EDC box is that it can be fitted to all car models, from small city cars to sedans. In addition, it works on both a gasoline vehicle and a diesel engine.

Thus, the presence of a double clutch and 2 gearboxes allows you to have much smoother gear shifting to improve the performance of your vehicle. These are 2 mechanical half boxes, each with odd and even gears.

When you are about to change gear, forward gear is engaged in one of the half-breaks. Thus, this technology provides constant traction with the road, as two gears are engaged at the same time. Thus, you will have more efficient and smoother gear changes.

There is 6-speed models and other 7-speed models for more powerful cars. They also differ in the type of clutch they are equipped with: it can be a dry sump clutch or a wet sump multi-plate clutch in an oil bath.

There are currently 4 different models of EDC boxes in Renault:

1. Model DC0-6 : has 6 gears and a dry clutch. Installed on small city cars.
2. Model DC4-6 : It also has a dry clutch and is one of the first EDC models to be used on a diesel engine.
3. Model DW6-6 : It is equipped with a wet multi-plate clutch and is equipped with a powerful diesel engine.
4. Model DW5-7 : It has 7 gears and a wet clutch. It is intended exclusively for vehicles with gasoline engines.

Car models equipped with this technology are available from the manufacturer Renault. This includes Twingo 3, Captur, Kadjar, Talisman, Scenic, or Megane III and IV.

🚘 How to ride with an EDC box?

The EDC gearbox works like an automatic transmission. Therefore, you do not need to disengage or depress the clutch pedal when you want to change gear. Indeed, there is no clutch pedal on vehicles with an automatic transmission.

Thus, you can use the P position to engage the handbrake, the D position for forward travel, and the R position for reverse travel. However, the EDC transmission is different from a conventional automatic transmission. To control the EDC box, you can use two different driving modes:

• Standard automatic mode : gear shifting occurs automatically depending on your driving;
• Pulse mode : You can use the “+” and “-” notches on the gear lever to change gears as you like.

👨‍🔧 What is the maintenance of an automatic transmission EDC?

The maintenance of an automatic EDC transmission is the same as that of a conventional transmission. The gearbox oil will need to be changed regularly. The oil change frequency is indicated in the service book your vehicle, where you will find the manufacturer's recommendations.

On average, an oil change should be carried out every 60 to 000 kilometers depending on the models. For EDC transmissions that contain advanced technology, high quality oils that meet the standards recommended by your manufacturer should be preferred.

To extend its service life, it is necessary to behave flexibly, avoiding too abrupt starts and decelerations.

💰 What is the price of an EDC box?

The EDC transmission has a significantly higher price tag than a conventional automatic transmission. Since it uses significant technology, cars with such a box also sell for more. On average, an automatic transmission is between 500 euros vs 1 euros while for the EDC box, the price range is rather between 1 and 500 €.

The EDC box is mostly found on the most recent cars and only on a few car manufacturers. It provides flexibility in driving and limits the emissions of pollutants from your vehicle. If you want to drain the latter, make sure the mechanic you are contacting can do it on that particular type of box.