Patent ID: 8849531

Claim:
A method of managing clutch thermal loads in a multi-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) that is paired with an internal combustion engine in a vehicle, the method comprising: assessing via a controller whether the vehicle is being accelerated by the engine; ascertaining via the controller whether a position of a vehicle accelerator during the acceleration is maintained within a predetermined range; identifying via the controller a clutch in the DCT that is being slipped during the acceleration; determining via the controller an actual amount of time remaining until the clutch will cease to slip; comparing via the controller a first preset time span indicative of the time remaining until the clutch reaches a threshold temperature with the determined actual amount of time remaining until the clutch will cease to slip to determine whether the clutch being slipped is predicted to reach the threshold temperature within the first preset time span; setting via the controller a time delay for activating an indicator if the determined actual amount of time remaining until the clutch will cease to slip is greater than the first preset time span; and activating via the controller the indicator following completion of the time delay.