Automatic Car - driving tips

Gloomendoom

I've been driving autos since the 80's and I rarely use the handbrake (apologies to those with burnt out retinas.) I've never had a problem with the service brakes. I doubt the brake discs on heavier vehicles are as susceptible to pad material transfer.

Stooby2

I understand the disc warping issue, but never heard of or seen anything like the pad material transfer. It might happen but would surely be worn away almost instantly under the next braking event.

Lum

Stooby2 wrote: »

I understand the disc warping issue, but never heard of or seen anything like the pad material transfer. It might happen but would surely be worn away almost instantly under the next braking event.

Sometimes, yes, other times the ridge is enough that the side of the brake pad smacks into the raised area and causes even more pad material to transfer. From here it goes exponential and you're into "warped" disc territory.

prowla

Unless you are a rally driver, you use your left fotot for the clutch on a manual car, and your right foot on either the accelerator or the brake.

I alternated between an automatic and a manual car for several years, and never had an issue.

The "P" position is for when you are stationary, and the handbrake is for when you are parked (indeed the yanks call it the parking brake).

You can experiment with how you hold the car still; it will tend to creep forward with your foot off the pedals.

The flipside of not using the brake pedal to hold it at lights (and thereby being kind to the driver behind's retinas!) is that if you go to Neutral, then when you put it back into gear you will pass via reverse, and so the reversing lights will flash momentarily (which may be disconcerting for the driver behind, who is just thinking about going forwards).

Gloomendoom

prowla wrote: »

The "P" position is for when you are stationary, and the handbrake is for when you are parked (indeed the yanks call it the parking brake).

It would be daft to call it a hand brake on most yank cars. You operate it with your foot. Which makes it a real pain to keep engaging and releasing in traffic queues, which is why I usually don't bother.

The flipside of not using the brake pedal to hold it at lights (and thereby being kind to the driver behind's retinas!) is that if you go to Neutral, then when you put it back into gear you will pass via reverse, and so the reversing lights will flash momentarily (which may be disconcerting for the driver behind, who is just thinking about going forwards).

That depends on the shift pattern though. My car is D, N, R, P so no risk of flashing the reversing lights.

owen_money

If I was ever going to buy an auto car I'd make sure the gearbox was a ZF one