How to drive an automatic

MarkyMarkD

I don't know why you think you can't use the handbrake in drive, lee. I don't believe that's generally true.

It's not a matter of personally finding it annoying as much as that it's bad for night vision and all sorts of things to have 2x40W bulbs PLUS high level brake lights shining in your face for minutes at a time at traffic lights.

vansboy

What hasn't been mentioned, is that it's current thinking to NOT simply lock it in DRIVE, around town.

It is much prefered to drop down a gear, to 3rd in many vehicles) where there is a 30mph limit.

This will give you more control over the speed you travel & prevent the gearbox trying to constantly change up/down, when you are reacjing 30.

Quite easy to get used to this practice & you do notice a much smoother progress.

VB

---lee---

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

I don't know why you think you can't use the handbrake in drive, lee. I don't believe that's generally true.

Ok, ok use the handbrake if you want, I'll conceed that point - I'll even try it for a day on Monday and see if I can get away with it.

My Subaru Impreza Automatic drivers manual says that you can hold the car whilst in D using the handbrake. It only suggests moving the selector to N after some time (but does not define a period). I don’t do this (hold with the handbrake) because if the handbrake cable snaps, the car will take off at speed especially if the air conditioning or choke is on and I doubt I could reach the brake pedal in time to avoid a collision. I suppose you could cover that eventuality by hovering near the brake pedal with your foot but it would be uncomfortable.

With reference to being taken up the rear whilst stationary (ouch), you should not have your wheels pointing into oncoming traffic when waiting to turn. I would say that by showing your brake lights you should have less chance of being hit as people can see your either stationary or stopping. In a manual I always use the handbrake but it just fees wrong in an auto!

It's not a matter of personally finding it annoying as much as that it's bad for night vision and all sorts of things to have 2x40W bulbs PLUS high level brake lights shining in your face for minutes at a time at traffic lights.

Don't look at them - look away! I find front fog lights annoying as a lot of peeps seem to enjoy driving around in them in daylight, at the first signs of rain and at night regardless of conditions. I just look away. Oncoming car headlights would be incredibly blinding if you looked at them but you don't, you just look away.

You could make the same argument about rear lights. Not as bright, but any light is bright in total darkness.

I think what I'm trying to say is I think your only looking at them because they annoy you.

On the point of brake lights, most drivers that sit with their brakes on are driving manuals (you can always tell by the manner in which they set off and the sound of the car). Omn auto's there are good reasons for it.

A couple of other points about braking with autos:

When creeping very slowly in traffic you often have to keep the brake partially depressed on an auto to stop it shooting off, so sometimes you even have to drive with the brakes on.

Even if I used the handbrake when stationary, you would still have to control the speed at which the car sets off either by releasing the handbrake slowly or (more controlled) by using the footbrake. That would look very strange to the car behind.

---lee---

vansboy wrote: »

What hasn't been mentioned, is that it's current thinking to NOT simply lock it in DRIVE, around town.

It is much prefered to drop down a gear, to 3rd in many vehicles) where there is a 30mph limit.

Good point. I never go above 3rd in a manual on 30 roads. It's much harder to stick to the speed limits in 4th and in a car with a small engine (like my wifes) you would find yourself dropping to 3rd/2nd all the time anyway when cars slow down in front to turn etc. When I was learning with IAM not going above 30 was by far the hardest thing to do and that was the technique recommended to me - it works!

In the auto though, I always use D on normal roads and I can easily keep the car under 30 - I've noticed the car does not change into 4th until you are doing about 38 anway. Before going downhill in a 30 zone, I select 3rd to keep the engine from running away. It's usually enough.

---lee---

The telegraph article mentioned driving in snow. I've never driven an automatic that does not have a snow mode or manual hold facility.

Snow mode stops the use of 1st gear when in D, 2 or 3 - so when you set off, the auto box will use second gear, then change to 3rd etc and will not use 1st at all.

Manual lock lets you select either 2nd or 3rd and unlike normal mode, the car will not shift out of them no matter how slow you go and even if you stop so it's much more flexible than snow mode. I sometimes use it in slow moving traffic to stop the car shifting between 1st and 2nd all the time by keeping it locked in 2nd. It's also handy if you want to put your foot down in 2nd or 3rd to prevent the kickdown from happening. For example, if I'm doing 30 and want to accelorate briskly, if I put my foot to the floor, the gearbox would kickdown to 1st until speed reached around 40. Rather than have the engine screaming, I would lock it in 3rd to prevent this happening.

---lee---

OMG how sad I never thought I would spend a Sat evening discussing automatics (mostly with myself) on a money saving forum! I'm off for a beer (without the car)! :beer:

ailuro2

Sorry I started a debate...will bring you all back a pic of the car that we had going back to the hire company in one pice, thanks to your help!!:T

philhuff

Interesting arguments about one/two foot driving. Personally I use two feet, braking with my left, but then I've been racing cars of one sort or another for close to twenty years, and left foot braking really is the best way to drive quickly.

However, for the vast majority of people who've never used their left foot for more than pressing a clutch pedal, it's a hell of a job to train your brain to deal with a brake pedal and the huge range of 'feel' that you need for that.

As such, I'd recommend using just one foot, or taking a course in left foot braking. And yes, such a thing exists, although it's aimed at track use.

wolfehouse

why would you want to race an automatic car?

i always thought that by having an automatic i was not in danger of 'joy riders'...just not enough of a challange.

philhuff

There's no joy-riding going on - I'm way too old for that, and never quite understood the 'joy' part of it.

I wouldn't want to race an automatic, but left foot braking is still an essential tool if you want to be competitive - times when rally driving, for example, benefit greatly from the skill, as does any form of sport where you've got a semi-auto box.

For the road I've got two manuals and one auto. I really want a true semi-auto, but they're damned expensive and I'm too poor!