Correct use of auto box

[surveyor_101]

Last month I have been driving autos for various reasons.

I just wondered what was correct or good practice in terms of use.

My mum has been told not to use the handbrake on her new to her Saab 93 1.9 cities auto and only put it in p.

The current diesel Peugeot work are providing has a-r-m . No park and has manual paddles. It's a 2008 cross over and I have to say as an aside very jerky and unrefined auto. Some call it's the sailboat as when, you change gear there seems to be a lot of transmission lag and its jerks the car.

Anyone back on to good practice at lights to use stop start I can hold it on the brake pedal and get me I stop start or shift to n. I have always considered that showing my brakes lights to the rear for more than a few secs is not curtious. However I consider the long pause short pause a plot elements driving instructor taught me for use on handbrake when stopping.

If I am waiting a reasonable time I shift to neutral and apply handbrake for long pause. Short pause I hold on foot brake and maybe have handbrake up with button depressed and held but the stupid shape in the pug makes it hard.

[PositronicRay]

You should always use the parking brake, it takes some strain off the "lock up" in the transmission. If you don't exercise the parking brake it's likely to seize.

With a traditional torque converter auto leave it in drive for short stops, lights etc. (parking brake or foot brake on) Less wear on the box. Some people prefer to slip the box into neutral when in traffic, if someone rear ends them less likely to damage the trans.

Some flappy paddle boxes/clutches can overheat if you leave them in drive while stationary, so read the handbook and follow the advice.

I don't have LED brake lights, and quite low down, so not too bright that they'll upset the driver behind me.

Edited by PositronicRay on Saturday 12th December 11:24

[TooMany2cvs]

surveyor_101 said:

My mum has been told not to use the handbrake on her new to her Saab 93 1.9 cities auto and only put it in p.

Who by?

[MarkwG]

surveyor_101 said:

My mum has been told not to use the handbrake on her new to her Saab 93 1.9 cities auto and only put it in p.

I'd cross check with the handbook, sounds like a recipe for a handbrake fail on the MOT next year, to me.

[surveyor_101]

TooMany2cvs said:

Who by?

Saab specialist she used for years with her old one and who sold her the car it's not necessary they said park is fine.

I was like if stopping and getting out I would always apply it.

I advised her against the car it's very nice got a good history with Saab specialist. It's a vector sport 1.9 tid with auto box and paddles on the wheel. 150 bhp but has the hiescher performance pack up tom175bhp. It goes once out of first like a rocket. She is 65 retired does short stop start journeys. She has never had an auto or diesel. Her last was lpt 2.0 manual but she was t boned when picking my kids up. It's also done 120k and was best part of 5k. Very clean with good history but wrong car for her I think.

She wouldn't have it. She didn't seem to want to wait she won't buy cars I certain colours like green or black. She didn't need a car really as 99% her and her husband are attached at the hip in his car. It's nice I borrowed it for a week although not great at starting suspect the glow plugs might need changing

Edited by surveyor_101 on Saturday 12th December 17:59

Edited by surveyor_101 on Saturday 12th December 18:02

[watchnut]

R.T.F.M (read the f******* manual) all cars are different, most people who passed a test in the last century still do what they were first taught to do...even if it is not the modern way with modern engineering, therefore likely to make garages very wealthy with no "vehicle sympathy" when driving the car.

Tell us what her manual says....

Edited by watchnut on Saturday 12th December 19:53

[vikingaero]

On a lot of autos you can flick between D to N and back again without pulling in the safety interlock lever. So pull up to a junction and if I know I've got a long wait I apply the handbrake and push forward to N. When the lights change I flick from N to D and release the handbrake. In that 0.3 second drive has been restored. Saves applying brakes forever and keeps the minnies from moaning and being dazzled. I'm sure some of them need to visit an optician!

Harder to do on my Clubman. I can flick from D to N but have to reapply my foot on the brake to move back to D.

[TooMany2cvs]

surveyor_101 said:

TooMany2cvs said:

Who by?

Saab specialist she used for years with her old one and who sold her the car it's not necessary they said park is fine.

"We know the handbrake's a bit half-arsed, but if we can fob you off with that, you won't notice until the MOT and then it'll be far enough in the future that you've got no comeback against us."

[johnao]

surveyor_101 said:

My mum has been told not to use the handbrake on her new to her Saab 93 1.9 cities auto and only put it in p.

there might be a bit of confusion here, with some crossed-wires just to add to the misunderstanding.

I would suggest that what the garage were probably saying to your mum was.. if the gearbox is in "P", there is no need to put the handbrake on; [with traditional torque converter autoboxes when they are in "P" the transmission is locked and the car isn't going to go anywhere]... which is not the same thing as... being told not to use the handbrake, and only use "P" instead.

[JonV8V]

johnao said:

there might be a bit of confusion here, with some crossed-wires just to add to the misunderstanding.

I would suggest that what the garage were probably saying to your mum was.. if the gearbox is in "P", there is no need to put the handbrake on; [with traditional torque converter autoboxes when they are in "P" the transmission is locked and the car isn't going to go anywhere]... which is not the same thing as... being told not to use the handbrake, and only use "P" instead.

I agree - only really need the handbrake on a slope.

Merc foot operated brake is often criticised but in practice it's usually not needed most of the time.

[Len Woodman]

One piece of advice missing from most driving books - once stopped to park put the selector into N, stop the engine, apply parking brake and then put the selector into P. Then one won't find the selector hard to move out of P when starting off. Also move the selector from P to N to start (if the vehicle allows) the engine. May also save wear on the selector compared to starting in P and moving the selector once the engine has started.

Also a pet dislike of mine is a driver stopping, keeping the footbrake on until selecting P, coming off the brake with a small lurch! Good chauffeurs never do this!

New HGVs with auto boxes do not have P - the pawl to lock the transmission would have to be very strong, so drivers have to rely on ensuring the parking brake (air-released) has been applied.

[waremark]

Len Woodman said:

One piece of advice missing from most driving books - once stopped to park put the selector into N, stop the engine, apply parking brake and then put the selector into P. Then one won't find the selector hard to move out of P when starting off. Also move the selector from P to N to start (if the vehicle allows) the engine. May also save wear on the selector compared to starting in P and moving the selector once the engine has started.

I don't understand the reason for this advice, please explain. My stopping routine in an auto is apply parking brake, then move selector to P, then switch off. In my current Jag, I rather enjoy switching off still in D, and watching the selector move autonomously to P. If the start/stop mechanism has stopped the engine, undoing my seat belt is all that is required to initiate this process - it took a while after I acquired the car to remember not to undo my seat belt while waiting for the gate to open! I rather thought that the selector on most modern autos could not be moved until the car was started with foot on foot brake. I never encounter any resistance to moving the selector.

[MarkwG]

waremark said:

Len Woodman said:

One piece of advice missing from most driving books - once stopped to park put the selector into N, stop the engine, apply parking brake and then put the selector into P. Then one won't find the selector hard to move out of P when starting off. Also move the selector from P to N to start (if the vehicle allows) the engine. May also save wear on the selector compared to starting in P and moving the selector once the engine has started.

I don't understand the reason for this advice, please explain. My stopping routine in an auto is apply parking brake, then move selector to P, then switch off. In my current Jag, I rather enjoy switching off still in D, and watching the selector move autonomously to P. If the start/stop mechanism has stopped the engine, undoing my seat belt is all that is required to initiate this process - it took a while after I acquired the car to remember not to undo my seat belt while waiting for the gate to open! I rather thought that the selector on most modern autos could not be moved until the car was started with foot on foot brake. I never encounter any resistance to moving the selector.

I'm confused too - my auto won't let you out of P unless you have your foot on the brake pedal, & the engine won't start unless it's in P - & that's been pretty much the same in all I've driven. It's never "hard to move out of P", either?

[BertBert]

I suspect it's all different down under. No only does the water swirl the other way around in the sink, the auto gearboxes work in a different order!

[blueacid]

MarkwG said:

I'm confused too - my auto won't let you out of P unless you have your foot on the brake pedal, & the engine won't start unless it's in P - & that's been pretty much the same in all I've driven. It's never "hard to move out of P", either?

Mine will also let me start it in "N", but I need to depresse the footbrake to shift 'into' R (so that's leaving P or going from N to R)

[Mr E]

JonV8V said:

Merc foot operated brake is often criticised but in practice it's usually not needed most of the time.

Used when parking on hills. That's about it.

[notax]

I've been driving my C63 AMG for 3 years and have only just found out about how to park it in traffic - at a Porsche driving day! They suggested in traffic pressing the normal brake pedal firmly, this leaves the brake on when you release the pedal and also leaves the rear lights on. I find it annoying being stuck behind people in traffic with LED lights on, but at least it gives me another option. Not sure if this works with other autos but it certainly does on Mercs and Porsches...

[xpc316e]

It is worth bearing in mind that drivers of autos suffer from far fewer shunts from behind. This is because most of them are lazy and instead of applying parking brakes, they merely keep their foot on the brake - this has the added bonus of showing brake lights to traffic behind up until the split-second prior to them moving off.

If I am at lights, I will never apply the handbrake unless and until I have a stationary vehicle behind me. This keeps the dazzle to a minimum while still providing me with the benefit of showing brake lights to the rear, thus minimising risk of being shunted.

[OldGermanHeaps]

Len Woodman said:

One piece of advice missing from most driving books - once stopped to park put the selector into N, stop the engine, apply parking brake and then put the selector into P. Then one won't find the selector hard to move out of P when starting off. Also move the selector from P to N to start (if the vehicle allows) the engine. May also save wear on the selector compared to starting in P and moving the selector once the engine has started.

Also a pet dislike of mine is a driver stopping, keeping the footbrake on until selecting P, coming off the brake with a small lurch! Good chauffeurs never do this!

New HGVs with auto boxes do not have P - the pawl to lock the transmission would have to be very strong, so drivers have to rely on ensuring the parking brake (air-released) has been applied.

I'm curios? What is the best stopping drill in an auto?

[Actual]

OldGermanHeaps said:

I'm curios? What is the best stopping drill in an auto?

I don't know what is best and I am new to driving an auto

1. Stop car using foot brake
2. Selector to P
3. Apply handbrake

This aligns to the sequence in the owners manual for my car.

If handbrake is applied before P then the selector is just slightly harder to move from out of P.