Dumb question - when do you use N in an auto?

Dumb question - when do you use N in an auto?

Author
Discussion

FunkyNige

Original Poster:

8,859 posts

274 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
Probably a stupid question, but when do you actually shift the shifter to N in an auto car? I've only driven two (my wife's A3 and her dad's A6, so I guess they're technically DSG?) but I've never actually put it in N.
Going forwards - D
Going backwards - R
Parked - P
Stopped at traffic lights - D, with the handbrake on, foot off the brake

The only time it's gone into N is when I was playing with the driving modes, the car puts itself in N when you take you foot off the accelerator for a couple of seconds in economy mode.

Is there something I'm missing?

smashie

685 posts

150 months

Friday 20th July 2018
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- Car wash.
- When having to push the car

Nickbrapp

5,277 posts

129 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
IN My leon if you put the handbrake on in D The car will try and creep forward?

I use it N when stopped at traffic lights with the handbrake on


Cledus Snow

2,088 posts

187 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
Neutral drop.

jmcc500

644 posts

217 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
Don’t use D with handbrake on in our Yeti - the clutch engagement is controlled by brake pressure so it loads up and drags the clutch.

AppleJuice

2,154 posts

84 months

Friday 20th July 2018
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When stationary in a queue - some cars will still try to creep forward when in D with the hanbrake engaged. It also saves heating up the ATF.

paradigital

843 posts

151 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
Nickbrapp said:
IN My leon if you put the handbrake on in D The car will try and creep forward?

I use it N when stopped at traffic lights with the handbrake on
jmcc500 said:
Don’t use D with handbrake on in our Yeti - the clutch engagement is controlled by brake pressure so it loads up and drags the clutch.
Sounds odd. My S-Tronic S3 will not attempt to load the clutchpack if it knows the handbrake is on.

vikingaero

10,256 posts

168 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
Towing or pushing. Some smart arse is going to say you shouldn't tow an automatic. So how do you get it onto the back of a recovery truck?

NDA

21,488 posts

224 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
At night.

It's the nighttime setting.

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
When I forget which car I’m in, try to wipe the screen and put the damn thing in nutral at 70mph.

Yes I felt stupid
Yes, the car will let you reselect drive at speed
No, I haven’t done it again

Pig benis

1,071 posts

180 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
NDA said:
At night.

It's the nighttime setting.
laugh

Bennet

2,119 posts

130 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
Only ever had one automatic, but it always felt wrong to me to sit at traffic lights in "D" holding the car on the handbrake. I couldn't believe something somewhere wasn't under load or being worn. But maybe I just don't understand how autos work.

It seems to me that "N" is right next to "D" for a reason.

Conscript

1,378 posts

120 months

Friday 20th July 2018
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I know I'll get stick for this, but I use N when stationary at traffic lights for a while. Everyone else says just leave it in D with the foot-brake applied, and even the user's manual says to do this. But it just feels wrong to me - it's the equivalent of sitting still in a manual car with your foot on the clutch and first gear engaged, which I, and I'm sure others, were taught not to do (for safety reasons as well as mechanical sympathy). This is with a traditional torque converter auto.

thatjagbloke

186 posts

79 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
I always put mine in neutral at traffic lights with the electronic parking brake on. I think ( possibly wrongly ) that leaving it in drive with my foot on the brake is putting a strain on the auto transmission. And especially at night I don't want to dazzle the driver behind while keeping my foot on the brake. Modern brake lights seem to be much brighter than those of old.

vikingaero

10,256 posts

168 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
On most cars, you can shift from D to N and back again just by pushing the lever back and forth without pushing in the selector guard. This means where you have an extended stop at some lights or in traffic, you can push into N, apply the handbrake, and when ready to set off push back to D and release the handbrake - very quick and easy. It is mechanically more sympathetic than allowing the car to chomp against the brakes or clunking mechanically into P and back.

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Friday 20th July 2018
quotequote all
A conventional auto suffers zero wear if sitting in drive with the brakes on. They’re designed to do this.

The only time I’d consider not doing this is if I’m aware that I’m blinding the car behind with a million LEDs.

33q

1,550 posts

122 months

Friday 20th July 2018
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I always pop into drive if I'm picking someone up or dropping them off. Seems safer than leaving it in drive.

DapperDanMan

2,622 posts

206 months

Friday 20th July 2018
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Parking on a slope I put it in Neutral and apply the hand brake and allow the car to rest on the brake. I then put it in Park. No strain on the parking lock of the gearbox then.

sjg

7,444 posts

264 months

Friday 20th July 2018
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Conscript said:
I know I'll get stick for this, but I use N when stationary at traffic lights for a while. Everyone else says just leave it in D with the foot-brake applied, and even the user's manual says to do this. But it just feels wrong to me - it's the equivalent of sitting still in a manual car with your foot on the clutch and first gear engaged, which I, and I'm sure others, were taught not to do (for safety reasons as well as mechanical sympathy). This is with a traditional torque converter auto.
That's exactly right for a torque converter auto. Most DSG variants (and similar from other manufacturers) don't engage the clutches when stopped with no throttle, so OK to leave in D with handbrake on.

Marcellus

7,111 posts

218 months

Friday 20th July 2018
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I a lot of Autos these days if at a set of traffic lights and leaving the car in "D" if you put your foot on the brake pedal the engine turns off and electronic handbrake applied, lift your foot off the brake and engine starts, press accelerator and handbrake releases.

Whereas if you slide it in to N engine keeps running and you have to engage hand-brake manually.