Are you an automatic transmission convert?

[Pommy]

Maxym said:

talksthetorque said:

Pommy said:

Maxym said:

All you who love autos in traffic, I suppose it’s so you can leave your foot on the brake when stopped. Just lazy and bad practice.

Has your TV got a remote control? Lazy bd.

Use a washing machine rather than going down to the river? Bad practice.

Would both of you explain the connection with driving? I suspect you don’t understand my point. No wonder you prefer the simplicity of an auto.

Your point is stupid. I understand that.

You've taken something that bothers you (that is really not an issue if someone does it but you seem to feel it is) and joined that to what you feel is a primary reason for a purchasing an automatic, which it isnt.

People dont buy autos so they can sit in traffic with their foot on the brake when stopped.

You can also sit in a manual in traffic with your foot on the brake when stopped - you do know that right?

Or is this so you can seek a discussion to then lecture people with your magnificent driving knowledge as to how an auto should be 'properly' operated?

Edited by Pommy on Sunday 9th June 08:54

[Pica-Pica]

Maxym said:

talksthetorque said:

Pommy said:

Maxym said:

All you who love autos in traffic, I suppose it’s so you can leave your foot on the brake when stopped. Just lazy and bad practice.

Has your TV got a remote control? Lazy bd.

Use a washing machine rather than going down to the river? Bad practice.

Would both of you explain the connection with driving? I suspect you don’t understand my point. No wonder you prefer the simplicity of an auto.

It may have missed some people’s experience, but many modern autos can be as simple or involving as you choose. Standard auto for most situations, then manual mode for occasions when you want. The difference is, a manual car can never be used in auto mode - many autos can be used in manual mode.

[Limpet]

Maxym said:

All you who love autos in traffic, I suppose it’s so you can leave your foot on the brake when stopped. Just lazy and bad practice.

No. In the BMW, I typically come to a stop, press the P button on the top of the gear lever with my thumb and take my foot off the brake pedal.

The Stop/Start system behaves the same whether stationary in Drive or in Park. When you shift back into Drive to pull away again, the engine restarts automatically.

[V10 SPM]

The one thing that really lets my car down is the response to pressing the accelerator pedal. The auto transmission seems very slow to react and at times feels dangerous (e.g. when pulling out of junctions). It is my first auto and I'm not convinced at the moment.

[Shiv_P]

Limpet said:

No. In the BMW, I typically come to a stop, press the P button on the top of the gear lever with my thumb and take my foot off the brake pedal.

The Stop/Start system behaves the same whether stationary in Drive or in Park. When you shift back into Drive to pull away again, the engine restarts automatically.

In theory you should be using the handbrake esp in an automatic. You put a component of the weight of the car onto the "parking pawl" which is a gearbox component, better to put that force onto the brakes instead

[Pommy]

Shiv_P said:

Limpet said:

No. In the BMW, I typically come to a stop, press the P button on the top of the gear lever with my thumb and take my foot off the brake pedal.

The Stop/Start system behaves the same whether stationary in Drive or in Park. When you shift back into Drive to pull away again, the engine restarts automatically.

In theory you should be using the handbrake esp in an automatic. You put a component of the weight of the car onto the "parking pawl" which is a gearbox component, better to put that force onto the brakes instead

Please could you explain this theory and why it is better in practise.

[Limpet]

Shiv_P said:

Limpet said:

No. In the BMW, I typically come to a stop, press the P button on the top of the gear lever with my thumb and take my foot off the brake pedal.

The Stop/Start system behaves the same whether stationary in Drive or in Park. When you shift back into Drive to pull away again, the engine restarts automatically.

In theory you should be using the handbrake esp in an automatic. You put a component of the weight of the car onto the "parking pawl" which is a gearbox component, better to put that force onto the brakes instead

I should have said level surfaces only. On a gradient, I would use the handbrake.

[djc206]

V10 SPM said:

The one thing that really lets my car down is the response to pressing the accelerator pedal. The auto transmission seems very slow to react and at times feels dangerous (e.g. when pulling out of junctions). It is my first auto and I'm not convinced at the moment.

I’ve not had that from any of my autos. Older autos could be quite unresponsive but you shouldn’t get it from a newer car.

[vikingaero]

Maxym said:

jamei303 said:

You may as well criticise manual drivers for repeatedly taking one hand off the steering wheel when they approach hazards.

Not quite the same but removing the hand maybe once is plenty.

When I had my eyes checked recently they were just fine.

Edited by Maxym on Sunday 9th June 08:46

2019 and we're offended/irritated by automatics with brake lights on....

[Shiv_P]

Pommy said:

Shiv_P said:

Limpet said:

No. In the BMW, I typically come to a stop, press the P button on the top of the gear lever with my thumb and take my foot off the brake pedal.

The Stop/Start system behaves the same whether stationary in Drive or in Park. When you shift back into Drive to pull away again, the engine restarts automatically.

In theory you should be using the handbrake esp in an automatic. You put a component of the weight of the car onto the "parking pawl" which is a gearbox component, better to put that force onto the brakes instead

Please could you explain this theory and why it is better in practise.

Just copied this from some bloke on the internet

There are two different answers here to the same question.

Some folks are saying to to place the vehicle in park and then engage the handbrake as a way of “double braking” and keeping your ride in the same spot that you left it. This is fine, there is nothing wrong with doing it this way and as someone pointed out this is how the manual says to do it.

The second answer people are giving is in regards to relieving the vehicle weight from the parking pin or pawl. Most of you that have parked your car on an incline or decline will notice that your shifter knob inside your car requires more muscle to move and make a clunking sound when taking it out of park. That's because at an incline or decline(basically the nose of your car is pointed up higher than normal) the car naturally wants to start rolling backwards. The only thing that keeps that from happening is the parking pin/pawl located inside your transmission. It keeps the transmission gears from turning thus preventing the tires from rolling.

It is possible if enough weight is placed on that pin, it would shear it off and the car would start rolling backwards in park. You can also shear your pin by placing the car in park while still rolling(I’ve done this one myself)

So, the goal with the parking brake is to help out your transmission by taking the load off the parking pin. You do this by engaging the handbrake/parking brake which is not part of the transmission and doesn’t work by using the single point of failure like a pin. Instead it uses your rear brake and basically keeps your rear rotors or drums pinched preventing movement.

So this is how it’s done. Once you’ve come to a stop on a slope or incline, keeping your foot on the brake pedal, engage your parking or hand brake fully. If your hand brake is functioning properly you can take your foot off the brake and even while not in park, the car will not roll. After the parking brake is engaged take your foot off the brake pedal, this allows the directional mass of the car to rest on the parking brake, then place your vehicle in park. Now none of the weight of the car is resting on your little parking pin. When it’s time to go, place your foot on the brake pedal, put the car in gear and then release the parking brake. The transfer of vehicle weight to the transmission is seamless, take your foot off the brake and away you go!

Hope this clears things up.

[Sticks.]

djc206 said:

V10 SPM said:

The one thing that really lets my car down is the response to pressing the accelerator pedal. The auto transmission seems very slow to react and at times feels dangerous (e.g. when pulling out of junctions). It is my first auto and I'm not convinced at the moment.

I’ve not had that from any of my autos. Older autos could be quite unresponsive but you shouldn’t get it from a newer car.

I've had 6 auto's now (and 2 DSGs) and one auto did this. ( A new 07 120d). I can understand it putting you off.

[SidewaysSi]

I love autos with paddles as I feel like a F1 driver. I watch my hero Hamilton then go for a drive and flick the paddles just like him. I am a brilliant driver and know everything about cars though which most people on here don't.

If auto is best for F1 than it has to be the best solution.

[Pommy]

Shiv_P said:

Pommy said:

Shiv_P said:

Limpet said:

No. In the BMW, I typically come to a stop, press the P button on the top of the gear lever with my thumb and take my foot off the brake pedal.

The Stop/Start system behaves the same whether stationary in Drive or in Park. When you shift back into Drive to pull away again, the engine restarts automatically.

In theory you should be using the handbrake esp in an automatic. You put a component of the weight of the car onto the "parking pawl" which is a gearbox component, better to put that force onto the brakes instead

Please could you explain this theory and why it is better in practise.

Just copied this from some bloke on the internet

There are two different answers here to the same question.

Some folks are saying to to place the vehicle in park and then engage the handbrake as a way of “double braking” and keeping your ride in the same spot that you left it. This is fine, there is nothing wrong with doing it this way and as someone pointed out this is how the manual says to do it.

The second answer people are giving is in regards to relieving the vehicle weight from the parking pin or pawl. Most of you that have parked your car on an incline or decline will notice that your shifter knob inside your car requires more muscle to move and make a clunking sound when taking it out of park. That's because at an incline or decline(basically the nose of your car is pointed up higher than normal) the car naturally wants to start rolling backwards. The only thing that keeps that from happening is the parking pin/pawl located inside your transmission. It keeps the transmission gears from turning thus preventing the tires from rolling.

It is possible if enough weight is placed on that pin, it would shear it off and the car would start rolling backwards in park. You can also shear your pin by placing the car in park while still rolling(I’ve done this one myself)

So, the goal with the parking brake is to help out your transmission by taking the load off the parking pin. You do this by engaging the handbrake/parking brake which is not part of the transmission and doesn’t work by using the single point of failure like a pin. Instead it uses your rear brake and basically keeps your rear rotors or drums pinched preventing movement.

So this is how it’s done. Once you’ve come to a stop on a slope or incline, keeping your foot on the brake pedal, engage your parking or hand brake fully. If your hand brake is functioning properly you can take your foot off the brake and even while not in park, the car will not roll. After the parking brake is engaged take your foot off the brake pedal, this allows the directional mass of the car to rest on the parking brake, then place your vehicle in park. Now none of the weight of the car is resting on your little parking pin. When it’s time to go, place your foot on the brake pedal, put the car in gear and then release the parking brake. The transfer of vehicle weight to the transmission is seamless, take your foot off the brake and away you go!

Hope this clears things up.

Appreciate taking the time to post.

So whats the benefit when stopped on a flat, rather than an incline/decline?

[Limpet]

Pommy said:

Appreciate taking the time to post.

So whats the benefit when stopped on a flat, rather than an incline/decline?

The car is not inclined to roll on a flat, so its weight isn't held on the parking pawl in the transmission.

With regard to the point about the extra effort required to engage Park, the shifter in the BMW (and many other modern autos) is an electronic selector switch with no mechanical connection to the transmission, so this effort would not be felt by the driver. The mechanical process inside the transmission itself would be the same, albeit carried out by an actuator of some kind under ECU control, rather than by the shifter itself.

[talksthetorque]

Maxym said:

Would both of you explain the connection with driving? I suspect you don’t understand my point. No wonder you prefer the simplicity of an auto.

I’ll explain mine.
Rather than putting your foot on the brake,
then the clutch,
possibly putting it in to different gears whilst decelerating,
releasing the clutch for engine braking each time
and then in to first , then taking your foot slowly off the clutch when you want to set off again, you can press the brake pedal and then release it and press the accelerator and a modern auto will do all that for you.
Of course if you just love doing the first lot every time you stop and start in traffic, then you’d better get up early as all the good rocks get taken down at the river.

[driverrob]

Another convert here. About 10 years ago I started to get cramp in my left foot in my GTO TT due to the heavy clutch and my next car was the Jeep SRT8 7-speed auto, which was OK.
I find my Mk 2 Audi TT 3.2 with 6-speed DSG far superior in so many ways. I love the speed of changes, especially in Sport mode and relaxing in Drive unless I try to make it change gear when it doesn't think it needs to.
The paddles are lovely to use.
No more cramp

[Maxym]

Shiv_P said:

Just copied this from some bloke on the internet

There are two different answers here to the same question.

Some folks are saying to to place the vehicle in park and then engage the handbrake as a way of “double braking” and keeping your ride in the same spot that you left it. This is fine, there is nothing wrong with doing it this way and as someone pointed out this is how the manual says to do it.

The second answer people are giving is in regards to relieving the vehicle weight from the parking pin or pawl. Most of you that have parked your car on an incline or decline will notice that your shifter knob inside your car requires more muscle to move and make a clunking sound when taking it out of park. That's because at an incline or decline(basically the nose of your car is pointed up higher than normal) the car naturally wants to start rolling backwards. The only thing that keeps that from happening is the parking pin/pawl located inside your transmission. It keeps the transmission gears from turning thus preventing the tires from rolling.

It is possible if enough weight is placed on that pin, it would shear it off and the car would start rolling backwards in park. You can also shear your pin by placing the car in park while still rolling(I’ve done this one myself)

So, the goal with the parking brake is to help out your transmission by taking the load off the parking pin. You do this by engaging the handbrake/parking brake which is not part of the transmission and doesn’t work by using the single point of failure like a pin. Instead it uses your rear brake and basically keeps your rear rotors or drums pinched preventing movement.

So this is how it’s done. Once you’ve come to a stop on a slope or incline, keeping your foot on the brake pedal, engage your parking or hand brake fully. If your hand brake is functioning properly you can take your foot off the brake and even while not in park, the car will not roll. After the parking brake is engaged take your foot off the brake pedal, this allows the directional mass of the car to rest on the parking brake, then place your vehicle in park. Now none of the weight of the car is resting on your little parking pin. When it’s time to go, place your foot on the brake pedal, put the car in gear and then release the parking brake. The transfer of vehicle weight to the transmission is seamless, take your foot off the brake and away you go!

Hope this clears things up.

That's very interesting; thanks. Explains why it's best if I put my PDK in neutral, then apply the parking brake and then put it into P on a slope.

[Maxym]

vikingaero said:

2019 and we're offended/irritated by automatics with brake lights on....

There seems to have been a trend for people to be more intolerant as years go by. Hadn't you noticed? This PH for heaven's sake.

[kiseca]

djc206 said:

V10 SPM said:

The one thing that really lets my car down is the response to pressing the accelerator pedal. The auto transmission seems very slow to react and at times feels dangerous (e.g. when pulling out of junctions). It is my first auto and I'm not convinced at the moment.

I’ve not had that from any of my autos. Older autos could be quite unresponsive but you shouldn’t get it from a newer car.

The XE I ran would to that from time to time. Could be overruled by using the paddles to make sure the car was ready in 2nd (1st was a waste of time unless I was pulling away up the side of a building) whenever approaching a roundabout. If I didn't do that, and wanted to briskly pull away into traffic, from time to time the car would be very unresponsive and then, when I'm desperately burying the throttle to get going, shift down what felt like half a dozen gears and bolt off.

Not one of my favourite features of the car.

I don't understand the complaint about people in autos sitting on the brake pedal. Lots of drivers of manuals do that too. And as for it being lazy, I'm more relaxed waiting at a light with the handbrake on and my feet on the floor rather than sitting with my foot on the brake holding back a car that wants to move forward.

[Hoofy]

Uh oh. I think I've crossed the threshold into permanently preferring automatics.

This weekend I had a go in a light sporty hatchback over some empty country roads at night. I had no problems with stirring the gear stick including smooth gearshifts up and down but at the back of my mind, I felt like I'd rather it had an auto box - something like Mercedes' 7 speed system as that had no problems downshifting when required. And if I'm honest, even my 4 speed box is preferable to a manual.