How do you drive an automatic?
Discussion
Mr Tidy said:
Pica-Pica said:
One other thing. A decent ZF8 auto with Sat Nav, will change down as you get to a roundabout, so you are in the correct gear for a swift entry and exit. A decent auto is more complex than a manual, and gives more driving options, but can still be driven ‘just as an auto’.
A decent manual can also be in the right gear approaching a roundabout, you just need to do it yourself! My only autos were 3 and 4 speed ones and they always changed up on light throttle openings, so were always in the wrong gear when there was a gap in the traffic. That's why I have avoided Autos for the last 20 years.
Pica-Pica said:
2) if stopped at traffic lights, then I will engage N if there is a long wait, and the car behind has stopped safely behind me. If a short wait, and they will not be inconvenienced I keep it in D with foot on the service brake pedal. If the car is in D mode and in an engine-off mode of the stop/start cycle, and I wish not to show brake lights AND keep the engine off then I can engage P which will maintain the stopped engine (Neutral will not do this - the engine will restart)
Engaging N in mine fires up the engine, so I tend to use P when at traffic lights. mcpoot said:
Mr Tidy said:
Pica-Pica said:
One other thing. A decent ZF8 auto with Sat Nav, will change down as you get to a roundabout, so you are in the correct gear for a swift entry and exit. A decent auto is more complex than a manual, and gives more driving options, but can still be driven ‘just as an auto’.
A decent manual can also be in the right gear approaching a roundabout, you just need to do it yourself! My only autos were 3 and 4 speed ones and they always changed up on light throttle openings, so were always in the wrong gear when there was a gap in the traffic. That's why I have avoided Autos for the last 20 years.
Missy Charm said:
That would explain why modern cars are so easy to beat at the lights, I suppose. Even worse are the stop and start ones. By the time Mr I Earn £60,000 Before Tax's posh BMW has started its engine, selected a gear and moved off, my old heap is some distance up the road. Progress, eh.
Wrong. As you take your foot off the brake pedal, the engine has started before you press the throttle. Most BMWs are auto now. Next.Pica-Pica said:
Missy Charm said:
That would explain why modern cars are so easy to beat at the lights, I suppose. Even worse are the stop and start ones. By the time Mr I Earn £60,000 Before Tax's posh BMW has started its engine, selected a gear and moved off, my old heap is some distance up the road. Progress, eh.
Wrong. As you take your foot off the brake pedal, the engine has started before you press the throttle. Most BMWs are auto now. Next.And most modern cars have much more advanced gearboxes and traction compared to older cars.
When even average family hatches are running F40 speeds to say older cars are quicker is a little silly.
Mr Tidy said:
My only autos were 3 and 4 speed ones and they always changed up on light throttle openings, so were always in the wrong gear when there was a gap in the traffic. That's why I have avoided Autos for the last 20 years.
Funny, every auto I have owned also did this, but when the gap appears and you put your foot down, they handily change down for you and off you go.I'm surprised yours didn't do this...
mcpoot said:
So in today's world of 8 and 9 speed autos you hark back to 3 and 4 speeds. Do you still use a CRT television too?
Don't know about the chap you're asking but my old B&O CRT still had a far better picture than my all-singing and dancing OLED if the source material wasn't HD!And no gearbox needs 8 or 9 speeds. The last ZF 8 speed i drove was the most dim-witted thing I've ever encountered and spent more time in the wrong gear than the right one. I was also amused by the way in which, when i flexed my foot ever so slightly to just increase my pace gently, it would change down about 5 gears before bouncing off the rev limiter, realise its mistake and change back up 3.
As far as I'm concerned, 6 is the correct number of gears for an auto or a manual.
Deranged Rover said:
mcpoot said:
So in today's world of 8 and 9 speed autos you hark back to 3 and 4 speeds. Do you still use a CRT television too?
Don't know about the chap you're asking but my old B&O CRT still had a far better picture than my all-singing and dancing OLED if the source material wasn't HD!And no gearbox needs 8 or 9 speeds. The last ZF 8 speed i drove was the most dim-witted thing I've ever encountered and spent more time in the wrong gear than the right one. I was also amused by the way in which, when i flexed my foot ever so slightly to just increase my pace gently, it would change down about 5 gears before bouncing off the rev limiter, realise its mistake and change back up 3.
As far as I'm concerned, 6 is the correct number of gears for an auto or a manual.
Driven autos on & off most of my life. Stopped longer than a minute (like a level crossing or incident) then switch off, via Park, handbrake on if relevant.
My current Outlander PHEV automatically puts the E handbrake on & into Park. Park to Neutral difference in fuel is microscopically small.
You cannot tow any proper auto. They cannot be towed as with a few exceptions they are only single pump and that pump is on the primary shaft of the gearbox driven by the engine (flywheel in manual terms, drive plate as an auto) So if you tow the car the transmission is turning & there is nothing to lubricate or for a lot of boxes take the heat away. In the old days some autos could be towed a short distance, slowly (Max 30MPH) some with extra fluid.
The above is proper torque converter autos, SMG/PDK etc. are manuals computer controlled.
DO NOT Drive an auto two footed, it smashes the one way clutches. My father was Borg Warner trained & used to service them, he could see drivers who drove two footed, he swore about it, a lot & it was very expensive for the driver. Modern autos have sealed clutch packs so even more expensive.
Have a look at Precision Transmissions on YouTube, Richard on there rebuilds American auto boxes, he's fascinating and that shows how they work.
RWD/FWD Mid engine all autos are the same, just different casings generally.
My current Outlander PHEV automatically puts the E handbrake on & into Park. Park to Neutral difference in fuel is microscopically small.
You cannot tow any proper auto. They cannot be towed as with a few exceptions they are only single pump and that pump is on the primary shaft of the gearbox driven by the engine (flywheel in manual terms, drive plate as an auto) So if you tow the car the transmission is turning & there is nothing to lubricate or for a lot of boxes take the heat away. In the old days some autos could be towed a short distance, slowly (Max 30MPH) some with extra fluid.
The above is proper torque converter autos, SMG/PDK etc. are manuals computer controlled.
DO NOT Drive an auto two footed, it smashes the one way clutches. My father was Borg Warner trained & used to service them, he could see drivers who drove two footed, he swore about it, a lot & it was very expensive for the driver. Modern autos have sealed clutch packs so even more expensive.
Have a look at Precision Transmissions on YouTube, Richard on there rebuilds American auto boxes, he's fascinating and that shows how they work.
RWD/FWD Mid engine all autos are the same, just different casings generally.
tr7v8 said:
DO NOT Drive an auto two footed, it smashes the one way clutches. My father was Borg Warner trained & used to service them, he could see drivers who drove two footed, he swore about it, a lot & it was very expensive for the driver. Modern autos have sealed clutch packs so even more expensive.
Don't know about all dual clutch boxes, but my Alpine A110 cuts the throttle if I apply the brake. Personally find that a nuisance as using a little pressure on the brake and a bit of throttle can be useful when parking in a tight space - it gives you more control. Of course some autos have so much creep (which I hate) that you don't need any throttle at all. Usefully the A110 does allow you to use both pedals together in reverse - which employ on a daily basis.Evanivitch said:
cuprabob said:
Just be careful the first time you need to do an emergency stop 
If you are used to a manual, your instinct is to push the brake and clutch at the same time, meaning in the the auto you end up pushing the brake pedal with both feet and stopping rather quickly....so a friend told me
First time you drive an automatic be careful coming to a stop full-stop. People tend to dip the clutch with their left foot and find the brake instead.If you are used to a manual, your instinct is to push the brake and clutch at the same time, meaning in the the auto you end up pushing the brake pedal with both feet and stopping rather quickly....so a friend told me
First time driving an automatic, tuck your left foot behind your right leg (where safe and practical).
ZiggyNiva said:
I also found the first emergency stop I did, I tried to move the gear lever down, as I would in a manual. I now find going to an auto is dead easy, However going back to a manual I'll forget the clutch at some point when slowing for a roundabout. Agreed tuck your left foot somewhere and don't move it.
Or get used to left foot braking. My son races 2 pedal cars, 3 pedal cars with H pattern or sequential gear shifts on the right or left - and it really isn't a problem (to him) Even for me my muscle memory can cope easily enough with a selection of those. If you ride a variety of motorbikes old and new you will have met gear levers left or right (with the rear brake on the opposite side) and with some shifts up for up and some down for up. 
k me, some people on this thread aren't half making a simple process complicated.AdeTuono said:
PistonBroker said:
Slightly confused by everyone saying they just leave it in D when at lights. Are you the guys burning my retinas out with your brake lights?!
On the rare occasions I drive our CVT MINI, I put it in N and put the handbrake on at lights. Like I do in the two manual cars we have.
A couple of Mercedes' I've had have a 'hold' function. Just apply pressure to the brake pedal when stopped and it applies the brakes even when you take your foot off the pedal. Touch the accelerator and away you go. No need for neutral at all.On the rare occasions I drive our CVT MINI, I put it in N and put the handbrake on at lights. Like I do in the two manual cars we have.
The BMW can generally be held still, as if on a clutch, without the hold function applying if it's brought to a halt with a soft application of the brake pedal.
It will also apply the parking brake automatically when the engine is switched off, even without P being pressed. M cars don't have the P button, so I assume this is the only way to apply park with those. The ignition also switches off when I open the driver's door, though that can be programmed out.
I hold the fairly unpopular opinion of thinking the much lauded ZF 8 speed gearbox is great for taking the pain out of driving diesel SUV-type things and pseudo-premium low-rent German status symbols but utterly ruins anything with any pretentions of fun, since having to paddle down through 6 gears manually to reach 2nd for a twisty bit of road to enjoy your V8 is in truth a short-lived novelty which rapidly becomes tedious to the point of just not bothering to try enjoying the car.
Automatics are good for towing. They're really not hard to drive. They do encourage inconsiderate laziness such as sitting with brakes on at traffic lights which affects you not one iota but is very unpleasant for whoever is unfortunate to be behind you, particularly if it's raining at night when you do it.
Automatics are good for towing. They're really not hard to drive. They do encourage inconsiderate laziness such as sitting with brakes on at traffic lights which affects you not one iota but is very unpleasant for whoever is unfortunate to be behind you, particularly if it's raining at night when you do it.
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