Correct protocol for using an automatic transmission?
Discussion
Had my (first) auto transmission car for a month now and am loving it, can't see me ever going back to a manual (provided I can afford a big engined car which seems to be the crucial difference).
I'd like opinions and advice on a couple of queries though if anyone knows?
1. The handbrake on my car is rubbish, I suspect that the first owner just used "Park" all the time. Obviously I use "park" when leaving the car as well as the handbrake, but sometimes on a steep hill the car rolls against the gearbox (if you see what I mean) so that it's the gearbox holding the car, not the handbrake. Which is fine except that of course you can't use a clutch to disengage the transmission, you just have to pull it out of "park", which doesn't feel comfortable when the car is "leaning" on it. Am I being over sensitive and is it in fact fine to use "park" to secure the car on a hill and just pull it out of "park" and into gear? Or should I get the handbrake attended to so it works properly so the car never "leans" on the gearbox?
2. When stopped at traffic lights it feels kindest to pull it into neutral rather than sit in "drive" holding it on the brake. It feels a little like holding a car on the clutch as the drive is clearly "pulling" at the car (ie on a flat road, releasing the brake in "drive" will see the car rolling forward on tickover). Again, am I being over sensitive? I know it doesn't have a clutch but don't know enough about the workings of an autobox to know if anything is wearing when held on the footbrake in "drive" for long periods.
Interested to know what other people do with autos, and also what the mechanical situation really is if anyone has an understanding of the oily bits and the effects of the above?
I'd like opinions and advice on a couple of queries though if anyone knows?
1. The handbrake on my car is rubbish, I suspect that the first owner just used "Park" all the time. Obviously I use "park" when leaving the car as well as the handbrake, but sometimes on a steep hill the car rolls against the gearbox (if you see what I mean) so that it's the gearbox holding the car, not the handbrake. Which is fine except that of course you can't use a clutch to disengage the transmission, you just have to pull it out of "park", which doesn't feel comfortable when the car is "leaning" on it. Am I being over sensitive and is it in fact fine to use "park" to secure the car on a hill and just pull it out of "park" and into gear? Or should I get the handbrake attended to so it works properly so the car never "leans" on the gearbox?
2. When stopped at traffic lights it feels kindest to pull it into neutral rather than sit in "drive" holding it on the brake. It feels a little like holding a car on the clutch as the drive is clearly "pulling" at the car (ie on a flat road, releasing the brake in "drive" will see the car rolling forward on tickover). Again, am I being over sensitive? I know it doesn't have a clutch but don't know enough about the workings of an autobox to know if anything is wearing when held on the footbrake in "drive" for long periods.
Interested to know what other people do with autos, and also what the mechanical situation really is if anyone has an understanding of the oily bits and the effects of the above?
Ari said:
1. The handbrake on my car is rubbish, I suspect that the first owner just used "Park" all the time. Obviously I use "park" when leaving the car as well as the handbrake, but sometimes on a steep hill the car rolls against the gearbox (if you see what I mean) so that it's the gearbox holding the car, not the handbrake. Which is fine except that of course you can't use a clutch to disengage the transmission, you just have to pull it out of "park", which doesn't feel comfortable when the car is "leaning" on it. Am I being over sensitive and is it in fact fine to use "park" to secure the car on a hill and just pull it out of "park" and into gear? Or should I get the handbrake attended to so it works properly so the car never "leans" on the gearbox?
I would say get the handbrake looked at. As far as I am aware, the parking 'pawl' is a relatively weak thing, and you don't really want to trust it to hold your car, otherwise you may have an expensive insurance claim... Ari said:
Had my (first) auto transmission car for a month now and am loving it, can't see me ever going back to a manual (provided I can afford a big engined car which seems to be the crucial difference).
I'd like opinions and advice on a couple of queries though if anyone knows?
1. The handbrake on my car is rubbish, I suspect that the first owner just used "Park" all the time. Obviously I use "park" when leaving the car as well as the handbrake, but sometimes on a steep hill the car rolls against the gearbox (if you see what I mean) so that it's the gearbox holding the car, not the handbrake. Which is fine except that of course you can't use a clutch to disengage the transmission, you just have to pull it out of "park", which doesn't feel comfortable when the car is "leaning" on it. Am I being over sensitive and is it in fact fine to use "park" to secure the car on a hill and just pull it out of "park" and into gear? Or should I get the handbrake attended to so it works properly so the car never "leans" on the gearbox?
2. When stopped at traffic lights it feels kindest to pull it into neutral rather than sit in "drive" holding it on the brake. It feels a little like holding a car on the clutch as the drive is clearly "pulling" at the car (ie on a flat road, releasing the brake in "drive" will see the car rolling forward on tickover). Again, am I being over sensitive? I know it doesn't have a clutch but don't know enough about the workings of an autobox to know if anything is wearing when held on the footbrake in "drive" for long periods.
Interested to know what other people do with autos, and also what the mechanical situation really is if anyone has an understanding of the oily bits and the effects of the above?
2. Carry on putting it in neutral, applying the handbrake and taking your foot off the brake pedal. Then your brake lights won't be dazzling the driver behind.I'd like opinions and advice on a couple of queries though if anyone knows?
1. The handbrake on my car is rubbish, I suspect that the first owner just used "Park" all the time. Obviously I use "park" when leaving the car as well as the handbrake, but sometimes on a steep hill the car rolls against the gearbox (if you see what I mean) so that it's the gearbox holding the car, not the handbrake. Which is fine except that of course you can't use a clutch to disengage the transmission, you just have to pull it out of "park", which doesn't feel comfortable when the car is "leaning" on it. Am I being over sensitive and is it in fact fine to use "park" to secure the car on a hill and just pull it out of "park" and into gear? Or should I get the handbrake attended to so it works properly so the car never "leans" on the gearbox?
2. When stopped at traffic lights it feels kindest to pull it into neutral rather than sit in "drive" holding it on the brake. It feels a little like holding a car on the clutch as the drive is clearly "pulling" at the car (ie on a flat road, releasing the brake in "drive" will see the car rolling forward on tickover). Again, am I being over sensitive? I know it doesn't have a clutch but don't know enough about the workings of an autobox to know if anything is wearing when held on the footbrake in "drive" for long periods.
Interested to know what other people do with autos, and also what the mechanical situation really is if anyone has an understanding of the oily bits and the effects of the above?
If (some of) us 'manual' drivers can do it, then so can 'auto' drivers.
Glosphil said:
2. Carry on putting it in neutral, applying the handbrake and taking your foot off the brake pedal. Then your brake lights won't be dazzling the driver behind.
If (some of) us 'manual' drivers can do it, then so can 'auto' drivers.
My 7 series has a US style foot operated parking brake. It's annoying as hell to use in traffic. Guess I can just shove it in parkIf (some of) us 'manual' drivers can do it, then so can 'auto' drivers.
how old is the car? My 7 series automatically applied the handbrake when i stopped (released when you touched the acclerator again). This stopped you dazzling the cars behind with the LED's. I believe it did something funky, disengaged the gears in the box or something whilst it was stopped. It worked really well, im surprised it wasnt/isnt a function on more cars. Its a widely used autobox.
Deano_BMW said:
how old is the car? My 7 series automatically applied the handbrake when i stopped (released when you touched the acclerator again). This stopped you dazzling the cars behind with the LED's. I believe it did something funky, disengaged the gears in the box or something whilst it was stopped. It worked really well, im surprised it wasnt/isnt a function on more cars. Its a widely used autobox.
That came in with the e65 7 series with its 6 speed box. CampDavid has an E38. Deano_BMW said:
how old is the car? My 7 series automatically applied the handbrake when i stopped (released when you touched the acclerator again). This stopped you dazzling the cars behind with the LED's. I believe it did something funky, disengaged the gears in the box or something whilst it was stopped. It worked really well, im surprised it wasnt/isnt a function on more cars. Its a widely used autobox.
It's a late E38, so it's not there, which is a shame. My 2 pence worth of advice from my Dad.
Best to never use park instead of the handbrake (get it fixed), stick it in neutral, h/b on and let it take up the slack, then into park.
At lights, instead of foot brake, apply the h/b and then feet off the pedals. Modern boxes can cope with this and there is less internal wear than going into neutral and back.
My Dad used to mend Auto Boxes for a living, so I guess he should have some idea.
Best to never use park instead of the handbrake (get it fixed), stick it in neutral, h/b on and let it take up the slack, then into park.
At lights, instead of foot brake, apply the h/b and then feet off the pedals. Modern boxes can cope with this and there is less internal wear than going into neutral and back.
My Dad used to mend Auto Boxes for a living, so I guess he should have some idea.
Deano_BMW said:
E38Ross said:
That came in with the e65 7 series with its 6 speed box. CampDavid has an E38.
sorry, my apologies ofr not reading properly. Well done OP on picking a decent 7. my E38 was much better than my E65!
maybe a personal thing. My E65 had pretty much everything on it and was a great place to mile munch and in some ways moved the game on in most aspects. That said i prefered the way the 38 drove, i prefered the interior, the looks and more importantly i suppose i alwasys looked forward to driving the 38 whereas i couldnt really say the same for the 65. Plus the 38 hardly cost me anything whereas the 65 was expensive to run.
PaulV said:
My 2 pence worth of advice from my Dad.
Best to never use park instead of the handbrake (get it fixed), stick it in neutral, h/b on and let it take up the slack, then into park.
At lights, instead of foot brake, apply the h/b and then feet off the pedals. Modern boxes can cope with this and there is less internal wear than going into neutral and back.
My Dad used to mend Auto Boxes for a living, so I guess he should have some idea.
That's really useful advice, thanks.Best to never use park instead of the handbrake (get it fixed), stick it in neutral, h/b on and let it take up the slack, then into park.
At lights, instead of foot brake, apply the h/b and then feet off the pedals. Modern boxes can cope with this and there is less internal wear than going into neutral and back.
My Dad used to mend Auto Boxes for a living, so I guess he should have some idea.
Making the handbrake do the holding rather than "park" feels instinctively to be correct I must admit.
Surprised about leaving it in "drive" being better than slipping into neutral though, so glad I asked.
Deano_BMW said:
E38Ross said:
That came in with the e65 7 series with its 6 speed box. CampDavid has an E38.
sorry, my apologies ofr not reading properly. Well done OP on picking a decent 7. my E38 was much better than my E65!
Thanks for the kind words, I'm really chuffed with it, it's a Black on black 740i Sport from 2001, which is, I believe, the E38 to have (it avoids big tax by a month as well, which is good of it)
It's leggy at 116k but has a full BMW history, last of which from Park Lane and I'm head over heals with it at the moment.
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