How to drive/use automatic transmission

johnplayerblue

This may sound like a no brainer but how do you use an automatic?
It has park, neutral, drive, reverse, 2, L. Can someone explain to me how best to use drive, 2, L? Its gona be 99% country driving. I have been told that is gona be hard on petrol but i can't see how or why. I've driven it a little in drive but theres not a lot of pickup or power there for quiet a few seconds and with the engine at high revs i can see where the juice would go.
Any advice welcome.
Its a 1.6gl corolla

unkel

Park when parked or stopped. Drive for all forward driving. Reverse for all reverse driving. You don't need the rest really

bbbbb

Yes, plus don't use your left foot. Your right foot should either be on the brake or accelerator at alltimes, from before you turn on the ignition until after it's switched off (you start with your foot on the brake until you're ready to pull off!).

mike65

Don't be tempted to knock it into N when going downhill! :eek:

You won't save fuel and you will mess up the box/crash when you try to stick it back in D

Mike.

johnplayerblue

Ok, i guess what i should have asked is what are these other "gears" for.
When i slip it into say 2 the car turns into a different machine, it accelrates a hell of a lot quicker and with more power and at less revs than in drive. I f you are driving along in drive and come to a hill the car takes forever to makeup its mind as to what gear it should be in and in the mean time theres a big loss of power but not so when in 2? What are these gears for

McSandwich

johnplayerblue wrote:

This may sound like a no brainer but how do you use an automatic?
It has park, neutral, drive, reverse, 2, L. Can someone explain to me how best to use drive, 2, L? Its gona be 99% country driving. I have been told that is gona be hard on petrol but i can't see how or why. I've driven it a little in drive but theres not a lot of pickup or power there for quiet a few seconds and with the engine at high revs i can see where the juice would go.
Any advice welcome.
Its a 1.6gl corolla

Selecting D will allow gear changes from 1st to 4th/5th. If you select 2 then only 1st and 2nd are used, L or 1 keeps it in 1st gear - these might be useful for towing etc.

If you want acceleration, just floor it. This causes the box to drop a gear or two. If you stop on a hill, the car should hold it's position (and not roll back) even without the brake but make sure you keep the brake pressed if you stop on flat road as otherwise it will creep forward (great for driving in traffic).

mike65

Your gearbox is proberly 4 speed, you can select lower gears manualy but kickdown does this automaticly - ie use your right foot. Your car may have a slow-witted box or may simply need new fluid and filter (they both get tired and slow the speed of changes).

Mike.

_Kaiser_

Basically they limit the box to that gear. 2 would generally be used if going up a steep hill, but like others have said, just leave it in D most of the time. I'd also recommend putting it in N at lights, and don't forget it'll creep forward on it's own when in gear.

Once you get used to it though you'll wonder why you ever drove a manual. I'm on my third auto now (1.9TDI Passat) and couldn't see myself ever changing back.

johnplayerblue

Ahhh. Ok so lets say im driving at 60mph and i come to a hill can i change down whilst the car is driving as i would in a manual or would the gear box end up on the roan behind me:eek:
Have to say, takes a while to get use to not using your left foot. Every time i get into it i still go for the clutch, i miss having a clutch and may very well go back to my golf. I think automatics are a great idea for say a 12yr old in a field or something but there not real cars,

I don't mean that in a bad way, its just you don't seem to be in control as much as you think you are in a manual or perhaps its just me. Have to say one thing though its one of the best and smoothes rides i have ever been in

mike65

Auto-creep is a great feature on slight slopes, at junctions etc!

Mike.

Guy:Incognito

johnplayerblue wrote:

Ahhh. Ok so lets say im driving at 60mph and i come to a hill can i change down whilst the car is driving as i would in a manual or would the gear box end up on the roan behind me:eek: :

By "change down" are you suggesting moving the position of the gear lever? Not a good idea. You can make an auto change up and down through the gears whenever you want, you just need to get used to it, then its just like driving a manual but you do all the changing by the amount of pressure (or lack of) and lenght of time you are on the accelerator.

I'll never go back to a manual as long as I can help it.

Black Sky

johnplayerblue wrote:

Ahhh. Ok so lets say im driving at 60mph and i come to a hill can i change down whilst the car is driving as i would in a manual or would the gear box end up on the roan behind me:eek:
Have to say, takes a while to get use to not using your left foot. Every time i get into it i still go for the clutch, i miss having a clutch and may very well go back to my golf. I think automatics are a great idea for say a 12yr old in a field or something but there not real cars,

I don't think you can change from D to D2 using the gear lever. What u do to change down a gear is press the accelerator hard, and it will drop 1-2 gears, listen to engine revs going up, and let her accelerate. Try it.. even at lower speeds it works good. Only diff v a manual, is that little lull till acceleration starts, but adjust a little and its not a bother.

Agree with u on clutching. On my first auto after years in a manual. Mine is also a hybrid so can be driven like a manual except without the clutch. Felt so unnatural moving gear stick forward to up a gear without my left leg clutching at the same time, and panic I was wrecking engine gearbox or something I gave up after a few minutes and just let her in D all the time now......

I ain't ever going back to manual either.....

Rovi

bbbbb wrote:

Yes, plus don't use your left foot.

johnplayerblue wrote:

Have to say, takes a while to get use to not using your left foot.

<hobbyhorse>
Educate your left foot to operate the brakes with the same feel as you have in your right, and you'll truly realise to 'driveability' of an automatic transmission.
</hobbyhorse>

Captain Slow IRL

bbbbb wrote:

Yes, plus don't use your left foot. Your right foot should either be on the brake or accelerator at alltimes, from before you turn on the ignition until after it's switched off (you start with your foot on the brake until you're ready to pull off!).

I had to deliver an automatic xc90 to a customer, pulled in behind him and went to dip the clutch!! Such a screech as it slid across the tarmac - fortunately the owner was understanding:o

what_car

McSandwich wrote:

If you stop on a hill, the car should hold it's position (and not roll back) even without the brake but make sure you keep the brake pressed if you stop on flat road as otherwise it will creep forward (great for driving in traffic).

on my new 2.0 auto car.. if in D on a steep hill the car will roll back!

if im on a hill that is not that steep it will hold its position...

michaelanthony

The 2 and 3 are for engine breaking on steep descents so you won't burn out the brakes.

rebel.ranter

Just to be clear on what people are talking about here when they say "floor it" and "use your right foot to change down gear".
Almost all automatics have a little switch underneath the accelerator pedal that is engaged when the accelerator pedal is pushed all the way to the floor. It's called "kick down", what it allows the car to do is drop a gear (or two) when it detects that you really want to accelerate hard.

nialler

If you're getting slow pickup on an auto there may be a winter/summer switch, this may only be on mercs but I doubt it, with the winter setting the car starts off in 2nd gear to keep stability hence probably you're lack of takeup, on the summer setting she'll go in 1st, have a look at that. Now if you're revving over 2500rpm your car is going to eat petrol, get used to the nice relaxing progress of gears and smooth speed increase safe in the knowledge that if you do "floor it" there's the kickdown button which does exactly what it says on the tin, kicks down a gear or two.