People that don't know how to operate an automatic transmission (brakes, trucker)

[Trucker7]

This is not a manual vs automatic thread. I know a lot of people who drive automatics, and it seems that all that they know is P R and D. They have no idea when to use N 3 2 1 OD/Off or M, depending on what they have.

For example, when I met my wife, she had a car that would stall frequently. She will come to a complete stop, put the shifter in P, restart the car, put it back on D, and then drive, instead of just putting it in N without stopping, restarting, and back on D to resume driving. Same with drivers that ride the brakes all the way when going downhill. You'll see their stop lights come on at the top of the hill, and come off at the bottom. Or when going uphill and you hear their tranny shift constantly back and forth between the top two gears.

[ElkHunter]

I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the thread? Is it to rag on people that don't know how to drive an automatic?

There was no questions to answer. Just a statement you made. Please enlighten us.

[chiroptera]

Originally Posted by Trucker7

This is not a manual vs automatic thread. I know a lot of people who drive automatics, and it seems that all that they know is P R and D. They have no idea when to use N 3 2 1 OD/Off or M, depending on what they have.

For example, when I met my wife, she had a car that would stall frequently. She will come to a complete stop, put the shifter in P, restart the car, put it back on D, and then drive, instead of just putting it in N without stopping, restarting, and back on D to resume driving. Same with drivers that ride the brakes all the way when going downhill. You'll see their stop lights come on at the top of the hill, and come off at the bottom. Or when going uphill and you hear their tranny shift constantly back and forth between the top two gears.

Or is this just a passive-aggressive attempt to poke a stick at your wife?

In which case....that is not very nice and sort of immature.

[Trucker7]

Originally Posted by chiroptera

Or is this just a passive-aggressive attempt to poke a stick at your wife?

In which case....that is not very nice and sort of immature.

I've been married now for 13 years. I think she can take it. Plus, she now prefers to drive stick.

[Trucker7]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the thread? Is it to rag on people that don't know how to drive an automatic?

There was no questions to answer. Just a statement you made. Please enlighten us.

For $500, Alex, why people don't know how to drive automatics properly?

[doc1]

I live in NW NJ where's it pretty hilly and curvy.

If I'm out on the back roads (30-40 mph) I'll take my Grand Marquis out of overdrive.

[sonarrat]

When I was selling Hondas in 2004, the automatics had some kind of grade logic in them so that they wouldn't hunt going uphill or hold top gear going downhill. I'm surprised all cars don't have that by now.

[ElkHunter]

Ok, I can live with that.

Take a look at ANY high school drivers ed class. Take a look at any private or independent driving class. How many of them ever have a student use anything other then P, D, and N? They are too busy fearing for their life and trying to get through the hour so they can get to the next money pot... I mean student.

All of my kids learned on a 4 speed, 4x4 F-250 with 9 inches of lift. All had their drivers license at 16 years of age. After that, I taught them on an automatic and like driving instructors, the main thing we covered was P, D, and N for the first few trips. A lot of folks would have ended there. But I live in mountainous Ice and Snow country so I taught them further.

But you are right, most people use the basics and have no clue what the other letters and numbers are for.

[Pruzhany]

They have no idea when to use N 3 2 1 OD/Off or M, depending on what they have.

Because they never read that part of the manual unless they have too for the lower gears. Or they have the same transmission as mine that senses the change in angle and adjusts for it. Its like when I go down a decline, my car will hold the speed it started with all the way down the hill.

[TKramar]

Originally Posted by Trucker7

This is not a manual vs automatic thread. I know a lot of people who drive automatics, and it seems that all that they know is P R and D. They have no idea when to use N 3 2 1 OD/Off or M, depending on what they have.

For example, when I met my wife, she had a car that would stall frequently. She will come to a complete stop, put the shifter in P, restart the car, put it back on D, and then drive, instead of just putting it in N without stopping, restarting, and back on D to resume driving. Same with drivers that ride the brakes all the way when going downhill. You'll see their stop lights come on at the top of the hill, and come off at the bottom. Or when going uphill and you hear their tranny shift constantly back and forth between the top two gears.

As I don't have a clutch in a automatic transmission, I have no way of taking the transmission "out of gear" while I'm shifting. I certainly wouldn't want to drop a drive shaft accidentally.