What's with the use of D1, D2, D3, etc. on automatic transmissions? (2015, manual transmission)
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Add to the frustration is the electronic shift control. No longer can you rock your car back and forth when you are stuck out in snow. It kills the throttle.
In the snow. With bare feet. (Or is that walking to school...)
Yep. I winter at a ski resort. When I've had slush-o-matics, I use that PRND32L thingie snow driving and for speed control during hill descents. Those are the two times you really don't want to be using your brakes. I'd chew through pads & rotors every 90 days without engine braking.
I'm on the coast in the summer. When I have an automatic, I put it in "D" and drive just like everyone else.
Downshifting "manually" is only for manuals and again some vehicles only have R for reverse, N for neutral, P for park, and D for drive. Those vehicles that have that do not have D1, 2, 3, etc. I don't believe you necessarily need to "downshift manually" an automatic transmission like you would for a manual transmission because automatic transmissions downshift for you.
Really. manually downshifting is ONLY for manual transmissions? Do you live in FL where the highest point is Britton hill at 345 feet?
I can tell you don't pull a trailer through the Rockies (or any other mountain range) and especially don't run a trailer up and down passes like Teton with a 10% grade. If you did, you sure as heck would appreciate the fact you can manually downshift an automatic. Cause guess what, the computer will not do the downshifting when needed.
But, you might be the one to ride the brakes down and then wonder why you cannot stop at the bottom.
So, for a quick experiment, no trailer needed, head up to Pikes Peak and on the ride back you will come to the place where they stop you to check your brake temps and determine if you have to pull over for fifteen minutes or so, or you can go on down the mountain. Cause those who don't downshift to slow the vehicle down, will sit off to the side since their brakes are running too hot. And if you try this, I sure hope you are in front of me, and not behind me.
I drive manuals and have only owned manuals. Unfortunately, I may have to rent a truck soon, and, judging from my use of rental trucks in the past, they are almost always automatics. Unfortunately, I've never had to drive such a truck through a mountain range. This time, to help a friend move I'll have to drive up and down several mountains. So, my question--what is "down" in the PRND32L system? I assume when I start I put the truck in D. But, what's down from there? When we are about to ascend the mountain, what gear do I go into to "down"shift? 3? 2? Something else? And, I assume whatever gear this is, when we reach the crest of a mountain we can stay in that gear for each curvy descent.
I ask because D is . . . what? 4? 3? 5? Something else?
Having those selections is also useful in snow driving. Starting our in D2 can eliminate some of the traction control shudder and allow for a smoother take off.
IN snow you want less torque, in other words, higher gear starts are better.
Low gears on automatics are for towing. You can use them to play too, but you may mess up and damage your transmission if you are playing at maually shifting an automatic
I drive manuals and have only owned manuals. Unfortunately, I may have to rent a truck soon, and, judging from my use of rental trucks in the past, they are almost always automatics. Unfortunately, I've never had to drive such a truck through a mountain range. This time, to help a friend move I'll have to drive up and down several mountains. So, my question--what is "down" in the PRND32L system? I assume when I start I put the truck in D. But, what's down from there? When we are about to ascend the mountain, what gear do I go into to "down"shift? 3? 2? Something else? And, I assume whatever gear this is, when we reach the crest of a mountain we can stay in that gear for each curvy descent.
I ask because D is . . . what? 4? 3? 5? Something else?
Thanks!
D is whatever the top gear is. Assuming 5 it's like this.
D - 5
O/D off - 4 (sometimes a button if applicable)
3 - 3
2 - 2
L - 1
What gear to choose obviously depends on the engine and gearing for the particular truck.
Although all roads in Florida are flat, my old Honda with 1.6L engine [manual trans] labors trying to get to the crest of the Skyway Bridge in 5th gear. About half way up, down shift to 4th is needed.
Many vehicles with auto trans don't downshift on their own and you can see them in the right lane with the engine lugging, revs [speed] dropping. Many drivers don't know to shift to a lower gear. If there are optional D's, a lower one should be selected. If only one D, mash the pedal for a lower gear.
Last edited by d4g4m; 05-15-2017 at 09:24 PM..
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(Or is that walking to school...)
