How to Drive an Automatic Car
Step 1: Check the vehicle. Look over the tires, glass, wipers and lights before getting in. Tires should be properly inflated with enough tread to touch Lincoln’s head with an inverted penny in the groove. Glass should be free of cracks and wipers able to clear rain or snow from the windshield. Check the lights in front and back as well as both turn signals. Ask someone to step on the brake pedal while you check the brake lights in the rear.
Step 2: Get in and buckle up. Pull the seatbelt and shoulder strap over yourself and snap it securely into the buckle. Enough could not be said about how seatbelts save lives. It only takes a few seconds to put one on and it’s not the least bit uncomfortable. Be sure all passengers are buckled, and follow safety regulations regarding children’s weight and proper restraining devices.
Step 3: Check mirrors. Clean and adjust the rearview and side mirrors. Set the rearview mirror to let you see straight out the back window. Side mirrors should show the back corners of the car to give you a location reference to other objects.
Step 4: Start it up. Turn the key to start the engine, apply the brake and shift into the desired gear with the gear lever on the steering column or floor console between the front seats. Depress accelerator lightly to get the car rolling. Now check the brakes before you actually need them to stop the car.
Step 5: Choose the gear. Shift the car into the best gear for the road and weather conditions. Obviously, if you want to back up, reverse is the only choice (“R’).
The Essay on Car And Bicycle Brakes
Caliper Brakes Effectiveness: good mechanical advantage as it allows the operator to brake with little effort on the hydraulic lever, which needs to be squeezed. Material: Calipers are fixed mount, opposed piston calipers cast from aluminium alloy. Calipers are the hydraulic clamp portion of the disc braking system. Manufactured from either ferrous or non-ferrous materials and bolted firmly to the ...
For normal driving, shift into high gear and leave it there. A circled “D” allows best fuel efficiency at high speeds. On vehicles with overdrive, that’s high gear. To move forward on loose gravel or a muddy dirt road, use one of the lower gears (“L1” or “L2”).
Shift into a low gear anytime you are going down a steep grade. Stay in high gear going uphill and the automatic transmission will adjust itself to meet the demand.
Step 6: Use the right foot. Use the same foot for the accelerator and the brake. Reflexes will take your foot from gas to brake in less than half a second. Two-footed driving needlessly burns fuel and brake pads.
Step 7: Take a hands-on approach. Grab the steering wheel with both hands at clock positions of 10 and 2, or 9 and 3 if the wheel holds an air bag. Make turns by crossing one hand over another, with one hand on the wheel at all times.
Step 8: Look around. Check for pedestrians, bicyclists, joggers and children before pulling away from the curb or out of a driveway. Look ahead for hazards or upcoming steering adjustments. Check both ways before entering intersections. Be aware of all other vehicles around you, including the ones behind. Check mirrors and turn your head quickly to check spots the mirrors don’t show before changing lanes or entering traffic.
Step 9: Use the turn signal to show other drivers your intention to change lanes, make a turn, enter the roadway or parallel park.
Step 10: Take to the highway. Enter a highway by gaining speed as you drive up the on ramp. Signal your intention to merge with traffic and check mirrors and blind spots for a safe gap in traffic. Drive in the centre lane on 3-lane roads. Use the right lane on 2-lane highways, saving the left lane for passing. Although it may be tempting to speed on highways, keep your speed within 5 mph of the posted speed limit.
The Term Paper on Sequential Gearboxes Shift Transmission Gear
Running Head: SEQUENTIAL GEARBOXES Abstract This paper will discuss the technology of sequential gearboxes. Relatively new technology, the sequential gearbox has been applied mostly in ATV's, motorcycles, and the automobile racing industry. Recently this technology has begun to reach passenger cars. There are three main points of discussion; the workings of a manual transmission, how a sequential ...
Step 11: Drive according to location and conditions. Use a gentle touch on the brake and accelerator in snow and ice. Beware of hydroplaning in rain, and dry the brakes by holding the pedal down a little while moving. Constantly watch for pedestrians in the city. Look out for children and pets in suburbs, and watch for wildlife on rural routes.
Tips & Warnings
Change the transmission fluid and filter, or have the automatic transmission serviced by a mechanic once a year.
Do not expect other drivers to be courteous or mindful of traffic laws. Be on the lookout and move only when you’re sure it’s safe.
In the past month, it was the only time I started to drive a car with automatic transmission. I have been used to driving vehicles with manual transmission for more than 30 years. The reason I did not like cars with automatic transmission is because of the engines sound like a sliding clutch and is not as responsive as a car with manual transmission. It is more challenging and exciting to drive with standard gear shifting. Well, I had to learn how to use the automatic transmission properly to achieve fuel economy while not sacrificing engine power. The car is a 1994 Mitsubishi Lancer and the shifter had the regular P, R, N, D, L1 and L2 shifting options. This really made me say that it is so easy to drive with automatic transmission. But then, I saw two buttons, one on the gear stick shaft and another on the console below it. The button on the console is easier to understand because it had the options to press for either power or economy. When I pressed the button on the stick shaft, a display showed on the instrument panel said “Off O.D.”. O.D. means over-drive. This meant that when driving with automatic transmission with overdrive “On”, it means a gear on the transmission is delivering a speed faster than the engine speed.
This is the reason that when going downhill, you need to step on the brakes more frequently! When it is on the “Off O.D.” setting, the engine brakes will help in slowing down the car downhill. This means that the engine speed is governing the speed of the car and you will have lesser need for the use of the brake. For uphill driving, it is not very noticeable but it helps very much when in times there is a need to decelerate then accelerate again. So, when is it best to use with the Overdrive set “On”? It is best to use when driving on generally flat roads and while cruising on the highway. It relieves stress from the engine and would give better fuel economy. Once you have gotten the hang of when to use that button, it will be an advantage using it with the power and economy button. There are some cars though that do not have the power and economy button. To get more mileage out of driving a car with automatic transmission, take time to learn when and where to use the “Off and On” settings of the Overdrive button. I am now getting better fuel economy with its proper use.
The Term Paper on How Automatic Transmissions Work
If you have ever driven a car with an automatic transmission, then you know that there are two big differences between an automatic transmission and a manual transmission: There is no clutch pedal in an automatic transmission car. There is no gear shift in an automatic transmission car. Once you put the transmission into Drive, everything else is automatic! Both the automatic transmission (plus ...
