Tips on Auto trans...

[Dumb]

hi,

 

congrats on learning how to drive an autotranny.

 

Just make sure to change the transmission fluid at the scheduled servicing/s and perform an auto trans flush once a year or as recommended on your IS200 car manual. That should keep your tranny in good condition.

 

The rest are just driving habits that would make or break yr tranny. And try not to expect an auto to function like a manual car....

 

once you're used to auto, you'll never want to go back to manual.

 

 

Agree with sean.

 

Having been driving MT since 1982. Switched to AT for 5 years and back to MT for 4+ yrs. Just changed to AT two months ago. Regret getting AT.

 

To me AT is like those children cars where you pay a dollar or two, step on the pedal and go. No live in driving.

[Dumb]

Hi duke, can you confirm that you had tried shifting from D to lower gear, even momentarily when overtaking in dual carriage way with oncoming vehicle?

 

If you doing less than 90 kph, no problem. But if you are doing 120 kph, can you?

 

More appropriate to of OD button and step on, just before overtaking.

[Stitchohana]

nice info

 

 

More tips on overriding auto mode .

 

1)Going hilly road

Singapore may not have too many hilly roads for your to experience this.

Don't just blintly use the brake, when you are in hilly road like Genting Highlands on going down hill,please switch to 2 or L, long hours use of brake will cause brake pad soften and malfunction. Use engine drag in low gear + brake .

 

Newer and more expensive auto car may have sensor to detect the declining angle of car , which will automatically switch to lower gear despite drive mode set to "D".

 

2) Overtaking in dual carriage way with oncoming vehicle.

Overtaking on auto trans car with on coming vehicle is dangerous if you are not familiar with your auto car performance,especially true for lower cc cars which tend to have serious lag between pedal and pick up.

When situation become critical like half way overtaking truck, oncoming car is near ,Don't just press the accelerator pedal fully hopefully car will kick down gear to surge forward. Do both, push gear knob to a gear lower( D -> 2 or 3) before you do a quick action(this is to ensure gear kick down,for slow movement, your auto trans may fail to read your mind) of depressing the accelerator.

 

-Practise this action a few times at Malaysia with safe enough distance at the beginning and later push it more and more for more thrill feeling :) If you have poor judgement on oncoming car speed and distance, don't try.

 

I have yet to learn to judge oncoming vehicle distance at night.

 

good luck..

[Dumb]

More tips on overriding auto mode .

 

1)Going hilly road

Singapore may not have too many hilly roads for your to experience this.

Don't just blintly use the brake, when you are in hilly road like Genting Highlands on going down hill,please switch to 2 or L, long hours use of brake will cause brake pad soften and malfunction. Use engine drag in low gear + brake .

 

Newer and more expensive auto car may have sensor to detect the declining angle of car , which will automatically switch to lower gear despite drive mode set to "D".

 

2) Overtaking in dual carriage way with oncoming vehicle.

Overtaking on auto trans car with on coming vehicle is dangerous if you are not familiar with your auto car performance,especially true for lower cc cars which tend to have serious lag between pedal and pick up.

When situation become critical like half way overtaking truck, oncoming car is near ,Don't just press the accelerator pedal fully hopefully car will kick down gear to surge forward. Do both, push gear knob to a gear lower( D -> 2 or 3) before you do a quick action(this is to ensure gear kick down,for slow movement, your auto trans may fail to read your mind) of depressing the accelerator.

 

-Practise this action a few times at Malaysia with safe enough distance at the beginning and later push it more and more for more thrill feeling :) If you have poor judgement on oncoming car speed and distance, don't try.

 

I have yet to learn to judge oncoming vehicle distance at night.

 

good luck..

 

 

Agree with you that if going down genting, your brakes may fade and that's unthinkable.

 

But I dont think you should lower gear if you are going down at speed of more than 90 kph and that possible at certain stretch downhill.

 

You first have to brake to below 90 kph to say 50 or so before shifting to D2. (You can't shift to D1 at speed of 50 or more). Even then, at D2 your speed will eventually hit redline at about 90 without stepping on the gas. So again you have to apply brake now and then to stay within the redline and comfortable speed downhill.

 

If 50 and above is not comfortable especially in bending situations, you have to brake below 50 before shifting to D1. Even then, at D1 speed will eventually hit redline at about 50 without stepping on the geas and again you have to apply brake to stay below 50.

 

That's why I find it interesting driving up and down Genting.