Do's and Don'ts for automatic gearboxes ?

[ShiWarrior]

i have a new car, and it has an auto box and I've read a lot of misconception regarding the automatic transmission

As I want to try and not damage it in anyway, what do you guys think?

The main one I'm trying to work out at the moment is ,

1) Whilst I'm idling, should I be in "Neutral" or "Park" or doesn't it really matter ?

2) Whilst at a set of traffic lights or "stopping" at a 4-way road works for example, should you put into "N" or leave in "D" ?
i guess at night, switch it to "N" for the drivers behind don't get blinded


anything else i should know ?



what car i hear you cry
I have a Mark 4 Mazda 3 (2019 on)

 

[Armageus]

I'd suggest reading the manual as there may be a hold function for both of these

 

[shifty_uk]

1. Park
2. Leave it in drive

Not sure what type of gearbox it’ll have but I’m sure there will be a service schedule, I’d stick to it.

 

[MrRockliffe]

I think the only key thing is making sure you’re not moving/barely moving when switching between drive and reverse.

 

[agw_01]

I'd suggest reading the manual as there may be a hold function for both of these

This is good advice! The only autoboxes I've used are archaic torque converter slush boxes, so my advice may be a little out of touch, however... I treat autoboxes the same way I treat a manual box.

1. N with the handbrake on, P for an extended stop. Both take the gearbox out of a drive gear, P locks the gearbox with a parking pawl.

2. For a short stop, keep it in D and foot on the brake pedal. For a longer stop, N and handbrake. Never use P where there is a risk of the car getting rear ended, e.g. at traffic lights.

 

[Alibaba99]

Under all normal driving conditions. ie you've stopped at traffic lights, a slow moving queue that keeps pausing or what ever, just leave it in D.

If you are properly parking for a few minutes, say a layby, then put it back into P.

If you keep shifting from P to D and back you wear out the clutch bands and possibly give a fright to the person behind you as the reversing lights keep flicking on.

The manuals for my Saabs recommended keeping it in D unless it was obvious the stop would be for longer than 5 minutes.

 

[tom_e]

I think the only key thing is making sure you’re not moving/barely moving when switching between drive and reverse.

For the first time in the 14 months I've had my auto I switched from drive to park a little too quickly the other day... It made quite the sound

 

[shifty_uk]

For the first time in the 14 months I've had my auto I switched from drive to park a little too quickly the other day... It made quite the sound

Had an occasional urge to try this when I first started driving autos to see what would happen, glad I didn’t.

Also never used neutral in all those years.

 

[ShiWarrior]

If you are properly parking for a few minutes, say a layby, then put it back into P.

Why not N ?

 

[ShiWarrior]

I'd suggest reading the manual as there may be a hold function for both of these

Yeah i have, and I use auto hold, just curious if the car didn't have auto hold

 

[Feek]

For the first time in the 14 months I've had my auto I switched from drive to park a little too quickly the other day... It made quite the sound

In my younger days when I had company cars, I destroyed a courtesy car Volvo by doing really stupid things with the automatic shifter on the A3 because I was bored with it

 

[Nick1881]

I always leave it in D unless I'm parked up and not planning on moving for a few minutes.

Annoyingly my car turns off the auto hold function with every restart.

 

[233]

Ignore manufacturers guidance if they say it’s sealed for life especially if it’s a ZF box service with someone that knows what their doing.

If it’s a dsg service religiously every 40k

 

[uber soldat]

It's a slippery slope from automatic cars to rise and recline chairs.....

 

[ShiWarrior]

I always leave it in D unless I'm parked up and not planning on moving for a few minutes.

Annoyingly my car turns off the auto hold function with every restart.

mine does that, and i cant see it in the settings menu anywhere to keep it on when engine starts
oh well

 

[Rroff]

Why not N ?

I actually don't know why not but every automatic I've ever bothered to read the manual for says to only use N to restart the engine if it stalls while moving (which I've never had happen yet) or if you need to push the vehicle a short distance (there is also a shift lock disengage button for situations where you might need to move the vehicle not under its own power).

As someone mentioned above it is worth keeping in mind that if it has a standard shift pattern where you move through reverse between P and D it will briefly illuminate the reversing lights - probably one of the reasons the manual usually says to hold it on the foot brake unless stopped for a prolonged period where the advice is to fully put it into park (though that advice is also intended to reduce wear and tear).

 

[bobuk]

Don't put it in reverse when driving ?

 

[GravyMonster]

I always leave it in D unless I'm parked up and not planning on moving for a few minutes.

Annoyingly my car turns off the auto hold function with every restart.

I always leave it in D unless I'm parked up and not planning on moving for a few minutes.

Annoyingly my car turns off the auto hold function with every restart.

It's an EU regulation that the stop/start has to be re-enabled when the car next starts. You can usually code it out if you want to disable it permanently.

 

[tom_e]

It's an EU regulation that the stop/start has to be re-enabled when the car next starts. You can usually code it out if you want to disable it permanently.

Stop start and auto hold are 2 different things.

 

[Nick1881]

It's an EU regulation that the stop/start has to be re-enabled when the car next starts. You can usually code it out if you want to disable it permanently.

The stop start doesn’t bother me, as it’s hybrid I can move instantly anyway. The auto hold is the function where I can come to a stop and take my foot off the brake pedal, the car will stay still until I tap the throttle again, like and auto hand brake.