Automatic Car gears

She has good taste!
 
Yves Geza said:
Well, "Rear end me!" there's some driving Goddery in this thread! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


The funniest thing about it is that one of the driving "gods" is (IIRC) currently serving a ban for asshattery...
 
Pookeyhead said:
No.. it's a fact. Use your handbrake, and stop blinding the people behind you when you're sat in a stationary queue of traffic at night.
Click to expand...

I know nearly everything you post, you think is fact, :rolleyes: when actually it isn't always the case. It's your opinion......FACT!
The handbook of my vehicle says when stopping for short periods to leave it in D (so obviously need keep my foot on the brake pedal) & only need to move the shift into N for longer periods. P is for parking.

The `handbrake` as you call it (when some vehicles don't actually have a `hand`brake) is really a `parking` brake. ;)

I've never had an issue with anyone, or vehicle stopped in front of me with their brake lights on. o_O Dazzled???? :LOL: You really are a silly billy. :D
 
OldCarlos said:
The `handbrake` as you call it (when some vehicles don't actually have a `hand`brake) is really a `parking` brake. ;)

I've never had an issue with anyone, or vehicle stopped in front of me with their brake lights on. o_O Dazzled???? :LOL: You really are a silly billy. :D
Click to expand...


It's a parking brake, so you only use it when you're parked? You're an idiot. Which, is not entirely different from a silly bill as I see it, so suspend me, and suspend him also Mods. Not that I actually give a s***.. the levels of idiots in here is quickly outweighing the non-idiots.. time to move on I think.
 
Jesus, this thread will take some beating for "Thread of the year 2015"..........:D
 
Pookeyhead said:
It's a parking brake, so you only use it when you're parked? You're an idiot. Which, is not entirely different from a silly bill as I see it, so suspend me, and suspend him also Mods. Not that I actually give a s***.. the levels of idiots in here is quickly outweighing the non-idiots.. time to move on I think.
Click to expand...

It seems that when you're losing an argument (which you often turn it into) or folk aren't agreeing with you, you throw your toys outa the pram? :rolleyes: Then want ME banned :ROFLMAO:
I don't really understand your logic, or why you're so aggressive, but hey ho. :cool:
 
The bottom line here, regarding sitting in queue with your foot on the brake pedal, is a simple matter of courtesy.

Whilst brake lights can cause dazzle in some circumstances and be annoying in others, they are there simply to tell folk behind that you are slowing down and/or stopping.

Once you have stopped, with vehicles behind you, surely there is no need to continue to tell others you have stopped?

Why not be polite and apply the handbrake?

I had never owned an automatic car until recently, although I have driven for 50 odd years, this thread made me think about N and P in queues and I will never use P again in that situation.

I do not however understand why selecting N can cause any damage, to the gearbox, whilst in a queue?

Please don't think I am anything other than a normal motorist, learning something new most days, although I was a Driving Instructor for 20 years and an IAM member since the 1970's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
He must be seeing red


:) sorry sorry I just couldn't resist, I know I am weak. But Petes sake it is just some legal red lights on a car, nothing to get worked up about. Now the red lights in Amsterdam they are truly smashing.
 
I must admit that (Queueing) brake lights can be a tad annoying, especially the high level ones,
when driving a car that is a lot lower than your average saloon.
Especially when the roads are really greasy in the dark,
and most of the crap has eneded up on my windscreen.
But Life's too short to get all aerated about it.
dejongj said:
Now the red lights in Amsterdam they are truly smashing.
Click to expand...
Sounds like the start of a TP Letchers Meet in the making (y)
 
I wonder if you could have a sensor that detects the vehicle is stationary.

If vehicle is moving and foot brake is applied - rear brake light comes on.

If vehicle is stationary and foot brake is applied - rear brake light doesn't come on.

If vehicle brakes to a halt - rear brake light goes out once vehicle becomes stationary.
 
dinners said:
I wonder if you could have a sensor that detects the vehicle is stationary.

If vehicle is moving and foot brake is applied - rear brake light comes on.

If vehicle is stationary and foot brake is applied - rear brake light doesn't come on.

If vehicle brakes to a halt - rear brake light goes out once vehicle becomes stationary.
Click to expand...

Should be fairly easy. My car has the flashing hazards if very hard braking is applied, so a bit of reverse :D engineering should be easy.
 
Mikesphotaes said:
The bottom line here, regarding sitting in queue with your foot on the brake pedal, is a simple matter of courtesy.

Whilst brake lights can cause dazzle in some circumstances and be annoying in others, they are there simply to tell folk behind that you are slowing down and/or stopping.

Once you have stopped, with vehicles behind you, surely there is no need to continue to tell others you have stopped?

Why not be polite and apply the handbrake?

I had never owned an automatic car until recently, although I have driven for 50 odd years, this thread made me think about N and P in queues and I will never use P again in that situation.

I do not however understand why selecting N can cause any damage, to the gearbox, whilst in a queue?

Please don't think I am anything other than a normal motorist, learning something new most days, although I was a Driving Instructor for 20 years and an IAM member since the 1970's.
Click to expand...

The 'damage' in selecting N comes from wear and tear, both from the torque loading being removed from and then reapplied to the torque converter and hence to the various engine mountings and ancilliaries, and, probably more so, unnecessary wear to the gear linkage itself. It shouldn't be necessary to move from D unless the stall speed of the transmission is dragging the car forward against the brakes.

Selecting P is a different thing altogether. I can't think of any gear selector [since the dashboard buttons of some 1960s automatic cars] where P isn't beyond R in the sequence ... and if the car in front of me shows its reversing lights, I really get worried!! :runaway:

dinners said:
I wonder if you could have a sensor that detects the vehicle is stationary.

If vehicle is moving and foot brake is applied - rear brake light comes on.

If vehicle is stationary and foot brake is applied - rear brake light doesn't come on.

If vehicle brakes to a halt - rear brake light goes out once vehicle becomes stationary.
Click to expand...

I don't want that! I have just remembered I've often pumped the brake pedal in a stationary car to tell the driving God who was charging up behind me where I was!
 
dinners said:
I wonder if you could have a sensor that detects the vehicle is stationary.

If vehicle is moving and foot brake is applied - rear brake light comes on.

If vehicle is stationary and foot brake is applied - rear brake light doesn't come on.

If vehicle brakes to a halt - rear brake light goes out once vehicle becomes stationary.
Click to expand...
Isn't that called a brake pedal? The good thing about one of those is that it can also stay on whilst stationary or go off when you let it go :)
 
dejongj said:
Isn't that called a brake pedal? The good thing about one of those is that it can also stay on whilst stationary or go off when you let it go :)
Click to expand...

I'm happy with the brake pedal. I'm just considering the sensitive folk who may not like sitting behind.
 
OldCarlos said:
I know nearly everything you post, you think is fact, :rolleyes: when actually it isn't always the case. It's your opinion......FACT!
The handbook of my vehicle says when stopping for short periods to leave it in D (so obviously need keep my foot on the brake pedal) & only need to move the shift into N for longer periods. P is for parking.

The `handbrake` as you call it (when some vehicles don't actually have a `hand`brake) is really a `parking` brake. ;)

I've never had an issue with anyone, or vehicle stopped in front of me with their brake lights on. o_O Dazzled???? :LOL: You really are a silly billy. :D
Click to expand...

Actually I have if I'm driving the Tvr or mx5, especially at night as they are quite low. They are really bright and wreak your night vision for a while.

Has the driving test changed? If you stopped and didn't apply the handbrake when I took my test you'd fail.
 
I had an mx5 too a few years ago, & tbh, again don't recall any probs with glare from brake lights. (probably too low to notice them :) ) Oncoming headlights though........(n)

Not sure about driving tests these days, I took mine 40yrs ago :( in a car without synchromeshed 1st gear & had to use hand signals for part of the test!

We were always taught to drop a gear or two when slowing down eg approaching traffic lights, but my niece took her test a couple of years ago & she was taught to just take her foot off the accelerator to slow down & dip the clutch before stopping.
 
Last edited:
I used to have some issues with dazzling especially from Bentleys where the brake strip was the full width of the car. But following an opticians visit and minor corrective glasses it is all well and no more glare.
 
dejongj said:
I used to have some issues with dazzling especially from Bentleys where the brake strip was the full width of the car. But following an opticians visit and minor corrective glasses it is all well and no more glare.
Click to expand...

The whole brake light thing, personally I just find it bloody annoying - I am a total hypocrite about it and when driving autos will sit at lights with my foot on the brake, then get narked when people do it to me. How terribly female of me :LOL: I can see why they are 'dazzling', modern bulbs and safety demands/wants/designer trends meaning that your average brake light today is usually considerably bigger and brighter than ever and frequently higher up the car [and I am not just talking about high-level additional lights in the back windows]. Still, probably better then the Audi we drove home behind the other night, who at a guess had a jammed/shorted brake light switch [or was a total muppet and was constantly resting left foot on the brake pedal, but I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt] so was toddling along in front of us like a flipping christmas tree. ;)
 
I can name a lot more things that wee me off on the roads other than people sitting on brake lights at traffic lights, although I must admit sometimes that is annoying, especially with those Bently's like said above^^

Middle lane hoggers on the motorway are my pet hate...pull in assclown! when you're not overtaking pull in to the left, common sense.

People that crawl along slower than than my car can cope with in first gear at stops...Just pull up to the car in front of you and bloody stop! I normally hang back when I come across one of those cretins.

On a not so rare occasion the odd twit that insists on trying to overtake round roundabouts...good luck mate, hope your halfords bodykit has a nice time with my friend, the curb.
 
CaveDweller said:
People that crawl along slower than than my car can cope with in first gear at stops...Just pull up to the car in front of you and bloody stop! I normally hang back when I come across one of those cretins.
Click to expand...

I must be a cretin then as i do that in slow moving traffic (not at stops), i slip the car into 1st gear and let it crawl under its own steam whilst maintaining a good gap between me and the car front and gradually speed up if the traffic flow increases. I try my damnest not to stop start.
 
stupar said:
I must be a cretin then as i do that in slow moving traffic (not at stops), i slip the car into 1st gear and let it crawl under its own steam whilst maintaining a good gap between me and the car front and gradually speed up if the traffic flow increases. I try my damnest not to stop start.
Click to expand...
I don't mind that, it's when people go too slow for their own cars in first gear and constantly slipping it to stay moving, even if it means 1inch per hour lol. I worded it badly sorry.
 
Unfortunately that link advises looking away from where you're going if/when you get dazzled. Since the dazzling is mainly an in town phenomenon, I'm not sure how safe that is as a strategy. Not sure how linkage wear and tear can be a major factor if they're kept lubricated properly - using very rounded calculations suggests that a piston (which operates in fairly hostile conditions) moves the length of the crank's stroke about 1000 times per mile - an unlikely number of D-N-D moves even in heavy traffic! Like Jon, I use my brake pedal to flash the brake lights at someone approaching from behind but stick the handbrake on if I'm stopped with someone behind me.
 
CaveDweller said:
Aye I do a lot of driving in snow, so don't know why I bought a BMW lol, but driven properly it's actually pretty good in the snow considering it can loose traction in 4th in the dry :rolleyes:. I'll have to get out for a test drive for an auto or take one of works cars out for a spin. The only auto I've driven was an old jag, and that was just used to rag round the fields.
Click to expand...


Have a go in one with the 8 speed auto box. Drove manuals for 35 years before the salesman persuaded me to have the auto box in our current BMW. Fabulous bit of kit. Would be very reluctant to go back to a manual. Sequential shift in manual and paddle shift on the steering wheel in manual and auto makes for an entertaining drive if you feel the need.
 
The crawling along slowly actually reduces jams. There was some very interesting research about removing jams by slowing down and making sure you reached the back as everyone started to move off. Doing this reduced jams massively.

http://trafficwaves.org/trafexp.html
 
srichards said:
The crawling along slowly actually reduces jams. There was some very interesting research about removing jams by slowing down and making sure you reached the back as everyone started to move off. Doing this reduced jams massively.
Click to expand...

It's also a good idea to keep moving at junctions and roundabouts rather than stopping and starting again - especially in heavier vehicles.


Steve.
 
srichards said:
The crawling along slowly actually reduces jams. There was some very interesting research about removing jams by slowing down and making sure you reached the back as everyone started to move off. Doing this reduced jams massively.

http://trafficwaves.org/trafexp.html
Click to expand...

That is my reason for doing it - try and alleviate stop start motions behind me.
Sadly some people behind me dont realise what im doing and overtake me into the space i leave in front of me (mega frustrating)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nod said:
Unfortunately that link advises looking away from where you're going if/when you get dazzled. Since the dazzling is mainly an in town phenomenon, I'm not sure how safe that is as a strategy.
Click to expand...
That's not the way it reads to me. It says to focus on the white line, or kerb, to your right as it's American. In this country we would obviously focus to the left. Basically it's concurring what myself and others have already said, don't stare at the light, it's still possible to see where you are going. If someone drives towards me with badly adjusted lights or high beam, I just watch the road directly in front of the car for that very brief short time until the cars lights are no longer directed straight into my eyes. But the most important part from the link is to ensure the windscreen is cleaned properly and regularly, inside and out and people who wear glasses should ensure their glasses are clean and preferably with coated lens.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top