4 Mistakes That Manual Drivers Make When Switching the Automatic

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Automatic transmission systems are extremely complicated, meaning that they tend to be difficult or expensive to repair. Unfortunately, many people who previously drove a manual often make mistakes when they use an automatic, and these mistakes and bad habits can take their toll on the system itself.

Here are four of the biggest problems, and why you need to avoid making them.

1. Forgetting the Parking Brake

If you have an automatic transmission system, you'll be able to park without activating the parking brake, even on a steep incline, and return to find the vehicle right where you left it. This is because the clutch will be automatically held down.

This might seem convenient, but it's putting way too much strain on your transmission system than it can be expected to handle; it will essentially be taking the whole weight of the vehicle. Instead, make sure you engage the parking brake.

2. Putting Your Vehicle in Neutral and Coasting

If you put your automatic in neutral and start coasting, most vehicles will automatically cut off the delivery of fuel to the engine. Unfortunately, this means that several other systems that can only work with a running engine, such as power steering, will not work, reducing your control.

Additionally, shifting in a moving automatic will cause damage. If you need to shift back into Drive before the vehicle comes to a stop, you're going to be in trouble.

3. Driving in a Low Gear Mode

Unfortunately, many people switching to an automatic, or even simply renting one while on holiday, aren't aware that they will have different drive modes at their disposal. While in Drive, the system will automatically select the right gear, but sometimes it is necessary to hold at lower gears, such as when driving down a steep hill.

For such times, an automatic should have other Drive modes, such as D1. Driving in D1 means that you are kept to the low range. If you drive in D1 at any kind of speed, you'll be forcing your engine to rev extremely fast.

4. Not Having the System Regularly Inspected

Transmission fluid will begin to break down overtime, meaning that it becomes less effective at cooling down the system and preventing its moving parts from rubbing up against each other and causing damage. This fluid will be changed during an inspection, and a mechanic will be able to check for other signs of wear.

Of course, every type of transmission system needs to be inspected according to a set routine. However, people with automatics might forget how important the need is since they aren't directly using their system during every drive.

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31 May 2016

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