Driving an automatic car and common mistakes

Forget manual mode

Most automatic cars today are equipped with manual shifting, sport shifting or steering wheel paddle shifters. However, some “new drivers” are used to driving automatic cars in D mode, so they often ignore the manual shifting function on automatic cars.

Not using manual mode is also considered a mistake of new drivers when driving on steep mountain roads. Because if in D mode, due to inertia when going downhill, the car often moves faster, causing the driver to use the brakes more. In the case that the driver often brakes, the brakes will heat up and easily lead to brake pads burning and brake failure. Using semi-automatic mode when driving on steep mountain roads will help the driver proactively shift to lower gears to take advantage of engine braking and not need to brake much.

Shift to N when going downhill

Shifting to N when going downhill will cause the driver to lose complete control of the vehicle, leading to not being able to handle unexpected situations in time. Many people think that shifting to N will help you save fuel, but today's automatic transmissions are capable of regulating fuel consumption based on engine performance. Therefore, this is unnecessary.

Prime the throttle before shifting to D to get the vehicle moving.

It may look cool to rev the engine when the car is stationary and then shift from neutral to neutral to get the car moving quickly, but it can cause damage and wear to the transmission belt. To replace this belt system, we will have to disassemble the transmission, and the cost is not cheap.

Ignoring the warning signs

When something is wrong with your car, chances are it will try to let you know. Any strange vibrations, constant squeaks, frequent knocks, or other unusual symptoms should be checked out immediately.

You may not notice any problems, but the longer you wait, the more trouble you'll be in if something suddenly fails and you're stranded on the road.

Heavy load

Many people have the habit of treating their cars as mobile "warehouses" which is harmful. Unnecessary things when left in the car increase the weight, affecting fuel consumption, the suspension system, and brakes. In addition, clutter also makes the car's interior unclean and smelly.

Use both feet

In the Road Traffic Law, there is a question "When driving an automatic vehicle, how should the driver use his feet correctly?" - the correct answer is "Do not use the left foot, the right foot controls both the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal".

But recently, many "crazy car" accidents caused by mistakenly stepping on the gas pedal originated from using two feet to control the car, one on the gas pedal and one on the brake pedal.

In automatic cars, the accelerator and brake pedals are arranged in a straight line with the right foot pointing out, just in the most secure sitting position. The driver's attempt to move the left foot to the brake pedal causes this foot to always be in a crooked position, making the sitting position uncomfortable, and in case of urgent braking, the pedal force will not be enough.

When the right foot is only on the accelerator for a long time, when encountering an unexpected situation requiring braking, the accelerator cannot be released in time, greatly reducing the braking effect, and the car still moves forward even though the driver steps on the brake, which is the reason why the car loses control.

"Rumble" the gas before shifting gears

Accelerating hard in N and then shifting to drive is not only dangerous for the driver but also affects the life of the engine.