Manual vs Automatic Cars

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Chopppywaters

o and Biggles your definetly correct about the rareness of a diesel manual...i dont even think thats an option from a dealership around here

Actually, You can get the Jeep Liberty with 2.8 Common Rail Diesel & 6 speed manual or 4spd auto transmission. IMHO its a cracking engine & I would much prefer it to the 3.7L V6 Petrol Liberty I have now.

[Mollers]

[From Codprawn]
I have driven the X5 several times and was very impressed BUT what is it trying to be? It is too high to be a sports car but there is no way it could ever be called an offroader!!! [/QUOTE]
It's actually fairly poor at being both of those things. but as a long distance on road towing tool, only the lastest Range Rovers come close. If I didn't tow with it and occasionally need four wheel drive, I'd go for a 5 series diesel estate like a shot. When we chuck the kids in and drag the boat 100miles to the sis's in Devon, the X5 is a great bit of kit. Pure off-roader? Poor.

[hard1]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Most modern 4 speed autos use top as an overdrive and you should lock it down into 3rd for towing - if it is still hunting between 2 and 3 you have to either speed up or slow down and lock down into 2nd - the constant hunting is what causes heat build up.

It is all down to driving technique and it is suprising how many people just leave an auto in D and let it get on with it - they never bother to change down to save the brakes either!!!

THEY have a lot to answer for - the swine!

Quick! Let's get over to Boatmad. THEY aren't on there at the moment.

[Chopppywaters]

What do some of you mean when you say people dont drive automatics wrong or they have to down shift while braking? Most automatics I have driven have the stick go either Park, Reverse, Nuetral, or Drive. Some with shiftronic (Shifting with no clutch) But if you just put the car in Drive and go are you guys saying while braking change to nuetral? (I kno another stupid question but im just a little confused about it) Thanks

[codprawn]

I have driven loads of cars with Yank auto boxes and all the ones I have driven also had numbers - on a 3 speed auto you would have P N D 2 1 and on a 4sp it would be P N D 3 2 1.

Basically the numbers are the other gears - D is always the highest or overdrive.

You can change down for better engine braking - say going downhill or coming up to a junction - just pull the stick back. Don't go too low though - not good to go into 1 at 60mph!!! Do NOT go into neutral for braking - no help from the engine at all then!!!

You can also put it into 1 to start off and then change up again like a manual without a clutch.

The Yanks build some tough old auto boxes - the European boxes may be more sophisticated but theYank ones are pretty much unburstable - well the GM and Chrysler ones anyway.

[DM]

Originally Posted by codprawn

they never bother to change down to save the brakes either!!!

Why use a very expensive engine to do the job of a cheap set of brake pads?

DM

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by davidmanning

Why use a very expensive engine to do the job of a cheap set of brake pads?

DM

Because on long downhills you can get brake fade which is pretty scary!!! Obviously you don't want to have the engine screaming away at 5000rpm all the time but especially with a diesel you get pretty good engine braking without needing to over rev.

Wonder why they have hills with signs telling lorries to use low gear???

[Alan]

Originally Posted by codprawn

I have driven loads of cars with Yank auto boxes and all the ones I have driven also had numbers - on a 3 speed auto you would have P N D 2 1 and on a 4sp it would be P N D 3 2 1.

Strangely, none of the cars seems to have had a reverse gear..........

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Alan

Strangely, none of the cars seems to have had a reverse gear..........

Yes very well spotted RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[DM]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Wonder why they have hills with signs telling lorries to use low gear???

Probably because it's good practice to be in the correct gear for a given (low)speed for descending hills.

I'll inform my instructors at the Emergency Services driving college that the Roadcraft driving system that Police/Fire/Ambulance use is flawed.

DM

[Jono]

Originally Posted by davidmanning

Probably because it's good practice to be in the correct gear for a given (low)speed for descending hills.

I'll inform my instructors at the Emergency Services driving college that the Roadcraft driving system that Police/Fire/Ambulance use is flawed.

DM

Leave us out of it... we just used to use the vehicle in front.. that saves all the wear and tear....

[DM]

Originally Posted by Jono

we just used to use the vehicle in front.. that saves all the wear and tear

Yeh, but you Yellerlegs were only allowed to use the brakes on instruction from your Subbie who was usually asleep.

DM

[Rodan]

Many years ago had an old XJ6 with auto box... lovely

[stan_deezy]

'ere DM are they still using Roadcraft?

I guess if it works don't fix it? Must be many years old by now? Have they finally got a section on ABS brakes?

gawd I'm giving me age away now

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by davidmanning

Probably because it's good practice to be in the correct gear for a given (low)speed for descending hills.

I'll inform my instructors at the Emergency Services driving college that the Roadcraft driving system that Police/Fire/Ambulance use is flawed.

DM

So the correct gear is NOT top gear for going down steep hills then?

Just try driving in snow or ice and not using engine braking going down hills - or offroad driving for that matter - the golden rule is NEVER touch the brakes!!!

Just phoned a bloke I know who just happens to be a driving instructor for our local Fire Brigade - he said the procedure they use is to select the right gear for the hill - say 3rd or 2nd for a steep one - so that the exhaust brake is working well - use the footbrake as and when needed to stop the vehicle running away.

[DM]

Originally Posted by codprawn

So the correct gear is NOT top gear for going down steep hills then?

That depends. You match your gear to your speed.

Originally Posted by codprawn

Just try driving in snow or ice.

I spent twenty odd years driving emergency vehicles in snow and ice and now I find that, according to Codprawns School of Motoring, I've been doing it all wrong. Bugger.

DM

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by davidmanning

That depends. You match your gear to your speed.



I spent twenty odd years driving emergency vehicles in snow and ice and now I find that, according to Codprawns School of Motoring, I've been doing it all wrong. Bugger.

DM

Come off it - I said to use engine braking - you said "why wreck an engine when you can use the brakes". Now you say match your gear to your speed - surely they mean the same thing???

What have you been doing "wrong" in snow and ice? Tell me the correct way to do it or do different laws of physics apply to "emergency" vehicles compared to normal ones???

[Scary Des]

Originally Posted by davidmanning

That depends. You match your gear to your speed.



I spent twenty odd years driving emergency vehicles in snow and ice and now I find that, according to Codprawns School of Motoring, I've been doing it all wrong. Bugger.

DM

Don’t diss Sith lord Codders he is always right and the farce is strong with him

[DM]

Originally Posted by stan_deezy

Have they finally got a section on ABS brakes?

The bible was revised in 2001 to take account of technology advances like ABS but cadence braking in non ABS vehicles is still part of the syllabus.

DM

[stan_deezy]

Cheers David

Guess its time to go and get a new copy

Mine is from the '70's