Driving an Automatic car

ehsan103

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Car: Mercedes w203 c180 coupe

Hi all,

Been diving an automatic for 6 months now and have a few queries about the following scenario’s. at the moment I’m driving how I would drive a manual car..

Q1. At a traffic light, is it better to leave the car in drive and hold down the brake or put the car in neutral? Which is less damaging to the car; I’ve read loads of different forums with different opinions

Q2. On a hill, what is the best way to keep the car still? i.e. Car in neutral and apply foot brake (handbrake) or put car i park?

Thanks
 

toby1

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1: foot on brake in drive

2. If engine off, park (P) with parking brake. If engine running, as above
 

Naraic

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Q1 Hold with foot brake, unless you think you may be there for a long time.

Q2 Hold with foot brake, unless you think you'll be there a long time.
 

television

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Q1 Hold with foot brake, unless you think you may be there for a long time.

Q2 Hold with foot brake, unless you think you'll be there a long time.

Big problem, how does one know how long one may be sitting there, but yes hold with foot brake even if you wished that you had turned off 15 minutes ago
 

Clkrichard

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Welcome back Malcolm
 
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Benz17

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Welcome back from me too. Have to say you haven't missed much, been fairly quite and sombre here over the last four weeks or so:Oops:
 
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television

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I will venture into benzbin soon
 

V6Matty

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welcome back, you haven't missed much there either.

Anyway back to the OP's question, as most people have said leave you foot on the break and at any other select park and engage hand/foot break.
 

JEZ.S320L

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Car: Mercedes w203 c180 coupe

Hi all,

Been diving an automatic for 6 months now and have a few queries about the following scenario’s. at the moment I’m driving how I would drive a manual car..

Q1. At a traffic light, is it better to leave the car in drive and hold down the brake or put the car in neutral? Which is less damaging to the car; I’ve read loads of different forums with different opinions

Q2. On a hill, what is the best way to keep the car still? i.e. Car in neutral and apply foot brake (handbrake) or put car i park?

Thanks

IMHO

Q1. Keep foot on brake. Leave in D

Q2. Not sure about ALL autoboxes, but mine, I do nothing. I take my foot off the brake and leave it in D - the autobox has 'Hiil hold' so when ready to move off, just press the gas and away we go :p
 

Naraic

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IMHO

Q1. Keep foot on brake. Leave in D

Q2. Not sure about ALL autoboxes, but mine, I do nothing. I take my foot off the brake and leave it in D - the autobox has 'Hiil hold' so when ready to move off, just press the gas and away we go :p

...unless, like mine, it creeps forward on a hill...:lol:
 

television

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...unless, like mine, it creeps forward on a hill...:lol:

Yes the difference of just 25rpm can make the difference of creep or no creep

With the newer cars with EBC they all have the brake hold,just a double press on the pedal and you can get out:D
 

television

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My old 7g would roll back on hills, and in S mode my 5g C class does.

Foot brake on when stopping or stopped for upto 2mins.

There is no sprag clutch on the 7g box as it is not needed,I think that all cars that have the 7g box have the hold on the brake pedal for both SBC and EBC.

Cars with the 5g will hold in the W mode but not S mode.

There is no real time limit for how long you sit there in D as nothing much happens
 

Miffy

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When parked in drive, all your doing is putting a very light load on the car so slightly decreased MPG as opposed to being in N. as above, in S the car will roll back, in W or C it normally holds position. (at least mine does)
 

toby1

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Don't forget the depressing the brake pedal will cause a slightly increased wear on one's shoe sole with additional heat energy lost with illuminating the brake light bulbs (unless LED). An important consideration, I feel.
 

television

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Don't forget the depressing the brake pedal will cause a slightly increased wear on one's shoe sole with additional heat energy lost with illuminating the brake light bulbs (unless LED). An important consideration, I feel.

In my CL I can just press a button and the parking brake comes on, OK it will not hold the car and it will wear your finger slightly, fingers self heal so no cost there. Yes shoes are expensive now days;)
 

Miffy

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ah, but depressing the foot brake will increase global warming with all of those brake lights illuminating
 

television

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ah, but depressing the foot brake will increase global warming with all of those brake lights illuminating

Some are easily LED, does not make sense but you know what i mean :D
 

st4

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Sprag clutches help dampen down harsh down shifts.

That aside brake hold/Hill assist all do the same thing, apply the brakes to hold the car. Note also after a long time you may increase the temperature of the transmission oil if sat for like 10mins foot on the brake but if you were stopped that long surely you'd stop the engine?
 

television

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Sprag clutches help dampen down harsh down shifts.

That aside brake hold/Hill assist all do the same thing, apply the brakes to hold the car. Note also after a long time you may increase the temperature of the transmission oil if sat for like 10mins foot on the brake but if you were stopped that long surely you'd stop the engine?

The are many way to alter the shift pattern.

The temp of the transmission fluid does not change no matter how long you leave it in D.

The big problem is that often no one knows just how long one may be stationery
 


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