Avoid These 5 Basic Mistakes When Using an Automatic Gearbox

• Published On: 28 June 2019
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A list of common mistakes people do in automatic gearbox cars.

Automatic cars have taken the industry by a storm and now more and more people are opting for auto gearboxes over the conventional manual option. A major reason as to why automatic gearboxes are getting so popular is the ease of driving they offer in jam packed traffic of major cities in India. A tur car lover may still go for a manual transmission as it offers more control but the average car user is fast switching to automatic gearbox due to the extreme ease of use of auto transmission. Although one has to be aware of certain facts while operating an automatic transmission and avoid some rookie mistakes that new auto transmission users often make. Let’s take a look at five simple mistakes that one should avoid while driving a car equipped with an automatic gearbox.

Coasting in Neutral

This is probably the most common mistake one finds almost everyone making. Perhaps the easiest mistake to make while driving an automatic gearbox car is to coast on the neutral over a slope. Always avoid doing the same. This move although may appear to be saving fuel by putting the car in neutral, it can prove disastrous for the gearbox over longer periods. During this, the transmission tends to overheat as putting the car in neutral cuts the fuel supply hence leading to no lubrication for the transmission. Also one loses control on the speed of car as it is in neutral. Always remember minuscule savings on fuel now can lead to expensive repair of transmission when you coast on neutral. 

Shifting Gears Without Pause

Manual gearboxes can fail on going from reverse to any gear or the vice-versa without any pause. The same case also applies for auto gearboxes, still people remain misinformed and think going from drive to reverse or the vice-versa will not affect auto trannies. This is completely false as doing the same damages the transmission and if done at higher speeds can lead to straight gearbox failure. Always go from drive to reverse after you have stopped the car properly as doing otherwise will cause severe damage to your gearbox.

Launch Control

Launch control equipped automatic transmission cars offer optimum launch and best acceleration for your car in case you need a brisk start. However, a silly mistake made by people is revving the engine in neutral and then putting the car in drive gear during launch. This is will not only stop you from getting the best launch but will also damage your engine and gearbox. If there is no specific instruction present in your car for a launch control mode, simply put the car in drive, build up revs while depressing the brake and release the brake at the time of launch. Not that one should launch the car often as it has an adverse impact on the car’s overall health.

Parking Without Stopping

This is in many ways similar to the going from drive to reverse or vice-versa, people often shift their lever to ‘P’ (parking mode) while their car is still in motion. Once the P mode is engaged, the gearbox stops the cogs from rotating and if this mode is engaged while the car is moving, it can damage the car’s transmission over a long period of time. Therefore, one must only engage the parking mode of the car once it is completely stationary.

Neutral at Small Stops

This is not that major a mistake when compared to the rest of 4 above, however one must always avoid bringing the car in neutral at a small stop such as a traffic light. This is done by users mostly to save fuel, but pressing the brake lever will do the same, and so will the automatic start-stop system of your car. Putting the car in neutral at every traffic stop will not only lead to you overusing the gearbox it will also reduce the efficiency of the auto tranny in your car.