Automatic cars have the great advantage that they are more comfortable to drive than manual cars, since they lack the clutch pedal and change gears without the driver having to engage any ratio; He just has to indicate if he wants to go forward, backward or park the vehicle.
However, although we believe that driving an automatic has no mystery, there are a series of issues that you should keep in mind to take care of your car and extend the useful life of the transmission. Whether you are driving an automatic car for the first time, or if you already have one and want it to last for many years, you should follow these guidelines if you don’t want to end up in the shop sooner rather than later.
Avoid the sudden change between the ‘R’ for reversing and the ‘D’ for moving forward when you are parking. During the maneuver, you must press the brake and wait for the car to come to a complete stop before changing the selection. Otherwise, you will be braking with the gear change and this is not the correct way to do it.
Closely linked to the previous point, another recurring gesture when parking is selecting the ‘P’ for (parking) and then applying the handbrake. But, this is a mistake. By doing so, the gearbox will be performing the role of stopping the car instead of the brakes. This puts the force of the vehicle’s weight on the gearbox and locks the wheels abruptly, resulting in wear on the gears that will eventually break down the system.
Therefore, the correct way to park an automatic car is to press the brake until the vehicle is completely stopped, then apply the handbrake and, finally, put the gear in the ‘P’ position.
The belief is deeply rooted that it is positive to put neutral when you stop with an automatic car, for example, at a traffic light or in a traffic jam. But this is not necessary, it will not result in better maintenance of the car nor will it save fuel. If the stop is prolonged, it is better to put the ‘P’ and turn off the engine.
It is a myth that it is beneficial to go into neutral when descending hills. This gesture will not save you fuel, but you do save it when the car drives in gear without stepping on the accelerator. Furthermore, engaging in neutral to go down the slope leads to loss of control of the vehicle, which increases the danger, since the engine brake cannot function and the brakes will have to work harder to stop the car.
