Noob to AT

[sandeep108]

Ok guys do not flame me here. I have gone for an AT Civic after driving 20+ years stick. We get very few AT cars here and trend is changing. The manual is not very clear on engine start/shut-off procedure or certain driving situations. Can anybody help me with the following:

1. When starting the car, if it is in P and handbrake is pulled up, is it necessary to still press the brake when turning the ignition key to start?

2. When switching off the engine, is it necessary to pull the handbrake, shift to P and then switch off or keep it in N, handbrake pull/brake pedal press, switch off and then push it to P before removing the key.

3. Does the handbrake and pressing of the pedal brake have the same effect, i.e. send the same info to the ECM?

4. Is it advisable to shift it to N at signals/stops of short intervals or leave it in D with the handbrake pulled/brake pedal pressed.

TIA.

[Dismal]

1. When starting the car, if it is in P and handbrake is pulled up, is it necessary to still press the brake when turning the ignition key to start?

No, but it doesn't hurt.

2. When switching off the engine, is it necessary to pull the handbrake, shift to P and then switch off or keep it in N, handbrake pull/brake pedal press, switch off and then push it to P before removing the key.

I'm not sure what you mean, but when you turn the vehicle off:
Stop
Put it in park
Turn off ignition.
Handbrake (Or you can handbrake when the car is in park, or when you've stopped moving...doesn't matter)

3. Does the handbrake and pressing of the pedal brake have the same effect, i.e. send the same info to the ECM?

I don't have an AT civic (manual ) but in my old car they do not do the same thing. Give it a shot - if you apply the handbrake while in drive you can feel the car still trying to move. The brakes on the other hand act like it's in neutral.

4. Is it advisable to shift it to N at signals/stops of short intervals or leave it in D with the handbrake pulled/brake pedal pressed.

When stopped leave it in D and hold the break, putting it in neutral isn't really recommended.

[arisenfury]

Hand break and the foot break are NOT the same thing. The hand break is the same as in a manual car and it will lock up the rear wheels instantly. In an auto the hand break isn't really that necessary and you can manage without using it. However I also just came from a stick so it was habitual when I first got the auto so it just becomes habit.

As for neutral, at the light it's not really worth it. If you want to save your foot you can try putting it in park if you know it's a long light, or pull the hand break but that's just going to cause some unneeded wear.

The only time I use neutral in the auto is on big hills where I know i can coast for atleast half a mile.

[edciv]

the hand brake in most cars is a steel wire (small cable) that attaches to the brake in the back. when you pull it the wire gets taught locking the rear brakes up. when you put an automatic transmission in park the transmission is locked. almost like putting a manual car in first gear (or any gear for that matter) when parked. if you try to move a manual transmission car with no e-brake but in a gear the car will budge only slightly and then not move at all.

[ethlar]

Originally Posted by edciv

...if you try to move a manual transmission car with no e-brake but in a gear the car will budge only slightly and then not move at all.

Not true, if you do not use the hand brake on a MT car they will roll even in gear. There was one day my dad forgot to put the handbrake on in his car but it was in first, and when I came home the car had rolled accross the street and into the neighbors driveway.

AT has a "park pin" when you put it into park this pin moves into place locking certain gears, the transmission is in neutral though. The pin is only about as big around as a ball point pen.

You dont need to have your foot on the brake to start the car but you do need to press the brake to shift out of park.

Putting on the hand brake before shifting into park will only result in putting less stress on the transmission because the car will not rock on the park pin once you get off the foot brake.

[LimX]

Originally Posted by ethlar

Not true, if you do not use the hand brake on a MT car they will roll even in gear. There was one day my dad forgot to put the handbrake on in his car but it was in first, and when I came home the car had rolled accross the street and into the neighbors driveway.

That must have been hilarious....unless there was damage done to the car or driveway area.

[Sli(ks]

My uncle's from Scotland and you actually have to special order automatics there, when he came over a while ago and drove my old AT volvo he was doing all kinds of crazy things with it, so I know where you're coming from with this. But, it really is a lot easier than what you're use to.

The handbrake isn't nearly as useful as it is in a manual car. If you wander around a parking lot and look through the windows of automatic cars, you'll find that most people just shift into park and ignore the handbrake. I only really use it myself if I'm parking on a hill, just to take some of the strain off the mechanical pin "park" shoves into the transmission.

Also, you shouldn't need the handbrake at a stoplight. You don't need to worry about balancing the clutch and the gas on steep hills or any of that crazy nonsense anymore, just hold down the brakes until the light changes, hit the gas and off you go.

Lastly, all you really have to do when you park is bring the car to a stop with the brakes (duh) and while still holding the brakes, shift into park. If you want to use your handbrake, pull it when your brakes are pressed - like right after you shift into park. Then, let go of the brakes and turn off the ignition. That's it, all there is to it.

[sandeep108]

Thanks guys. It does seem that my habits so far with the AT may not (except perhaps 1 below) in anyway cause any harm to the tranny/car:

1. I usually start the car with the e-brake on, but without pressing the brake, i.e. actually from outside, without getting into the car. This allows the engine to idle for a minute or two while I shove stuff and myself into the car. When ready to move, I release the e-brake after press of the brake (otherwise anyway it does not shift) and shift out of P into R or D as required.

But it does seem that this is an avoidable practice - it may be better to press the brake pedal when starting the engine (as the manual says), leave the e-brake on, shift to neutral to let it idle while I put my bag, etc. into the boot.

2. When switching off, I put it into P with the brake pedal pressed, pull up the hand/e-brake and switch off the engine. I must take care to ensure that the brake(s) are on BEFORE putting it to P and release the brake pedal after switching off the engine to avoid chance of any damage.

3. I will have to try out the difference between the handbrake and brake pedal while in D.

4. I think I will just continue with my stick habit of putting it into N and using the handbrake, to avoid rolling of the car rather than leaving it in D with the brake pedal pressed. If I can see that it is just a short stop, i.e. 10-20s, then I may not bother. But I do also have to drive other stick shift cars at times and do not want to lose my stick driving ability!

[Mikey6p]

N is useless.........whenever you come to a stop, just stay in D and hold the car using the footbreak.

[sandeep108]

Originally Posted by mikey6p

N is useless.........whenever you come to a stop, just stay in D and hold the car using the footbreak.

Are you sure? It somehow feels better. Do you mean that when stopped and holding the footbrake, in effect the tranny is in N?

[Yodums]

Yep, neutral is pretty useless in an automatic transmission. I drove an automatic transmission a bit before I got my manual car and the way I approached red lights was just by staying in D and holding down the footbrake.

Once you're in D, you shouldn't need to get out of that unless you're going to park or something.

[sandeep108]

Yes maybe but I very clearly find a difference in RPM when in D with the brake pressed and in N. In D, the RPM does drop a bit and the engine does feel a bit under load. This is not so in N where the engine just sort of well idles.

[x026092]

Yes, once your in D leave it there until you park it. The only caveat about the parking brake is the cable can freeze up in the on position during the winter months. I avoid using it with an AT.

[Yodums]

Originally Posted by sandeep108

Yes maybe but I very clearly find a difference in RPM when in D with the brake pressed and in N. In D, the RPM does drop a bit and the engine does feel a bit under load. This is not so in N where the engine just sort of well idles.

Yes, because the transmission disengages itself when it's in neutral, so you won't feel that extra load like you would in D. Also, the brake will feel like total air in neutral incomparison with it being in D.

[psyshack]

Wow

Throw your stuff in the car. Set yourself in the car. Put your foot on the brake pedal. Start the car. Release the parking brake with your foot still on the brake pedal. Put in D or R. DRIVE!!

Leave in D or R at a short stop or light with foot on brake pedal. Then go.

When parking, stop the car with the brake pedal. Place tranny in P, set parking brake, turn off.

Theres a reason why Americans love there AT's. Basicly they are lazy sorry drivers that would rather play with there cell phones, Ipods, audio system, laptop, eat or play with there old ladys boobs or dream about drilling the chick next to them thats playing with her cell, ipod, audio system, laptop or stroking there old man or thinking about the chick next to them. :)

So enjoy the lazy persons answer to a new deminsion of life. You to now can focus on other things than your driving. Your well on your way to becoming Americanized. :)

[sandeep108]

Originally Posted by psyshack

So enjoy the lazy persons answer to a new deminsion of life. You to now can focus on other things than your driving. Your well on your way to becoming Americanized. :)

Hmmm... but I do think I enjoy being a bit of both actually.

The degree of control a stick can give is quite amazing. I actually only opted for the Civic's AT because of the paddle shifts, which give back some of the control taken away by D. I also drove a Corolla AT which sort of quite disappointed. But I liked the Civic's AT during test drives - even in D it did seem to know what I wanted to do and generally kept a good gear, instead of always going into top like the Corolla, the minute I released the pedal.

I also tended to drive a bit too fast for our type of traffic and I felt the laid back attitude of an AT might help in some way and I do think it has. Now there is more time to think about the chicks:)

[psyshack]

I also tended to drive a bit too fast for our type of traffic and I felt the laid back attitude of an AT might help in some way and I do think it has. Now there is more time to think about the chicks


My buddy purchased his Coupe with a AT for the same reason. Pushing 50 he still cant behave with a MT tranny car at times. And its always at the wrong time. He never gets pulled over or tickets unless theres a MT involved. I give him grief about this all the time.

We did run our cars one day. My MT sedan walked away from his AT Coupe at a alarming rate. His car was well broken in at that point. Mine was brand new.

Heres the cars on a wet day.
http://www.psyshack.com/twoofakind.jpg

Good luck with your car.

[LunchBoxed]

Originally Posted by ethlar

Not true, if you do not use the hand brake on a MT car they will roll even in gear. There was one day my dad forgot to put the handbrake on in his car but it was in first, and when I came home the car had rolled accross the street and into the neighbors driveway.

This happend to my first MT car back when I was in high school. I got pissed off cause the guy who sold me the car said he'd had no problems with it. I thought he'd sold me a car with a bad clutch...turns out my mom had backed into it while pulling out of the garage and she didn't want to tell me because she knew both my dad and I would be mad about it. After that I started parking my car in the street.