How to Shift Gears in an Automatic Car While Driving?
2 Answers
Here are the methods for shifting gears in an automatic car while driving: 1. While driving, you can manually shift from a lower gear to a higher gear, but shifting from a higher gear to a lower gear must be done within a certain speed range. That is, the vehicle can be manually shifted to the current gear it is operating in. For example, you cannot shift into second gear at 90 km/h because the transmission is at least in third gear at that speed. You must wait until the speed drops to 50 km/h before manually shifting into second gear. Similarly, shifting into first gear should be done when the speed drops below 20 km/h. 2. Once the speed increases to a certain level, you can switch to D (Drive) mode for normal driving. If you are cruising at high speeds on the highway, you can use the O/D (Overdrive) mode to save fuel. Most automatic transmissions have 6 to 7 gear positions, arranged from front to back as follows: P (Park), R (Reverse), N (Neutral), and D (Drive). Some forward gears include D, 3, 2, and 1. Certain models may only have three forward gears (D, 2, and 1). If equipped with a four-speed transmission, there may also be an O/D switch to engage the overdrive gear.
As a veteran driver with over a decade of experience driving automatic transmissions, there are actually nuances to shifting while driving. Using D gear for highway driving is certainly worry-free, but when encountering long downhill slopes or mountain roads, don't foolishly keep pressing the brakes. In these situations, shifting to L gear or 1/2 gear can help slow the car down using engine braking, protecting the brake pads. When overtaking, don't just stomp on the accelerator and let the engine roar—I'm used to quickly switching to S gear or manually downshifting with M gear; the increased RPM makes overtaking much smoother. For red lights, shifting to N gear and pulling the handbrake is the most comfortable approach, as staying in D gear and holding the brakes for long periods can damage the transmission. Oh, and before shifting gears, make sure to press the brake pedal firmly—otherwise, the locking mechanism will make a clattering noise, and that's no joke.
