What are the gears in an automatic transmission car?
2 Answers
Automatic transmission cars have gears such as R gear, P gear, D gear, N gear, L gear, and S gear. The R gear is used for reversing, also known as the reverse gear, and it's important to note that the car must come to a complete stop before engaging the R gear. The P gear is used for parking, meaning the engine stops working, hence many people refer to it as the parking gear. The D gear is primarily used for driving the car forward, known as the drive gear, and it's the basic gear for automatic transmission cars. The N gear is similar to the neutral gear in manual transmissions, with no difference in principle between the two. When driving and approaching a red light, the N gear can be used. The L gear is a low gear, typically used when going uphill or overtaking. The S gear is the sport mode, allowing free switching between all gears.
Automatic transmission cars mainly have several basic gears: The P gear is for parking, it locks the transmission and can only be engaged after the vehicle comes to a complete stop. The R gear is the reverse gear, and before shifting into it, I always make sure to press the brake firmly and check for any obstacles around. The N gear is equivalent to the neutral gear in a manual transmission, useful for situations like waiting at a red light or when towing. The D gear is the drive gear, used 90% of the time during daily driving, as the system automatically shifts gears based on speed and throttle. Some cars also have an L or M mode, which limits the gear range when climbing or descending long slopes to avoid frequent gear shifts that could damage the transmission. By the way, many modern cars with electronic gear shifters can move forward by simply pressing the accelerator in D gear, but older models require pressing the brake first to unlock the gear shift—this is an important detail to note.
