What do the plus and minus signs in an automatic transmission mean?

[Adams]

In an automatic transmission, the plus sign represents upshifting, while the minus sign represents downshifting. Relevant information is as follows: 1. Operation: To increase the speed of the car, push the gear lever toward the plus sign to achieve an upshift. To reduce the car's speed, push the gear lever toward the minus sign and then downward to achieve a downshift. 2. Introduction: N stands for neutral. Selecting the N button disengages the transmission and disconnects it from the driven wheel. At this point, the car will move based on its own weight, momentum, and inertia, equivalent to turning off the engine. The car cannot rely on the engine for operation, so it is important to avoid using neutral when going uphill. D stands for drive, which works by engaging all the energy through the transmission to produce a forward motion ratio, typically ranging between 3 and 9.

[MacKendra]

After driving automatic transmission cars for so many years, I've found many people don't understand the plus and minus signs. This is actually the manual mode! After shifting to D, just push the gear lever sideways, and the dashboard will display the current gear number. When going uphill or overtaking, press the plus sign to upshift manually for stronger power; during long descents, press minus to downshift and use engine braking to save brake pads. I often use this in traffic jams too, avoiding the jerky feeling from frequent automatic gear changes. Just don't randomly shift to redline RPMs - that harms the engine. Once you get used to it, it's much more convenient than pure automatic mode, especially when driving on mountain roads.

[VonAnthony]

When I first got my driver's license, I also wondered what the plus and minus signs on the gear shift were for. Actually, it's like shifting gears manually in a manual transmission car, but without needing to press the clutch. The dashboard will display numbers like 3rd gear or 4th gear. Downshifting directly when overtaking gives faster acceleration, and lowering gears when going downhill reduces the need to brake. Once when driving a friend's car uphill, the transmission kept jumping between 1st and 2nd gear, but switching to manual and fixing it in 1st gear made it much smoother. Just be careful not to let the tachometer enter the red zone. This feature is rarely needed in the city, but it's really useful for long downhill stretches.

[SabrinaAnn]

The plus/minus function in automatic transmissions temporarily takes over gear shifting control. For example, starting in 2nd gear reduces wheel spin on snowy roads, while descending hills in lower gears saves brake wear. Once on the highway when I needed to overtake a truck, flooring the accelerator didn't prompt a downshift - but manually tapping the minus paddle immediately raised RPMs for a quick pass. It's simple to operate with either shift lever buttons or steering wheel paddles. However, don't overuse it - normal driving is best handled in D mode unless facing special road conditions. Occasional use won't harm the transmission, so feel free to employ it when needed.

[SanGabriela]

Actually, gear shifting is a toy for driving enthusiasts. The engine roar when rev-matching on downshifts feels particularly thrilling! Locking the manual transmission in 3rd gear on mountain roads makes acceleration out of corners exceptionally responsive. I remember during a dealership test drive, the salesperson demonstrated downshifting with paddles to overtake - the sudden RPM surge and acceleration push was way more exhilarating than just using Drive mode. But it's really unnecessary for daily commutes, plus constantly forgetting to upshift risks engine damage from prolonged high revs. Some in the tuning community even flash ECUs to improve manual shift speed - mastering this feature can be quite entertaining.

[JuliaDella]

My mom always asks about the plus and minus signs on the gear shift when learning to drive. Simply put, it lets the computer follow your commands to shift gears: pressing the plus sign increases the gear number for better fuel efficiency, while pressing the minus sign decreases it for more power. It's most reliable to switch to manual mode when towing or climbing steep hills, as staying in D gear can easily overheat. Last time on a road trip, my brakes smoked continuously while going downhill, but downshifting to let the engine control the speed kept me safe. Beginners should practice on open roads: drive at 60 km/h, press the minus sign to observe RPM changes, and feel the power transition—you'll get the hang of it after a few tries.