What does the L gear in an automatic car mean?
1 Answers
Automatic car's L gear refers to the climbing gear, also known as the low-speed gear. When the vehicle is in L gear, the transmission switches between low gears, specifically between 1st and 2nd gears. This is because climbing requires sufficient torque, and the engine needs enough power to allow the vehicle to ascend the slope. Therefore, this gear is typically selected when low speed and high torque are needed for climbing. When descending a mountain or a long slope, shifting into this gear restricts the car's gear to automatically stay in the lowest gear. This allows the car to use engine braking when going downhill, preventing the danger of brake pads overheating due to prolonged braking by the driver.