What Does the L in Automatic Transmission Stand For?
2 Answers
Automatic transmission L stands for Low gear. When in L gear, the transmission will stay in first gear and not shift up. Using L gear on uphill sections or in poor road conditions can ensure the vehicle's passability. Below is additional information about automatic transmission: 1. Automatic transmission means the driver does not need to manually shift gears; the vehicle will automatically select the appropriate gear based on driving speed and traffic conditions. There are six gears in an automatic transmission car: P, R, N, D, S, and L. 2. Driving an automatic transmission car only requires the use of Park (P), Reverse (R), Neutral (N), and Drive (D) gears to meet general driving needs. If encountering special driving conditions, other functional gears may be needed.
When I first bought my car, I was also curious about what the L gear meant. It actually stands for Low gear. When you shift the lever to L, the transmission will stay in first or second gear and won’t upshift automatically. It’s especially useful for climbing extremely steep slopes. Two years ago, when I went on a self-drive trip to Zhangjiajie, I used L gear to climb a 45-degree slope on the mountain roads without any difficulty. It’s also great for long descents, as the engine helps with braking, so you don’t have to keep pressing the brake pedal. I’ve used it a few times in city traffic jams—the RPM goes a bit higher, but it avoids frequent gear shifts. Just be careful not to suddenly shift into L gear at high speeds, as the transmission will make a loud clunking noise. My mechanic said it can easily damage the gears.