What does the plus and minus sign on D gear mean?
2 Answers
D gear with a plus and minus sign indicates the manual mode of the transmission. First, press the brake and pull the gear lever downward to shift into D gear, then push the lever to the right to engage the manual mode. When you need to shift gears, push the lever forward to upshift by one gear or pull it backward to downshift by one gear. The D gear in an automatic transmission does not have the engine braking function and will continuously shift to higher gears as the speed increases downhill, causing the vehicle to go faster and faster. This requires constant use of the foot brake to control the speed, which can easily lead to overheating and failure of the brakes due to excessive use, posing a significant danger. Therefore, when driving an automatic transmission car on a long downhill slope, never use the D gear to avoid accidents.
After driving for so many years, I've always found the plus and minus signs next to the D gear on automatic transmissions to be a particularly practical design. This feature is called manual mode, allowing drivers to control gear shifts when needed. Pushing the gear lever or paddle to the plus sign + upshifts for higher speed and better fuel efficiency; pushing the minus sign - downshifts for more power when climbing steep hills or overtaking. I remember the first time I used it was going downhill on a mountain road—downshifting engaged engine braking to help control speed without heavy braking, making it much safer. New drivers might need some time to get used to it and should avoid random downshifting at high speeds to prevent engine roaring. Modern cars come with protective mechanisms, so it generally won’t damage the transmission, and the driving experience remains smooth.
