What gear should an automatic car be in when going down a long slope?
2 Answers
When an automatic car is going down a long slope, it should be in D gear. The precautions for driving downhill are: 1. Reduce the speed before descending to enter the downhill section at a slow speed; 2. Shift into the appropriate gear before descending, and avoid shifting gears after entering the downhill section; 3. Never coast in neutral on a downhill slope; use the engine's braking effect to reduce the coasting speed; 4. Test the braking performance before descending, and address any issues before proceeding downhill; 5. Avoid sudden steering wheel movements on downhill sections; 6. Maintain a distance of at least 50 meters from the vehicle ahead; 7. After descending, if there is an uphill section, release the brake pedal in time near the bottom of the slope and shift into a higher gear.
I've driven automatic transmission cars for many years and faced numerous challenges on long descents. That time on a mountain road, the brakes nearly failed, and I later learned to shift into lower gears, like L mode or lower gears in manual mode. This allows using engine braking to control speed instead of relying solely on brakes. Continuous braking downhill overheats brake pads, leading to failure—extremely dangerous. Lower gears let the engine slow the car, preventing accidents. For regular automatic driving, remember this simple operation: before long descents, turn the gear selector to L or S position while maintaining steady speed. Some cars even have hill descent control—worth trying for safer driving. After adopting this habit, I've never had issues again, plus saved on brake repairs.
