Which gear should an automatic transmission car use when going down a long slope?
2 Answers
When going down a long slope with an automatic transmission car, if the car has an L gear, choose to use the L gear. If there is no L gear, then select the S gear, which is available in most automatic transmission cars. Here is the relevant content introduction: Reasons for choosing L gear: This gear is a low-speed gear. After engaging it, the car will automatically maintain a low-speed state, and the car will not accelerate automatically even if the driver steadily presses the accelerator. Reasons for choosing S gear: Its principle is to allow the car to use engine speed to reduce the vehicle speed. The speed and engine speed will not rise too high, and if the engine speed does not increase, the computer program will not choose to shift up. Precautions: Never keep the car in D gear when going down a long slope, especially on roads with continuous ups and downs in many places, as it is quite dangerous to descend in D gear continuously. Because D gear is a forward gear, if you use D gear to go downhill, even if the driver steadily presses the accelerator, the car's speed will continue to increase. In this case, the driver will inevitably need to continuously apply the brakes to slow down, which can easily lead to overheating of the brake pads and brake failure during the process.
I've been driving for so many years, and when going down a long slope with an automatic transmission, I always prefer to shift to a lower gear, like L or 2. This way, the engine helps slow down the car, so I don't have to constantly press the brakes. Once, coming down a mountain, I forgot to shift gears and almost burned out the brake pads—it was really scary. Now, I've made it a habit to switch to L or 2 next to D whenever I see a long slope. It's simple and effortless—the car stabilizes itself. This method protects the braking system from overheating and failure while also saving a bit of fuel. In city driving, you might not notice it much, but in mountainous areas or on steep highway descents, poor speed control can easily lead to accidents. New drivers should practice this in an open area to get the hang of it—it makes driving safer and prevents sudden loss of control. In short, safety comes first, and it also helps the car last longer.
