Which gear should be used for long downhill slopes in an automatic transmission?

1 Answers
MacParker
07/29/25 3:18pm
When driving downhill on a long slope with an automatic transmission, it is recommended to use the L gear. The main purpose is to keep the engine at a low speed while still providing a braking effect. Especially on long downhill slopes, continuously pressing the brake pedal while in D gear can easily cause the brake pads to overheat and lose their braking effectiveness, which can be life-threatening in severe cases. The methods for descending long slopes are as follows: When the L gear is available: For automatic transmission cars descending long slopes, use the L gear if available; if there is no L gear, use manual mode. When manual mode is not available: Use the S gear while pressing the brake pedal. When neither L gear, S gear, nor manual mode is available: Use D gear. This is because the lower the gear, the greater the engine's braking force. Maintaining the vehicle in a lower gear results in a slower speed increase compared to higher gears. Combined with the use of the brake pedal, the braking effect is more significant and safer.
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