How To Drive An Automatic Car In Kenya
In this article Keweb. co tries to answer the question by publishing the ways one can Drive An Automatic Car in Kenya
Below are the most helpful ways to Drive An Automatic Car in Kenya
Although automatic gearboxes are generally very easy to use, confusion comes when starting and stopping.
When you get into a car with an automatic gearbox, it should have been left in the ‘park’.
How to start an automatic car
- Put your right foot on the left-hand pedal (the brake) and push down
- Start the car by twisting the key or pressing the start button
- With your foot still on the brake, move the shifter to ‘D’ (if you want to drive forward) or ‘R’ (if you want to reverse)
- Lift your foot off the brake, this will cause most automatic vehicles to ‘creep’ forwards
- To gain speed, gently press your right foot down on the right pedal (the accelerator)
- Once moving, the gearbox will select the correct gear for the situation and do all the hard work for you
How to stop an automatic car
- As you reduce the speed, the automatic transmission will shift down in gears for you
- When you’ve finished your journey, press down on the brake pedal until the car stops
- While stationary, keep your foot on the brake and shift the lever to ‘P’
- Apply the handbrake (either a lever or button usually next to the gear selector)
- Then turn the ignition off
In the image above, you will notice two other letters on the gear shifter.
The ‘S’ stands for Sports Mode. This will often lower a car’s suspension, increase the level of sensitivity to the throttle, and increase the speed of the vehicle’s acceleration. The car will often stay in a gear longer to maximize the level of speed.
The ‘L’ refers to Low Mode. This will tell the car to remain in a lower gear for more power and less speed. This will help with towing and steep slopes.
The different types of automatic gearboxes
Although any car which changes gears without the driver having to use a clutch pedal is generally considered to be automatic, there are in fact a number of different types of automatic gearboxes.
Conventional automatic gearboxes
These use a ‘torque-converter’ to do the job of the clutch, and are more refined than other automatic ’boxes, but will use more fuel than manuals.
Luxury cars such as the Range Rover and Volvo XC90 stick with a conventional automatic transmission – using as many as nine gears.
Continuously variable transmissions (CVT)
CVTs are popular in hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius, as they do away with cogs in favour of a belt which acts as a single gear ratio.
As well as being more efficient and more reliable, they also make for a smoother drive as the car doesn’t have to skip between gears.
A downside is slower acceleration than other automatic gearboxes, and a loud, strained engine sound can occur if you attempt to make rapid progress.