You've bought your first automatic car and while it may be exciting to finally drive without the hassle of shifting gears every now and then, there are a few very important things you must remember. This list of things you should not do while driving an automatic car must be taken very seriously if you want to maintain your car and avoid accidents. There are various types of automatic transmissions that vehicles these days come with, however, these mistakes can happen on all of them if you're unaware of what they are. Without wasting any more time then, let us get going.
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It's not a good idea to switch gears when you're moving in an automatic car. Especially, shifting from Drive to Parking. Do make sure to bring the vehicle to a complete stop before doing so. Putting a car from Neutral to Drive when the vehicle is moving is also not recommended since it puts a steep load on the torque converter and the bearing it rides in.
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One of the most important things that you should not do while driving an automatic car is drive downhill when in Neutral. People believe that this can curb fuel consumption but in reality, the amount of fuel saved with such a process is negligible. Also, driving on Neutral will mean that you'll need to bring the vehicle to a complete halt when you wish to start accelerating again after the slope ends.
People driving automatic cars should always remember not to shift from Drive to Neutral while the car is moving. Automatic transmissions have built-in hydraulic pumps that are driven when the transmission is engaged. Putting the car in Neutral when it's moving increases the wear and tear on the transmission mechanism.
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While using both feet is a necessity for manual transmission cars, it's an absolute no-no for automatic transmission vehicles. That's because since they don't come with a clutch, only two pedals are available for you to control - the accelerator and the brake. If you place each of your feet on the two pedals, things could get confusing and you might end up pushing both of them at once, sending the car into a tizzy. Most car manufacturers hence provide a resting space for your left foot in their automatic cars.
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There's absolutely no use for you to put your car in Neutral at the traffic signal. It's fine to leave it in Drive as it won't affect your car's fuel consumption. Putting your car in Neutral will put more strain on your gearbox unnecessarily. Plus, putting it back in Drive mode will consume as much fuel as you'll save by putting it in Neutral.
These few things you should not do while driving an automatic car should definitely help you take good care of your new automatic car and make the most of its driving capabilities.
