Why AUTOs can be dangerous

I like to be in control.

In fact I'd go as far as saying that AUTOs can be dangerous.

Picture this, in a corner, in the wet, throttle on constant speed, the auto
transmission decides to kick down, wheels break traction (wheely) an
inexperienced person can crash.

Same with motorcycles, I used to have an auto but never again (and for the
same reason as auto cars).


Who's with me on this?!

Craig

 

Nah, manuals definately more dangerous, combine having to look at the speedo
with one eyeball, road with the other, ears listening for a police siren,
brain worrying how few points you have to risk, mouth singing "Bohemium
Raphsody", one hand off the wheel on the gear lever, the other turning the
power steer wheel for the corner, working out how many rpm required for the
right foot and co-ordinate a clutch pedal with the left foot, no wonder
there's so many accidents, BAN MANUALS.

 

I'm now up to my 8th car (well, 4-wheeled vehicle) and only one of those
has been an auto. That was only because it's very, very hard to find a
secondhand Falcon or Commodore wagon made after 1990 with a manual.

My reasons have little to do with safety though:

1. You can't easily push-start an auto;
2. They use more fuel (with the Commode, substantially more);
3. Combine auto transmission with cruise control and it's no wonder people
fall asleep on country roads - you're just steering rather than driving.


BTH
(Truck drivin', tree huggin', trailer trash hillbilly bikie.)

 

you need to push the pedal down far enough before the auto will kick down

you are on your own

 

Picture this, in a corner, in the wet, throttle on constant speed, the auto

Just dont push the throttle enough to do that.

I have had 3 auto's (all Falcons). From when I first drove one I could easily
control the kickdown. It would only do it mid-corner if I really gave it some
juice.

Would I do this in the wet??? Definetly not - that is dangerous auto or manual

Paul

 

Unless that corner is on a steep hill and you're having to depress
the throttle substantially in order to keep constant speed, it's
not going to kick down... and unless you're driving a beast, it's
also unlikely to wheel spin after it kicks down.

I'd say driving a manual is more dangerous in the hands of an
inexperienced person in that situation if they've passed sensory
overload. Less to think about in an auto.

Cheers,
Rod.

 

Any auto would require a big DELIBERATE push on the loud pedal to kick down,
they don't just "decide" to do it. Quite frankly if an inexperienced driver
would have trouble controlling an auto in such a situation then he'd be
totally fucked trying to get around a similar corner in a stick shift.

Depends. An auto bike is really quite an unusual thing and would be of
little or no real benefit anyway as most people who ride bikes do so to get
a kick out of it, something that would be lacking in an auto bike. Cars, on
the other hand, are more a necessity or in my view a raincoat and a shopping
trolley. I really have no preferance one way or the other save that an auto
is easier on my battered and bolted together left leg.

'Fraid not old boy.
--
Deevo

Geraldton
WA, The Nanny State (® Corks)
www.wn.com.au/mckenzie

 

I reckon the main problem is usually the nut on the steering wheel.

 

I like to be in control.


If your not in control of an Auto or driving to the conditions, you
should hand your license in immediately..

<snip the rest of the troll>
|

 

No auto will kickdown on constant throttle .. they have a kickdown switch at
the bottom travel of the throttle pedal .. not to mention unless it was up a
hill it probably woudlnt do it anyway ..

if your flooring it round a corner your asking for trouble in ANY car ..

 

I've had similar experiences with autos (cars, of course) from time to time.
It's usually the older autos whose transmissions haven't been maintained as
well as they probably should have been (thankfully not mine) and who have
too large a delay before they kick down. My experience has been that I'd
give it a boot-full to get it to kick down *before* entering the corner,
then have to wait too long before it actually changed - and by then I'd be
in the corner. Not fun.

My main gripe is that no matter how good the auto is, it can never
anticipate which gear you're *going* to want in a few seconds. Sure, you can
kick it down, but it's just not the same as a quick blip, downshift and then
entering the corner smoothly and under reasonable acceleration. I test-drove
a new BA XR6 the other day, and even the supposedly Tiptronic-like
transmission lags according to what the computer thinks is best. I thought
the whole *point* of the thing was to override the computer, but hey, what
would a mere driver know?

Of course, you're going to get laughed at if you take an auto to a track
day, and that's a consideration for me too

I've also had *bad* experiences (in a new EL Fairmont, believe it or not)
where the cruise control refused to turn off after I braked!! I'd been on
the brakes for a second or so, then suddenly something just gave it a decent
whack of throttle - presumably to get it back up to 100km/h, which was the
speed limit - and suddenly I was hurtling through a recommended 60km/h
corner at 100km/h, hard on the brakes! I was already in the corner and
didn't want to come off the brakes just in case it spun up the rear. Very
scary. I had some *very* sharp words to say to the dealer after that
incident...

I guess it's to each their own - I'll still use cruise control, and I'll
still occasionally drive an auto when I have to - but I'm with you on the
"only buying manuals" part. Call me a control freak; call me a pedant, but
I'm just much more confident in a vehicle that will only do what I want it
to do, *when* I want it. I do have to admit that my left leg gets pretty
sore when driving in peak hour traffic in the city, but I can live with
that.



Regards,
Andrew

 

Lower the height of the driver's seat and it's not a problem.

J.

 

Cabbies won't

 

For gods-sake people; this is a thread about not having sufficient skill to handle an automatic car!
Go to aus.cars if you wanna' participate; don't cross-post it HERE!!

 

Sorry bud your on your own. I like manuals cause I find them more fun, and I
like the idea of being able to push start them given a flat battery.

 

Fair 'nuff - but I'm not a cabbie

Might be a good form of exercise though <g>

 

Coupple of crazies I know of race Cressida Auto's in stocker classes in the
USA. They use the Turbo supra version of trhe engine, and regularly beat
manual versions. Trannie fliud is only good for one race.
Been wondering whether the auto ratios suit the circuits they win on. Now I
know
(BTW - I've always regarded Toyotas manual gear ratios not qite right.)

 

Ummm.....

Ron


"Knobdoodle" wrote

 

I did. Many moons ago I drove a manual cab.
My left leg is still stronger than my right though....

Moike

 

Nope. I like to do it myself.

The only auto I ever owned never broke traction. But then again it was a
Mini....

Moike