What do the letters “s” and “P” mean of the gearbox of an automatic vehicle?

When you have a vehicle You must know each and every one of the parts that are involved in driving. From how to start the vehicle, to the places where you must park it, through the periodic reviews you must make to them. In this context, automatic vehicles are the ones that offer the most facilities.

The Automatic cars They came to stay. Since automatic cars appeared in our lives, there are many who have opted for the purchase of this type of vehicle due to the comfort it supposes with respect to a manual car. Today it is normal to see that more and more people talk about a car of this type since they bring various facilities.

Main mistakes made by automatic car drivers

The main advantage of automatic cars is their ease of driving, since the driver does not have to worry about changing marcheswhich makes driving more comfortable. Instead of a manual gear lever, they have a lever with “P” mode (parking), “r” (reverse), “n” (neutral) and “d” (drive), that is, to park, back, point dead and move forward respectively.

  • P (parking): When you put the lever in the letter “P” the car will be blocked and cannot be moved or pushed. It is the recommended position when the car is stopped. It is important not to put this march with the car in motion since you could damage the gearbox. In fact, many vehicles do not allow it until they have stopped completely.
  • R (reverse or backward): As the name implies the letter R it is to back down. It should only be used when the car is completely arrested.
  • N (neutral or dead point): It is like the dead point of manual cars. In this position the wheels are not connected to the transmission, so the vehicle could rolling if it is slope.
  • D Drive (forward driving): This is the march in which you spend most of the time. In D, the car is in charge of automatically changing speed according to the acceleration and road conditions. You just have to worry about accelerating and stopping

Other positions you can find

S (Sport): It is the sports mode of some models. If your car has S mode, it means that it adjusts the change to offer a more aggressive response. Normally, keep the marches more time for the engine to rise more than revolutions before changing. Ideal for when you want a more dynamic driving.

L: This mode limits the transmission to short marches. It is used in pronounced descents or by dragging a trailer to take advantage of the motor brake and avoid overheating the brakes.

B (motor brake, common in hybrids and electric): In some hybrids and electric, mode B increases engine retention to regenerate energy and reduce brake use. Useful in long drops or in urban traffic to save battery, although it can consume a lot of fuel on the road.

Considers to take care of your automatic car

Many of the mistakes we make are largely due due to ignorance that is due to misuse. Above all, in this type of vehicles that had less and less and more frequent on roads since as the years go by, they are more affordable. From Diariomotor they explain five mistakes we make with our automatic vehicles:

1. Use the “P” as a handbrake: Many people apart from using the “P” to park, also use it as a handbrake. You should not use it as a handbrake, because we will be downloading the entire weight of the car on the transmission instead of the brake. This is especially serious in pronounced slopes.

2. The point of the dead in the long arrests: One of the advantages of automatic cars is that they do not fit. We can be arrested with the gear gear, and while we are stepping on the brake, the car will not move.

3. Automatic change oil: Many people forget that automatic car boxes are also bathed in lubricating fluid. It is very important in torque converter change boxes and in the double clutch boxes with oil bathed in oil.

4. Move the lever with the brake and stop: Many modern cars do not even let you move the lever if you are not stopped to safeguard mechanics, but in older cars it is a mistake that is easily made. If we are going to go from “P” to “D” we must be arrested.

5. Be careful if they are going to tow you: Your car has broken down and does not start. As in manual cars, to be towed it must be in a dead man. In some cars such as the XF Jaguar Putting the point, it requires disassembling interior moldings if the electrical system is useless. Given the impossibility or ignorance of putting an automatic in the dead, a platform crane must be carried. Drag an automatic that is not in a dead man – although they are just a few meters – can generate a very expensive breakdown.