In the world automobile market in the samedegrees are widely represented vehicles equipped with both mechanical (manual transmission) and automatic (automatic transmission) gearbox. And it can not be said that one of these transmission variants has some special advantages over another. It's just that each of them has certain advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the final choice of the variant of driving is undoubtedly yours as a future or actual owner of the vehicle. After all, despite any recommendations and advice, it is you who determine the amount with which you are ready to part for the sake of acquiring a car, you know your driving style, and also perfectly imagine in what conditions the car will have to travel. If to summarize the opinions of specialists and experienced drivers, the automatic box is more suitable for beginners who are only to receive the rights, and for people who prefer a quiet manner of driving in the modern metropolis. But lovers of thrills and drive with a long experience of driving, it is better to stop your choice on the machine with a manual transmission. Unequivocally, we can say that the advantages of the automatic box include:
- simplicity of driving;
- rapid training of newcomers to the basics of driving;
- the opportunity to give maximum attention to the road;
- no overloads of the vehicle engine.
And the main shortcomings include a large,compared with the mechanical box, the cost of the car, the complexity of maintenance and quite expensive repairs. And also, according to the drivers themselves, cars with automatic transmission do not recognize extreme driving conditions. Therefore, if you have not yet decided on the choice of the car, think about how you will operate it and whether you plan to spend a lot of money on its maintenance. But how to properly manage a car that has an automatic transmission (transmission) to less often repair it, we will tell further. 
Appearance and modes of operation of automatic transmissions
Wherever you are accustomed to seeing the lever with the manual gearbox,with which the driver switches the speed, in the car with the automatic transmission there is a small lever with a button - the so-called mode selector. This does not mean that the concept of gear shift is absent here at all - no, just this function entirely belongs to the electronic control system, that is, to the computer. In the visible part of the box, the automatic box in Latin letters denotes its modes of operation, for example:
In addition to the basic positions of the lever, the automatic box,there are also additional. In particular, we will talk about the winter regime. Depending on the car brand, it can be indicated in several variants, for example: "*", "HOLD", "W", "SNOW". Such a special program for driving in winter conditions, when the road surface is often slippery, is designed to exclude slipping at the moment when the car starts to move from its place, and when changing gears. In winter mode, your vehicle starts its movement immediately from the second gear, and their further switching is carried out at a lower speed, which reduces the probability of both light and uncontrolled drifts. The use of winter mode in summer is not allowed, since it puts a heavy load on the automatic box, it overheats and its wear increases.
When and how to activate the automatic transmission modes
Before moving the gear lever inone or another position, you should start the engine of the car, squeeze the brake and press the button located on the lever (side, front or top). The transfer you need is turned on one to two seconds after the mode was selected. At the same time, if you notice, the motor sounds more deaf. Remember that for both pedals only the right leg responds, the left does not participate in the process. Of course, in some cases, the modes are switched and without the need to press the brake or press the button. This happens when the car is already on the road. To start the car, release the brake pedal. If the gear lever is set to "D", the machine will go forward if "R" mode is selected - backward. "Neutral" allows the car to just stand still or roll to the slope - do not forget about it and do not let the brake go unnecessarily. It turns out that regardless of whether you press the accelerator or not, in the modes of motion and reverse the engine still seems to push the car. Characteristics and quality of driving on the car, which has an automatic box, depends on exactly how you will pressure the gas pedal. Smooth pressing will ensure acceleration without jerks and a leisurely gear shift. If there is a need to accelerate, do not be afraid to add gas by pressing the pedal all the way. Thus, you are giving commands to an automatic box - more intense, faster, more powerful. Know that in this case the engine will first enter the kick-down mode, simply speaking, the automatic transmission will go to a lower gear, and only after that the car will accelerate. Such a second delay between pressing the gas and a real set of turns with a leisurely ride is insignificant, but when overtaking, when there are fractions of a second on the account, it can lead to disastrous results. That's why fans of extreme driving often choose a vehicle with a mechanical transmission.
Learning to stop right
There is nothing easier than the implementation of a stopcar, which has an automatic transmission. To do this, simply press the brake. But here the question arises as to whether it is necessary to shift the gearbox from "D" to another position. And here's how to proceed:
- switch if the stop is long (more than half a minute);
- Do not switch if it is short-lived, for example, in front of a traffic light.
What does it give? In the first case, fuel is saved, because the engine does not have to push the brake on the car. The lever can be moved to the "N" position, yet still hold the brake pedal, or turn on the "P" mode, resting the leg. The second option will extend the life of non-expensive box mechanisms. If you are slowly moving in a traffic jam, always moving from one place to another, then stopping the gearbox lever to the "N" position, because it is from there and back to the "D" mode that the car will automatically go without additional pressing. 
Manual brake and its functions in cars with automatic transmission
According to the owners of cars with a box-machine,they practically do not use a handbrake (parking brake). Although the rules of operation there is an item that encourages drivers still do not trust the parking mode completely and use a handbrake. Whether there is a rational grain in this and whether the frequent use of the parking brake is so necessary, it is difficult to answer, since the owners of cars with automatic transmission do not have a habit to check its position before starting the movement. And if the handbrake was still involved and forgotten, the driver is often at a loss, not paying attention in time to the signal from the instrument panel. But it is worth all the same to mention separately the cases when the handbrake is simply necessary, for example:
- stop the car with the engine running, especially when the driver needs to leave the salon;
- reliable fixation of the position of the car (when replacing the wheels and so on.);
- stop on a steep slope, before going into parking mode (otherwise the lever from the "P" position will have to be translated with great effort).
In any case, try not to forget to check the position of the handbrake - this will save you extra trouble with the car.
What the box-machine does not like
Load and serious speed - enemies of the coldAutomatic transmission. In winter, when you preheat the engine, you simultaneously prepare for the drive and the gearbox. In the summer this does not happen, so do not rush to accelerate at the first few kilometers - give time to ensure that the oil has reached the necessary temperature. In winter, you can, so to speak, disperse oil in the box, moving the lever in different positions and slightly lingering in each of them. Owners of cars equipped with automatic transmission, it is important to avoid driving off-road, because this type of box does not tolerate wheel slip. If the machine is still stuck, try to return on your own track back. The main thing is not to try to leave in the "D" mode: for this, there are modes of low speeds, which are marked with the symbols "L" or "1" and are analogous to the first transmission in a car with manual transmission. With the towing of heavy trailers or another car with your help, it's also better not to experiment, since the automatic box at high loads has the property of overheating, and this, in turn, leads to premature wear of its mechanisms. A certain difficulty for a vehicle with an automatic transmission is represented by its own towing. This is allowed only in case of emergency and in strict accordance with the rules of operation of the particular automatic box that your car is equipped with. It is important not to overheat, so the towing distance should not exceed 50 km. Remember that some vehicles have such automatic transmission, which generally prohibits their movement by means of a tow rope. So, it turns out, how many nuances the automatic box contains. However, the fact is that in a metropolitan city with its constant traffic jams and traffic lights a young driver, of course, it will be easier to learn how to drive with an automatic transmission. Yes, and many experienced motorists recently are happy to transfer to vehicles with this kind of gearbox, because it allows you to make driving in urban conditions the most comfortable. In general, in order to become less likely to become a client of various kinds of service workshops and look there only for the purpose of routine diagnostics or maintenance, it is necessary to pay special attention to the style of driving with an automatic transmission. Smooth acceleration and deceleration is much more preferable than sudden pressure on the gas pedal and brake. This allows you to make fuel consumption more economical, not only in the mode of driving outside the city, but also in its line. To save life and health for yourself and others, do not forget about those notorious two to three seconds delay between pressing the gas and switching gears in the automatic transmission, so overtaking maneuvers should be done carefully, without fidgeting. The issue of operation should also be approached reasonably, because the cost of a new automatic transmission or repair is broken is very high. However, the correct driving style in acceptable conditions will ensure the serviceability of this important comfortable ride of the equipment. We advise you to read:
