Automatic Transmission - Automatic Transmission Modes

Automatic Transmission Modes

Conventionally, in order to select the transmission operating mode, the driver moves a selection lever located either on the steering column or on the floor (as with a manual on the floor, except that most automatic selectors on the floor do not move in the same type of pattern as a manual lever; most automatic levers only move vertically). In order to select modes, or to manually select specific gear ratios, the driver must push a button in (called the shift lock button) or pull the handle (only on column mounted shifters) out. Some vehicles position selector buttons for each mode on the cockpit instead, freeing up space on the central console. Vehicles conforming to US Government standards must have the modes ordered P-R-N-D-L (left to right, top to bottom, or clockwise). Prior to this, quadrant-selected automatic transmissions often used a P-N-D-L-R layout, or similar. Such a pattern led to a number of deaths and injuries owing to driver error causing unintentional gear selection, as well as the danger of having a selector (when worn) jump into Reverse from Low gear during engine braking maneuvers.

Automatic transmissions have various modes depending on the model and make of the transmission. Some of the common modes include:

Park (P)

This selection mechanically locks the output shaft of transmission, restricting the vehicle from moving in any direction. A parking pawl prevents the transmission from rotating, and therefore the vehicle from moving, although the vehicle's driven wheels may still rotate individually (because of the differential), also non-driven roadwheels may still rotate freely. For this reason, it is recommended to use the hand brake (or parking brake) because this actually locks (in most cases) the rear wheels and prevents them from moving. This also increases the life of the transmission and the park pin mechanism, because parking on an incline with the transmission in park without the parking brake engaged will cause undue stress on the parking pin. An efficiently adjusted hand brake should also prevent the car from moving if a worn selector accidentally drops into reverse gear during early morning fast-idle engine warm-ups. It should be noted that locking the transmission output shaft using park does not positively lock the driving wheels. If one driving wheel has little vertical load it will tend to slip, and will rotate in the opposite direction to the more heavily loaded non-slipping wheel. Only a (properly adjusted) parking brake can be relied upon to positively lock both of the parking-braked wheels. (This is not the case with certain 1950's Chrysler products that carried their parking brake on the transmission tailshaft, a defect compounded by the provision of a bumper jack). It is typical of front-wheel-drive vehicles for the parking brake to be on the rear (non-driving) wheels, so use of both the parking brake and the transmission park lock provides the greatest security against unintended movement on slopes. However, buses in Hong Kong (Kowloon Motor Bus) do not have Parking mode (P), instead, they are using a single lever to prevent the whole bus from moving.

A car should be allowed to come to a complete stop before setting the transmission into park to prevent damage. Usually, Park (P) is one of only two selections in which the car's engine can be started, the other being Neutral (N) (Buses in Hong Kong mentioned above has to be in Neutral mode (N) ONLY before the engine can be started). In many modern cars and trucks, the driver must have the foot brake applied before the transmission can be taken out of park. The Park position is omitted on buses/coaches (and some road tractors) with automatic transmission (on which a parking pawl is not practical), which must be placed in neutral with the air-operated parking brakes set. Advice is given in some owner's manuals (example: 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme owner's manual) that if the vehicle is parked on a steep slope using the park lock only, it may not be possible to release the park lock (move the selector lever out of "P"). Another vehicle may be required to push the stuck vehicle uphill slightly to remove the loading on the park lock pawl.

Most automobiles require P or N to be set on the selector lever before the engine can be started. This is typically achieved via a normally-open inhibitor switch (sometimes called a "neutral safety switch") wired in series with the starter motor engagement circuit, which is closed when P or N is selected, completing the circuit (when the key is turned to the start position), along with any other safety devices which may be present on newer cars (such as a foot-brake application).

Reverse (R)

This engages reverse gear within the transmission, permitting the vehicle to be driven backward, and operates a switch to turn on the backup lights for improved visibility (the switch may also activate a beeper on delivery trucks or other large vehicles to warn other drivers and nearby pedestrians of the driver's reverse movement). To select reverse in most transmissions, the driver must come to a complete stop, depress the shift lock button (or move the shift lever toward the driver in a column shifter, or move the shifter sideways along a notched channel in a console shifter) and select reverse. Not coming to a complete stop may cause severe damage to the transmission. Some modern automatic transmissions have a safety mechanism in place, which does, to some extent, prevent (but not completely avoid) inadvertently putting the car in reverse when the vehicle is moving forward; such a mechanism may consist of a solenoid-controlled physical barrier on either side of the Reverse position, electronically engaged by a switch on the brake pedal. Therefore, the brake pedal needs to be depressed in order to allow the selection of reverse. Some electronic transmissions prevent or delay engagement of reverse gear altogether while the car is moving.

Some shifters with a shift button allow the driver to freely move the shifter from R to N or D, or simply moving the shifter to N or D without actually depressing the button. However, the driver cannot shift back to R without depressing the shift button, to prevent accidental shifting, especially at high speeds, which could damage the transmission.

Neutral/No gear (N)

This disengages all gear trains within the transmission, effectively disconnecting the transmission from the driven wheels, allowing the vehicle to coast freely under its own weight and gain momentum without the motive force from the engine (engine braking). This is the only other selection in which the vehicle's engine may be started.

Drive (D)

This position allows the transmission to engage the full range of available forward gear ratios, allowing the vehicle to move forward and accelerate through its range of gears. The number of gear ratios within the transmission depends on the model, but they initially ranged from three (predominant before the 1990s), to four and five speeds (losing popularity to six-speed autos, though still favored by Chrysler and Honda/Acura). Six-speed automatic transmissions are probably the most common offering in cars from 2010 in such cars as Toyota Camry V6 models, the newer GM cars and trucks, and Ford cars and trucks. However, seven-speed automatics are becoming available in some high-performance production luxury cars (found in Mercedes 7G gearbox, Infiniti), as are eight-speed autos in models from 2006 introduced by Aisin Seiki Co. in Lexus, ZF and Hyundai Motor Company.

Overdrive ('D', 'OD', or a boxed or the absence of an illuminated 'O/D OFF')

This mode is used in some transmissions to allow early computer-controlled transmissions to engage the automatic overdrive. In these transmissions, Drive (D) locks the automatic overdrive off, but is identical otherwise. OD (Overdrive) in these cars is engaged under steady speeds or low acceleration at approximately 35–45 mph (56–72 km/h). Under hard acceleration or below 35–45 mph (56–72 km/h), the transmission will automatically downshift. Vehicles with this option should be driven in this mode unless circumstances require a lower gear.

Third (3)

This mode limits the transmission to the first three gear ratios, or sometimes locks the transmission in third gear. This can be used to climb or going down hill. Some vehicles will automatically shift up out of third gear in this mode if a certain revolutions per minute (RPM) range is reached in order to prevent engine damage. This gear is also recommended while towing a trailer.

Second (2 or S)

This mode limits the transmission to the first two gear ratios, or locks the transmission in second gear on Ford, Kia, and Honda models. This can be used to drive in adverse conditions such as snow and ice, as well as climbing or going down hills in winter. It is usually recommended to use second gear for starting on snow and ice, and use of this position enables this with an automatic transmission. Some vehicles will automatically shift up out of second gear in this mode if a certain RPM range is reached in order to prevent engine damage.

Although traditionally considered second gear, there are other names used. Chrysler models with a three-speed automatic since the late 1980s have called this gear 3 while using the traditional names for Drive and Low. Oldsmobile has called second gear as the 'Super' range — which was first used on their 4-speed Hydramatic transmissions, although the use of this term continued until the early 1980s when GM's Turbo Hydramatic automatic transmissions were standardized by all of their divisions years after the 4-speed Hydramatic was discontinued.

First (1 or L )

This mode locks the transmission in first gear only. In older vehicles, it will not change to any other gear range. Some vehicles will automatically shift up out of first gear in this mode if a certain RPM range is reached in order to prevent engine damage. This, like second, can be used during the winter season, for towing, or for downhill driving to increase the engine braking effect.

As well as the above modes there are also other modes, dependent on the manufacturer and model. Some examples include:

D5

In Hondas and Acuras equipped with five-speed automatic transmissions, this mode is used commonly for highway use (as stated in the manual), and uses all five forward gears.

D4

This mode is also found in Honda and Acura four or five-speed automatics, and only uses the first four gear ratios. According to the manual, it is used for stop-and-go traffic, such as city driving.

D3 or 3

This mode is found in Honda, Acura, Volkswagen and Pontiac four-speed automatics and only uses the first three gear ratios. According to the manual, it is used for stop-and-go traffic, such as city driving.

D2 and D1

These modes are found on older Ford transmissions (C6, etc.). In D1, all three gears are used, whereas in D2 the car starts in second gear and upshifts to third.

S or Sport

This is commonly described as Sport mode. It operates in an identical manner as "D" mode, except that the upshifts change much higher up the engine's rev range. This has the effect on maximising all the available engine output, and therefore enhances the performance of the vehicle, particularly during acceleration. This mode will also downchange much higher up the rev range compared to "D" mode, maximising the effects of engine braking. This mode will have a detrimental effect on fuel economy. Hyundai has a Norm/Power switch next to the gearshift for this purpose on the Tiburon.

Some early GMs equipped with HYDRA-MATIC transmissions used (S) to indicate Second gear, being the same as the 2 position on a Chrysler, shifting between only first and second gears. This would have been recommended for use on steep grades, or slippery roads like dirt, or ice, and limited to speeds under 40 mph. (L) was used in some early GMs to indicate (L)ow gear, being the same as the 2 position on a Chrysler, locking the transmission into first gear. This would have been recommended for use on steep grades, or slippery roads like dirt, or ice, and limited to speeds under 15 mph.

+ −, and M

This is for the Manual mode selection of gears in certain automatics, such as Porsche's Tiptronic. The M feature can also be found in Chrysler and General Motors products such as the Dodge Magnum, Journey, and Pontiac G6, Mazda products such as the Mazda 3, Mazda6, and the CX-7, as well as Toyota's Camry, Corolla, Fortuner, Previa and Innova. Mitsubishi and some Audi models (Audi TT), meanwhile do not have the M, and instead have the + and -, which is separated from the rest of the shift modes; the same is true for some Peugeot products like Peugeot 206. Meanwhile, the driver can shift up and down at will by toggling the (console mounted) shift lever similar to a semi-automatic transmission. This mode may be engaged either through a selector/position or by actually changing the gears (e.g., tipping the gear-down paddles mounted near the driver's fingers on the steering wheel).

Winter (W)

In some Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and General Motors Europe models, a winter mode can be engaged so that second gear is selected instead of first when pulling away from stationary, to reduce the likelihood of loss of traction due to wheel spin on snow or ice. On GM cars, this was D2 in the 1950s, and is Second Gear Start after 1990. On Ford, Kia, and Honda automatics, this feature can be accessed by moving the gear selector to 2 to start, then taking your foot off the accelerator while selecting D once the car is moving.

Brake (B)

A mode selectable on some Toyota models. In non-hybrid cars, this mode lets the engine do compression braking, also known as engine braking, typically when encountering a steep downhill. Instead of engaging the brakes, the engine in a non-hybrid car switches to a lower gear and slows down the spinning tires. The engine holds the car back, instead of the brakes slowing it down. GM called this "HR" ("hill retarder") and "GR" ("grade retarder") in the 1950s. For hybrid cars, this mode converts the electric motor into a generator for the battery (Regenerative Braking). It is not the same as downshifting in a non-hybrid car, but it has the same effect in slowing the car without using the brakes.