3rd on auto box secret weapon?

[dan_burdock]

Almost a new lease of life, never used the 3RD gear on my auto box until last night, civic Type R or lookalike, sat on my bumper for about 3 miles, I know the private road very well, and knew after the next bend, open flat "private" road for a good couple of miles!! I read early that day slapping the auto box into third was almost like kick down, so at the bend into 3rd just as I was coming out foot to floor, ££££e it pulled like never before, or at least felt like it, the civic was fading, now if that was me in the civic I would have backed off, no no no the next firking 30 zone and he is there!! sitting on my bumper. Now I have the tobar fitted to the car all the time just for if some plonker runs into the back of me! so I lightly braked !!!! again and again, still sat on my bumper, By this time I had slowed the car down to a crawl about 15-20mph, he indicated in and stopped never to be seen again.
tw@t :troutslap

[Babybadger]

Good man , keep these little civic mincers at bay! I like zooming up behind them then slamming on the brakes , stick on their tail and flash them, you can see them struggling to find their rizlas and gear ...... hehehe then I overtake them and wave..... ;-) I too have a white t5 estate

[dan_burdock]

I think a firking hate vw pissat drivers more or firking renault legunas if I see one my blood boils specialy the estate version these tossers always want to race, Saab drivers are usually ok never had any problems with them, ohh and I almost forgot MGFs...... can't even start with these tw@ts.

[S60D5]

I think a firking hate vw pissat drivers more or firking renault legunas if I see one my blood boils specialy the estate version these tossers always want to race, Saab drivers are usually ok never had any problems with them, ohh and I almost forgot MGFs...... can't even start with these tw@ts.

VW Passats are very nice to drive, though, in the TDi format! :)

I wouldn't mind owning one!

[Engineer]

[QUOTE=dan_burdock]Almost a new lease of life, never used the 3RD gear on my auto box until last night, civic Type R or lookalike, sat on my bumper for about 3 miles, I know the private road very well, and knew after the next bend, open flat "private" road for a good couple of miles!! I read early that day slapping the auto box into third was almost like kick down, so at the bend into 3rd just as I was coming out foot to floor, ££££e it pulled like never before, or at least felt like it, the civic was fading,

I think they all missed the point about the auto mate...........................................

[chriskay]

I read early that day slapping the auto box into third was almost like kick down,

No, Dan, the whole point of using 3rd. is that it's NOTHING like kickdown. Think about it; if you're in 'D' & floor it, the box will select '3' if you're doing less than about 100mph. This means that it'll take off like a scalded cat. When you ease off, the box will select '4' again, causing some loss of torque & possibly unbalancing the car (important if you're in a corner). If you've selected '3', none of this will happen & you can control the car on the throttle. I've got the 280BHP Rica & in Sport mode, '3' is good up to 110mph, which I suggest is ample for ANY corner, except maybe on the track. Added bonus, as you've found, is that by selecting '3', you've already got the revs up, so saving the slight delay using kickdown. I've probably only used kickdown once in the past year; I don't like it. Good observation & planning should make it unneccesary.
Sorry, didn't mean to preach, but too many auto drivers don't appreciate the ability to use the box effectively.
Cheers, Chris.

[JimboT5]

No, Dan, the whole point of using 3rd. is that it's NOTHING like kickdown. Think about it; if you're in 'D' & floor it, the box will select '3' if you're doing less than about 100mph. This means that it'll take off like a scalded cat. When you ease off, the box will select '4' again, causing some loss of torque & possibly unbalancing the car (important if you're in a corner). If you've selected '3', none of this will happen & you can control the car on the throttle. I've got the 280BHP Rica & in Sport mode, '3' is good up to 110mph, which I suggest is ample for ANY corner, except maybe on the track. Added bonus, as you've found, is that by selecting '3', you've already got the revs up, so saving the slight delay using kickdown. I've probably only used kickdown once in the past year; I don't like it. Good observation & planning should make it unneccesary.
Sorry, didn't mean to preach, but too many auto drivers don't appreciate the ability to use the box effectively.
Cheers, Chris.


Listen and learn boys! :biggrin: I've been making use oft the "3" setting lately and it's really useful to inhibit the autobox changing up before/during corners and when I want to make a hasty getaway. I often use a stretch of dual carriageway near to me that you join from a roundabout controlled by traffic lights and is the perfect place to use the 3 setting. Coming onto it from 6 o’ clock and turning right I left it in D and followed a Mini Cooper round who stayed in the right hand lane as he joined the dual carriageway. As I gained on him he moved over but kept it planted and by this point the T5 is in 4th and ambles past Miniman at a rather unremarkable rate, I had to rudely awaken the T5 by mashing my foot to the floor and invoking some rather undignified kickdown. However a few days later I find myself in the same position only this time with “3” selected and some nondescript noddy car in place of the Mini, using the patented "chriskay" method the result is a great victory for the T5.

[nobananas]

...if your gonna start wigglin' the stick around then just get a manual :biggrin:

[S60D5]

...if your gonna start wigglin' the stick around then just get a manual :biggrin:

No clutch = hassle free traffic jams.

[nobananas]

don't you find your left foot goes to sleep ? :biggrin:

[S60D5]

don't you find your left foot goes to sleep ? :biggrin:

Left foot = braking

Right foot = accelerator


:>

Don't worry, I drive manual now!

[JimboT5]

Left foot = braking

Right foot = accelerator


:>

Don't worry, I drive manual now!


I personally drive using my right foot for both pedals, Darren uses both because his right leg is twice as long as his left leg and he can't move it over the brake in time. My left leg doesn't ever go to sleep! Besides on a long journey in a manual you will be doing long stretches without using your left leg, unless you in something like a Daewoo Matiz in which case you need to be in 1st to overtake anything.

I actually think I prefer automatic but it probably depends on the car, I recently drove a neighbours E240 Merc auto and it was pretty boring and sluggish!

[siamblue]

First time i ever tried left foot braking i was doing about 30, nearly put everyone through the windscreen, as i forgot i was driving a auto and hit the clutch pedal which was the brake :slap:

[S60D5]

Darren uses both because his right leg is twice as long as his left leg and he can't move it over the brake in time.



LOL. :insane:

[Engineer]

First time i ever tried left foot braking i was doing about 30, nearly put everyone through the windscreen, as i forgot i was driving a auto and hit the clutch pedal which was the brake :slap:"Some people you just can't reach". LOL :slap:

[siamblue]

"Some people you just can't reach". LOL :slap:

I'll stick to me manual now lol. It was funny though :slap:

[Engineer]

I'll stick to me manual now lol. It was funny though :slap: Is that the Haynes manual. LOL

[siamblue]

Is that the Haynes manual. LOL

Nah mate me Santa & elves manual ;)

[aeroresh]

I used to be able to heel and toe with my old C70 T5 auto.

Knock it down to 3 or 2 and there was a slight delay giving just enough time to "blip" the throttle!

Great for corners. :B_steerin

[dan_burdock]

Been using the third all weekend, great in cold morning makes the turbo whistle!! Wife can't see the point, been doin 90 and slapped it in foot flat and whoosh engine is definately more repsponsive.
Still wish it was manual!!!
Dan

[nobananas]

My old granada 2.8 estate had a three speed auto in it !. 1st was good for about 70mph,2nd would see 110mph then 3rd........actually at this point all the oil fell out the rear crankseal and I as well as most of the M1 had to stop !

[Peter Harvey]

don't you find your left foot goes to sleep ? :biggrin:

Not if you brake with it. Doing that is better for balance with an auto anyway. Beats the auto 'lag' and gets the power down when you need it because you can be on the gas sooner.

[stuAWD]

When my left foot goes sleep, so does the rest of me.
If it actually goes to sleep while I'm driving loooooook ooooouuuuut.

[M44K TS]

If you think keeping it in 3 is impressive, slow to about 40 then select L. It goes to 2nd. I showed a mate of mine last night how quick these cars can be. It pulled from 40 -90 in 2nd within a few seconds.

that's mph aswell

[Babybadger]

If you think keeping it in 3 is impressive, slow to about 40 then select L. It goes to 2nd. I showed a mate of mine last night how quick these cars can be. It pulled from 40 -90 in 2nd within a few seconds.

that's mph aswell

Won't that break the box doing that?

[dan_burdock]

Whats L for?

[chriskay]

No, the rev. limiter will save it & the box won't let you select a gear too low for the road speed. Not altogether sympathetic though. (Still, you've got to have a bit of fun from time to time).
Cheers, Chris.

[chriskay]

Whats L for?
'L' restricts the box to gears 1 & 2. However, if you're in Economy & you slow to about 20 MPH, the box will select '1', with quite a jerk. If you're in Sport, it doesn't select '1' till about 6 MPH. Also, once it's selected '1', it won't change up again until you move the stick to '3' or 'D'
Cheers, Chris.

[al c]

Is "L" not for lockdown?

As in it locks the box in 1st?

[chriskay]

You may be right; I always thought it stood for 'Low'. Certainly, with 'L' selected, once the box is in '1' it won't change up to '2'; could be useful on VERY steep descents, but if the road speed is high enough when you select 'L', it uses '2' until the speed is low enough for '1'. Conversely, in 'Winter', '1' is locked out & it starts in '2'
Cheers, Chris.

[nobananas]

Don't do what a mate of mine did when he was an apprentice mechanic and select 'p' at 80 mph !....big black marks....

[M44K TS]

ROFL is that why he was an apprentice!

I had my fun with the 'box but i won't be doing it again. Just decided how far i could push it in L because i wasn't 100% sure what it was for.

On the subject of 'park', (2 seperate occasions here) A mate of mine decided to put the car in drive when i was parked up and out the car, i thought he's mature enough not to touch the lever with the engine running and no handbrake. How wrong i was, i heard the car move then a loud thud, i turned around and seen my car about 2mm off the back bumper of a brand new Merc. bouncing back and forth.

Couple of months later, i pulled over to close my boot properly, and another 'mate' decided it would be hilarious to jump in the driving seat and drive away leaving me in the middle of the road. He came back, still rolling and shifted straight to Park. A slightly louder thud this time and i feared the worst.

Tip for auto owners that have mates that don't know the first thing about driving them. If you get out the car, take the keys!