RE: How do you drive an auto tranny? General handling/driving info sought

["Aidrian Bridgeman-Sutton" <aidrian.bridgeman-sutton@domain.elided>]

Depending on how you drive the auto can be a very relaxing gentle sort
of experience or it can be used like a clutchless manual gearbox to give
some quite exhilarating driving.

Aside from Alfas my other great car love is the old Rover 3500 series
(the P6 not the SD1). I'd probably buy another Rover if they still made
cars like that (but as an Alfa supplement, not as a replacement). Now I
never did find a 3500s which had the manual shift so I had plain old
automatic version. It's still the one car that I *really* regret
selling, but one day I might find another. The fact is that it could be
a comfortable sedate, limousine-like drive on the sort of day that you
just wanted to enjoy the journey rather than the drive and the auto
would take care of the shifting. Just let that engine burble along and
enjoy the smell of leather and polish.

On the other hand it was my regular drive and on occasion it used to get
me places fairly rapidly. (Oddly enough, my 164 has more in common with
the way that Rover used to feel when pressed than many other cars which
are much closer in design and engineering  - both make a sudden dramatic
change from comfy exec barge to something with proper Gran Turismo
credentials when you use the loud pedal.)

The secret in the auto was to treat the box like a manual box - shift
into the gear you need coming out of the bend before you get there.
Unless I was really truly trying it on, all I ever needed to do was drop
it into second on some of the wigglier bits (this was a 3 speed box). In
a four speed auto you'll need to practice a bit to find out where the
shifts happen under different throttle and speed conditions.

I think the issue of the downshift at inopportune moments is perhaps due
to slight over enthusiasm with the right welly - if you are a shade less
enthusiastic with the power application the box won't kick down into a
lower gear. The problem isn't the change itself, but rather when it
happens and the fact that you weren't expecting it. 

Aidrian










~-----Original Message-----
~From: owner-alfa@domain.elided [mailto:owner-alfa@domain.elided] On Behalf Of
~Jonathan Coates
~Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 9:52 AM
~To: 'alfa-digest@domain.elided'
~Subject: How do you drive an auto tranny? General handling/driving info
~sought
~
~After the heel and toe double declutch debacle I thought I would throw
one
~in for you regarding auto transmissions, especially for those on the
other
~side of the pond where I understand autos are more common.
~In my Manuel RWD cars I always got the best cornering feel by stepping
on
~the gas gradually, or not sometimes, coming out of a corner.
Gearchanging
~happening on the slowing down into the corner bit, NOT on or near the
apex.
~Maybe this is all wrong, however SWMBO like the auto trans BMWs and
just
~got a 535i and I need to find out how to go fast in it without tipping
it
~over and embarrasing myself.
~My problem is that as I get on the gas out of a corner the bloody thing
~drops down a gear or two getting quite unstable (well it feels it
anyway)
~and a bit scary. Is that what the numbers by the shifter are for, to
force
~it down gears?
~TIA


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