My niece has just bought a 2017 Ford Focus automatic. I've never driven or had any experience of automatics & when I asked her what happens if the engine cuts out on the motorway, she had no more idea than I had. Do they freewheel so you can pull over ( if practical ) or is there some procedure you have to employ.
Automatic cars in an emergency
- Thread starter jj4091
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They just freewheel. You’ll probably lose power steering so may be hard to manoeuvre and you’ll only have a couple of dabs on the brakes before you loose servo assistance so depending on how much you’ve used them, you may have to all but stand on the brake pedal. No different from a manual car really except you won’t have to take it out of gear or dip the clutch.
Fortunately very few smart motorways up here. But the problem of what to do could even arise on a dual carriage way.
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Very sensible.
I have had all automatics since the first car I bought in 1965.
Why would anyone buy anything else for normal motoring?
Just imagine if the first cars had been automatic and then after a time some idiot appeared and said I have invented a gearbox where you have to change gear yourself hundreds of times a day.
Yes, as said, they do free wheel - unlike manuals which will slow you down suddenly until clutch depressed or out of gear.
Don't tow it with the driven wheels on the ground.
I would not want to be driving behind her never mind towing her.
But my days of towing vehicles are a little behind me now unfortunately.
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Not meant to be rude but it may sound so.
What happens if you do a steady speed in the car and just let go of the accelerator? It just glides until it runs out of motion, same as a manual. It won't go that far but won't just suddenly stop
What happens if you do a steady speed in the car and just let go of the accelerator? It just glides until it runs out of motion, same as a manual. It won't go that far but won't just suddenly stop
No , not taken as being rude but in a manual car you can either push the clutch peddle in or knock it out of gear & it will freewheel a lot further than just taking your foot off the throttle so you would have more time to manoeuvre to a safe place if nescasary. I did not know what happens when an auto box looses drive. So not really the same scenario.
Also not wishing to offend, but I believe you are over-thinking this subject.
The vast majority of my cars over the decades have been auto's & I've never been concerned about your 'what if' situation.
I admit to not being familiar with today's 2 pedal transmissions, those lacking a torque-converter are not 'proper' autos in my book, though I'm confident that the advice you've received here is applicable.
Again not offended, but I'm sure there are many breakdowns where the engine cuts out & the driver freewheels from an outer lane to a hard shoulder or lay-by. That seems like a reasonable question to ask when you don't know if manuals & autos react in the same way when the engine cuts out. Perhaps you don't consider possibilities as I do.. At the end of the day I am talking about a young lady who although highly intelligent has about as much practical abilities as a brick & would in all likelihood panic in the situation I thought might be a possibility, I think clarification will help her.
Autos all have a N for neutral selection, so same as any manual transmission when it's not in gear.
So do electric vehicles.
So do electric vehicles.
It might have an N for neutral but it's not the same as neutral in a manual car.
With the greatest possible respect my considerable experience of female drivers is that, regardless of their academic qualifications, the basics of automotive systems would be better understood by the brickAgain not offended, but I'm sure there are many breakdowns where the engine cuts out & the driver freewheels from an outer lane to a hard shoulder or lay-by. That seems like a reasonable question to ask when you don't know if manuals & autos react in the same way when the engine cuts out. Perhaps you don't consider possibilities as I do.. At the end of the day I am talking about a young lady who although highly intelligent has about as much practical abilities as a brick & would in all likelihood panic in the situation I thought might be a possibility, I think clarification will help her.
No, I'm not just being a chauvinist, I've accumulated a drawer full of T shirts; just tell her to select N & coast to what she perceives to be a refuge.
Thanks. This is basically one of my original questions ie can the transmission selector (gear stick ) be used while the car is moving. Also a couple of replies confuse me more, if the engine disengages from the drive when not running then why should you not tow an auto without lifting the drive wheels
Thanks, can you. explain the difference a little for me
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