OT: Driving electric cars in winter

[T i m]

Agreed, however, that's what it was (or I'd have figured it out myself etc). As I think I said, the guy from the auto specialist did say something about the dipsticks being too long (or the hose they ran in being maladjusted?) and therefore giving a false sense of fullness?

Possible, it was 'old'. ;-)

'Sealed for life' etc.

On our Escort it was generally ok (gears wise). *Sometimes* it might take a second to find drive but generally would. It was only when the instances of it not seeming to get drive at all increased, did we think we might have a real (mechanical) issue.

That said, we have quite a camber on the road beside our house and I have had some strange readings on things that should be measured 'on flat and level ground'.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Agreed, it says so in my Autopress manual. The chances are I would have checked how to correctly read the levels (I generally do) and I remember clearly the auto box specialist saying something about the dipstick being 'known to be wrong', as I probably told him it was on the full marker when read with the engine running (in P on N).

I know I would have said something like ' ... but the dipstick says it's full' and him saying 'but still put some more fluid in'.

We have to just that on daughters Ex's Berlingo brake fluid reservoir. The fluid on the full mark full you get a brake warning light. Just above full you get a blinking brake warning light when you brake. A bit more overfilled (but not properly overfilled etc) and they light stays off. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[The Natural Philosopher]

Indeed. It seems to be a feature added to that particular model. I cant find any reference to it in any other.

So one must write it off as 'Plowperson considers his experience and value judgement is the universal standard'

Pretty much par for the course for Lefties.

[News]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Mine was a '98 Merc C200 which ran perfectly until last year, but I don't remember it doing as you describe, although I'm not stating it didn't. Trouble is, after 17 years driving the same car, driving becomes as automatic as the gearbox. My worst habit was blipping the throttle on zero throttle down hill - a hangover from two stroke days.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I learnt to left foot brake precisely so that I could at the same time add power mid corner to kick down my jaguars.

Its a very old trick the police used to use, but you can wear brakes out.

Ive drivene jaguars, auto land rovers, Mercs and some yank tankl, and a few jap autos and I've never seen a 'kick down on brake' ever, but it appears that the beemers at least tried it on plowcnuts model

It's not standard though, even on top of the range cars.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It reacts automatically to a command from the driver. Or perhaps you think an auto simply drives itself? Ah just checked. It's Bert. Say no more

And all ancient vehicles. Typical. Try something new with a decent auto.

Then you don't know where to look. Nothing new there.

And of course you simply can't understand any subtlety in what people say.

Yes. Only lefties buy decent cars with good autos. Wankers like you put up with any old rubbish and think it marvellous.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Mercs at one time made their own autos. BMW use ZF. And it's likely down to software control anyway. It's a very useful function and I'm surprised it's not more common - although everyone on here seems to be talking about ancient old clunkers as their experience of autos.

Wot - no freewheel? ;-)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Reminds us of where you live. So we can avoid the area.

You never found the lever that allows you to select a lower gear? Figures.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

At least one met police auto had first gear locked out so it couldn't be selected on the move. To prevent the untrained police drivers who were given autos (rather than the manuals the trained ones used) screaming around in 1st all the time like they'd seen in the movies.

[bert]

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Sounds like an extremely stupid facility to me designed for engines with not much torque which would account for BMW using it.

[NY]

It sounds like an excellent feature that ought to be fitted on more automatics. I always have great difficulty in selecting L *smoothly* when I need to force an auto into a lower gear for engine braking - on most cars I've driven it engages with a lurch.

I'd be interested to see what a VW DSG gearbox is like - manual control of the *timing* gearchanges (or automatic if you prefer it) but with automatic

*engaging* of the gear to make it smoother because you are more or less guaranteed to match the engine revs to the new gear. But I wish they'd fit it with a clutch pedal that was only used for setting off from rest, because I find it very difficult to set off smoothly from rest when I've only got a throttle (as opposed to a throttle and a clutch) to control moving off from rest. I find it a pain in slow traffic: I apply gradually more and more power; initially nothing happens and then suddenly at the critical revs the transmission engages and the car surges forward an I have to come off the power again and maybe even touch the brake, whereas in a manual car I may leave my foot off the throttle and control the very slow movement with the clutch pedal, which gives finer control.

[bert]

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Many of mine were post 97 - even the Defender was 98 and a ZF box IIRC

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It's not unique to my model BMW. No idea if current ones have it, though. But since I like the feature - which surprised me when it first happened - I'd guess many do. Of course it can't cope on its own with a very steep hill, anymore than changing down on a manual will.

Yes. The only autos I've had apart are three speed ones. Both BW and GM. And both have a sprag clutch - a freewheel - to allow the box to change into first smoothly when rolling to a halt. But if you want engine braking in first gear, it is disabled. Hence the snatch when selecting 1st manually on the move, as that will also give engine braking. Most will select a higher gear on the move like second on a three speed - smoothly. But some are better than others.

The slight problem is those used to autos like some creep. And ISTR reading this had been added to some of these boxes.

The trick is to left foot brake, and use the brakes to control the creep. With a bit of practice you can be just as smooth and under control as a manual clutch.

[Tim+]

Which model? The Touran 6 speed was noted for it's sluggishness off the mark. Trying to pull quickly out of a side road could be particularly trying.

My mother's Skoda with the 1.2 petrol turbo engine and 7 speed box is much more responsive. Never feel the need for a clutch pedal when driving this car.

Tim

[Davey]

As soon as I started to drive automatics, I realised the advantages of left-foot braking. I never found an American who had heard of it, except one ex-racing driver.

[Peter Parry]

It was standard on the Rover75 SWMBO had (which of course had lots of BMW bits in it at that time). Going downhill if you applied the bake, even momentarily, it changed down.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Did you/she like the feature? I do. Seems eminently sensible to me.

[The Natural Philosopher]

And I hardly think a 2000 Top of the line jaguar XKR is an ancient old clunker. A 97 BMW would be tho.

My current auto is a 2004 freelander with a bmw engine. It doesnt do it, of course it ha a specail downhill button but that's separate

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well my box in tiptronic node is pretty seamless. Jatco IIRC.

You have a throttle and a brake - learn to use the brake like a clutch and let it up to control takeoff.

which is why I left foot brake on the auto., use the brake to control the speed and the throttle to control the gear ratio and the torque

Its no harder than learning to double declutch for a manual box

[Blanco]

What didn't you like about the Polo ?