Automatic driving test

2010RACHEL

Hi friend had an automatic driving test today and got a grade for gears is this possible when doing automatic test?

Told should of put it in second gear.

Wishbone Ash

2010RACHEL wrote: »

Hi friend had an automatic driving test today and got a grade for gears is this possible when doing automatic test?

Told should of put it in second gear.

In slippery conditions sometimes it advisable to place the shifter in 2 rather than D (i.e. to limit it from going into any higher gears). In saying that, tests are usually cancelled if conditions are poor.

2010RACHEL

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

In slippery conditions sometimes it advisable to place the shifter in 2 rather than D (i.e. to limit it from going into any higher gears). In saying that, tests are usually cancelled if conditions are poor.

Thanks for that I was aware of this but also was wondering if this was justified as a grade during test if you did not do this . As he had been on a hour lesson prior to test and not been advised to do so by instructor when driving around same area.

Alanstrainor

What marks did they get exactly? One grade 2 for gears won't result in a fail, I believe you need 3 under the same category to result in a fail. Where was the test completed also?

It was icy out this morning, so perhaps you could use 2 to start off if you were on ice. Or if you were descending a steep hill. But at the same time I'm surprised that this was an issue during the test, it is quite rare to have to use that option in an automatic car I would have thought.

2010RACHEL

Sorry also he has not recieved the email report of the test yet and test was first thing this morning. He took one time before and I have twice (passed third time) and got report in few hours.

2010RACHEL

2010RACHEL wrote: »

Sorry also he has not recieved the email report of the test yet and test was first thing this morning. He took one time before and I have twice (passed third time) and got report in few hours.

On the form you get to take home only had about 4 sections circled.

dennyk

Alanstrainor wrote: »

it is quite rare to have to use that option in an automatic car I would have thought.

Every automatic has an option to select at least first and second gear manually (there will be positions marked "2" and "1" past the "D" selection), as there are certain driving situations that require more or less torque or engine braking than the gear the automatic transmission would normally select would provide (descending steep hills, accelerating from a stop on a slippery surface, etc.). Many automatics these days even come with a full-on "manual mode" gear selection option that lets you select any gear (within the limits imposed by the system, as it's still "shift-by-wire" and you're just sending commands to the computer that controls the transmission; unlike a real manual, it won't let you stall or over-rev the engine with an incorrect gear change, and it will eventually upshift and downshift for you even when in manual mode if you get too close to the limits).

2010RACHEL

dennyk wrote: »

Every automatic has an option to select at least first and second gear manually (there will be positions marked "2" and "1" past the "D" selection), as there are certain driving situations that require more or less torque or engine braking than the gear the automatic transmission would normally select would provide (descending steep hills, accelerating from a stop on a slippery surface, etc.). Many automatics these days even come with a full-on "manual mode" gear selection option that lets you select any gear (within the limits imposed by the system, as it's still "shift-by-wire" and you're just sending commands to the computer that controls the transmission; unlike a real manual, it won't let you stall or over-rev the engine with an incorrect gear change, and it will eventually upshift and downshift for you even when in manual mode if you get too close to the limits).

Thank you for your reply I understand this but am wondering if this would normally be a grade 2 ?

Dravokivich

Did they pass and this is just a query, or did they fail? Other stuff could have contributed to a failure.

Alanstrainor

dennyk wrote: »

Every automatic has an option to select at least first and second gear manually (there will be positions marked "2" and "1" past the "D" selection), as there are certain driving situations that require more or less torque or engine braking than the gear the automatic transmission would normally select would provide (descending steep hills, accelerating from a stop on a slippery surface, etc.). Many automatics these days even come with a full-on "manual mode" gear selection option that lets you select any gear (within the limits imposed by the system, as it's still "shift-by-wire" and you're just sending commands to the computer that controls the transmission; unlike a real manual, it won't let you stall or over-rev the engine with an incorrect gear change, and it will eventually upshift and downshift for you even when in manual mode if you get too close to the limits).

I mean I understand that. I just said I would have been surprised if you would encounter a scenario where it was needed on a typical driving test.

2010RACHEL

Yeah have now got the report. I understand that other things contribute to the fail. Have found he got 2 grade 2's for gears is this normal? Obviously if this is then it is another area he has to watch and work on but thought the whole point of automatic is to eliminate errors of when to hear change?

Dravokivich

You'll get a mark against each instance. So if it happened twice, that's 2. 4 for the same grade 2 fault is a failure.

Driving an automatic car, should not mean that's 1 less thing to do while driving. I don't have experience of'em, but others posted above about a few things to consider with use of that system and it would seem they didn't act on that.

Wishbone Ash

2010RACHEL wrote: »

Yeah have now got the report. I understand that other things contribute to the fail. Have found he got 2 grade 2's for gears is this normal? Obviously if this is then it is another area he has to watch and work on but thought the whole point of automatic is to eliminate errors of when to hear change?

Did he put the selector into N at lights? It's supposed to be left in D but many people incorrectly think it should be put in neutral.

2010RACHEL

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Did he put the selector into N at lights? It's supposed to be left in D but many people incorrectly think it should be put in neutral.

No , he has also only been learning with a driving instructor so has been told what to do when driving only by him so not got wrong advise or picked up other driver habits. He does have licence but just not for in Ireland so it's not like he does not know what he is doing.

galwaytt

how can you get 'marked down' for 'gears' in an automatic, exactly ? What could have been done that sees you marked down ?

galwaytt

2010RACHEL wrote: »

Yeah have now got the report. I understand that other things contribute to the fail. Have found he got 2 grade 2's for gears is this normal? Obviously if this is then it is another area he has to watch and work on but thought the whole point of automatic is to eliminate errors of when to hear change?

this is the bit I don't get - what exactly was the error ??

caldew

Setting off in reverse when you thought you were in drive. Or the opposite.