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 Topic: Changing from a manual to an automatic
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05/6/2013 at 4:25pm
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Quote: Originally posted by birdman101 on 05/6/2013I have auto and would never go back to manual for towing.The secret of driving Auto is use a light right foot, not down hard on accelerator as this will only keep it in lower gears longer and the engine revving away.
you can nurse these voyagers. But, these silly gear boxes wont change gear until a certain speed is reached,For a 2.8 turbo engine, it wont go into 4th till you reach 40 mph is a joke, The rev`s are high for my liking for the size of the engine. This is where i miss the trip tronic on this car,You cant change up or down, The only thing you can do with this gear box is select 3rd gear when pulling away, this will go 1st 2nd 3rd only, stopping the box going into 4th,This is only helpful by stopping the box going into 3rd and 4th like a yo yo,making the transmission oil hot when towing.Plus when you take your foot off, the car just rolls along and not slowing the car down, having to use the brakes more than normal autos,This is just like having a manual gearbox putting it in neutral when going down hill or stopping then having to use the brakes,Therefore I dont think you have full control of the car especially when towing.
To look at the size of the car a 7 seater and engine size,2.8ltr this car can only pull 1600kg but it has plenty of power.Another thing with these cars, Dont keep your foot on the brake pedal after you have used the brakes alot,(heavy braking) The brakes disc`s warp and crack looking at them!The pads are very hot, and transmit heat into one spot of the brake disc, I guess this goes for any vehicle.
Post last edited on 05/06/2013 16:38:03
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06/6/2013 at 10:52am
Location: Kennington OXFORD
Outfit: 2005 Eccles Sterling Topaz 2 berth
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All very interesting comments guys/gals. Our own situation is that I needed to go auto due to a severely arthritic left ankle, got impossible to use a clutch without the inability to walk for a few minutes. So we changed the car for an auto and what a difference. OH used to hate the idea but she drives the car brilliantly and has admitted it is so much easier.
Towing? Great. The Saab has a 'slush' box (ie torque converter as opposed to twin clutch). The tranny is a 6-speed with manual override and steering wheel buttons. I fully agree with birdman101 regarding light right foot. This ensures the engine does not rev its nuts off, and the 'box does not keep changing up and down. Also I find that in slow moving traffic jams, I stick it in manual 1st and I find that way I don't have to hold back the car on the brakes so much, with or without the caravan on. Of course, with a semi-auto it is great to be able to use the manual facility on steep downhill stretches with a 'van on but so far we have not had to do this. Another advantage of auto of course is the ability to fully concentrate on everything while towing without messing with clutch and gears - it is quite enough to have to make allowances for all the twerps who try to cut one up when one is towing.
On the open roads, into cruise and away we go. Due to the total weight of the outfit and the high gearing (to keep in the power band I would have to be doing well over 70 for the car to be in 6th) the car does not get into 6th but even in 5th the consumption is what I consider very reasonable at just under 30mpg cruising at around 60. Our previous manual Saab used to do just over 30mpg in similar circumstances, and used to record the same on the read out whether in 5th or 6th; it always felt more at ease in 5th so we used to only opo it in 6th on very flat or downhill stretches.
Another good comment, from Bill, was the one regarding brakes - for the sake of the discs, whether towing or not, I always slip the car into neutral at traffic stops and after 2 or 3 seconds when the blocker comes on it only takes a quick dab on the brake pedal to enable drive to be selected.
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