More and more electric cars are put into circulation in Romania, and they all have automatic transmission. Thus, drivers used to a manual gearbox must make the transition to the automatic one. Here’s what PRNDSB means on the automatic box and what happens if you stop the engine in Drive.
Those who have driven only manual transmission cars know that the gears are numbered with Arabic numerals. Thus, for cars, the selection is made in consecutive order, from 1 to 5-6-or even 8.
A letter is added to these: R. Which represents going in reverse, i.e. backwards.
In contrast, on a vehicle with an automatic transmission, all gears are marked with letters. And next to these you can also find some figures.
What does PRNDSB mean in automatic transmission?
First, the automatic transmission does the shifting itself. The driver only has to select the direction in which he wants to move: forward or backward. However, these automatic boxes also offer other options.
Here’s what PRNDSB means, written on the gear selector and how they should be used:
- P = Parking: used when the car is parked;
- R = Reverse: is the reverse gear;
- N = Neutral: used to disengage the gearbox and leave the car “in neutral”;
- D = Drive: is the position for moving in the forward direction
- S = Sport: upshifts at very high revs;
- B = Brake: on some models it is used to provide additional engine braking.
So “D” must be selected to move forward. But in order for the car to have a sporty demeanor and shift gears so that it reaches a higher speed faster, “S” must be selected.
Or, on a slippery road or going down a steep road, “B” should be selected so that the engine brake is more effective.
Other automatic boxes have D1, D2 or D3. These are auxiliary gears that can be used to improve performance in certain road conditions. For example, D1 can be selected to move more easily through mud or sand, D2 provides better torque when climbing a hill, and D3 provides a stronger start.
Automatic transmission gear selection order
Cars with automatic transmission make the transition from one gear to another by themselves.
So once D has been selected, depending on the pressure applied to the throttle, the computer will automatically downshift to a higher gear. And when the speed is reduced, it will automatically shift, progressively, to a lower gear.
But to go from Drive to Park, for example, you have to move the shifter by hand, from D to P. And for that you will also shift the shifter through N and R. Because in automatic transmission cars, the 4 options are in line.
Thus, the first is P, the second is R, the third is N and the last is D. After D, the rest of the additional options can be added (S, B, D1, D2, D3, etc.).
What happens if you stop the engine in Drive
It may happen that the engine is accidentally turned off when the car is in Drive. This will not affect the engine or the transmission.
But if you’re moving, when you turn off the engine you’ll lose power steering and brake assist. The car will still be controllable so you can turn and stop. But a little extra effort will be needed to make up for the lack of power steering and power brakes.
If you are stopped, ie with your foot on the brake, but “D” gear is engaged, there is no problem if you turn off the engine. However, the moment your foot is lifted from the brake, if you are on a slope, it is very likely that the car will start rolling downhill.
That’s why, every time you stop the engine, it’s mandatory to switch to “P” gear. Thus, it is like applying the handbrake on a manual transmission car.
Source: www.promotor.ro
