Auto Box Question

[framey]

Hi,
I need some questions answering on driving with an auto box please......

When going along and pressing the "hold" button it shifts down a gear and holds it there until the button is pressed again - like an over-take switch? is this right?

Sometimes when setting off eg traffic lights or pulling onto the main road, there seems to be a pause between pressing the acelerator and moving - maybe up to a second or so - surely this can\'t be ok? (made me sweat a few times wrt oncoming traffic) and if I had the pedal pressed quite a bit there would be a hell of a kick when it did come.

And lastly, how do I best use the "L" position on the gear selector? Is this "Low" or "Launch" ;-)

Many thanks

[Glenn Butcher]

Hi there!  sorry your post hasn\'t been answered.  I\'ll try and answer for you...

Hold is really to hold it in a certain gear (like holding a manual in 2nd gear).   But that Mazda auto is weird in that to get it into first gear in the auto box, it has to be in "L" and hold pressed (I think it is like the JC Cosmo auto box).  You  may have a power button also? which allows the engine to rev slightly higher in each gear before changing.

When you say a pause - is the engine revving but the car isn\'t moving?  does it rev much?  will it crawl on idle?  when last did you check the fluid level? (tricky to check btw).  Warm the engine up. Put the hand brake on VERY hard, chock a wheel is better then put it in drive - pull the auto dipstick out clean it and put it in again.  Check the marks on it and the level of the fluid.

To ensure that the auto is in first gear, you will need to have the hold button pressed and the selector in "L"  - this is first gear in the auto box.  Yes - this is for "Launch"

[framey]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
When I say it pauses, I put my foot down and generally, nothing happens for , say 1-1.5 seconds - no revving, and the car moves forward just like it does at idle.

I have checked the oil level but only with the engine off etc etc. Crikey! I didn\'t realise I had to check it running and in gear!! Thanks for the pointer - I\'ll do that.

wrt the hold button, or more interestingly, the "Power button", where is this? I don\'t recall this at all (err did I mention I have a 3rd gen?)

Anyway, I\'ll have to look at all these things later on as my pulley belt has gone walkies! I\'m going to post another thread on intfo on this.... :-(

Thanks

[Glenn Butcher]

So the engine is not responding when you put your foot down?

BNA_ELLIS on here is your man for FD Autos, I wasn\'t sure if there was a power button (I know there was on previous turbo rotaries with auto\'s).

[bnaellis]

Hi Mate,

The hold button does not change down a gear. It\'s really for being used when you want to stay in gear and you shift manually.
L is for Low gear S is for sports D is for drive u.e normal driving.
If you press the hold button and put it in L ! L then becomes 1st
S 2nd D 3rd. Without the hold button L is gear 1&2 S is gear 12&3
and drive is gears 1-4. If you want to pull off from the lights quick,
put your left foot on the brake pedal and your right on the gas rev to approx 2,800 rpm lift your left foot off the brake and bobs your uncle. I gave Ian Thacker a demo in mine once it\'s not slow off the line as some would think yet mine was modified a bit.
rgds

[framey]

Thanks for clearing that up for me.
Definitely give that a go next time I\'m out!!

[iaint]

Originally posted by BNA_ELLIS
I gave Ian Thacker a demo in mine once it\'s not slow off the line as some would think yet mine was modified a bit.

You certinly did and it\'s definately no slouch off the line although you seemed to be doing almost as much work as us manual people!

Iain