Maverick will still give me a chance

How is that relevant?

 

As far as I know the vast majority if not all of our students come from schools that teach on manual only. They learn to drive an auto here. Yes you have to learn as its not as simple as "pulling the lever from p to d" contrary to what many think. Sorry about your bad experience Ridgerunner but Jve had bad experiences with manual trannys also,ever have one "lock up" on you?,but I still drive a manual. Once you learn to drive an auto correctly your fuel mileage will be as good if not better than a manual simply because the machine can float that gear faster and with less fuel than you. Technology gotta live with it lol.

 

I think he asked because 1) this is a Maverick thread and your trash talkin them and 2) your trash talkin autos so lets hear who you drive for that gives you the experience to speak with suthority on this subject.

 

Training to drive an auto takes patience and learning how and when to use the fuel pedal to manipulate what your tranny does. Those guys you see drivin thru a parkin lot that suddenly slam into a lower gear is because they werent controlling the truck but letting the truck control itself. You learn when you need to be premptive on a shift and how to keep your rpms at a certain level to avoid a downshift you dont want. Id challenge anyone who says its "easy" to drive one for a day.

 

I will agree on the learning to drive the auto's...its different than a manual, but still has a skill set to it...I just don't particularly like it.

As far as the auto floating the gears faster than me...that has not been my experience with them...they shift waaaay slower than I do...especially on the downshifts pulling up a hill. And I am much smoother at it...when I shift the truck body doesn't even sway, the torque never drops long enough.

The auto's ain't completely bad...but what I don't like is all the excuses they throw out to try to convince new drivers that they are better than manuals...why can't they just say..."because they are generally easier to train new drivers on" and be done with it...because that is the main reason the auto's are out there the way they are.

And my #1 gripe with them....Why in the hell would you design and implement an auto that actually needs to be driven in manual most of the time?

It shouldn't be that hard to put an ECM on that thing with enough brain power to read whats going on and shift accordingly (progressively or otherwise)...if the #### things worked like they should, I might like them better.

Its very uncomfortable and foreign feeling for me to drive one in manual...I tried it for months and just never got used to it (I mean it, I seriously tried)...I can shift a manual (10, 13, 15, or 18 speed) as slick a any ECM ever invented...but that #### paddle just don't fit my hand.

 

On another note...after bragging about my 5.5 MPG...I've got a D6 dozer on here now (12' wide, 78k gross), drove into a stiff crosswind all day today, at times it was a head wind...4 MPG.

I did add a bottle of that FPPF stuff this morning after seeing somebody (sewerman I think) say it was good stuff (I usually use Howes)...I guess today wasn't a good day to try it though...I'll add another bottle in the morning and see what happens tomorrow,.

 

My Cat likes "the little white bottle" better than Howes but my last truck with the 60 series Detroit absolutely loved Howes. That engine was pre-epa though.

 

I can speak a bit on autoshift. At the time that was all the company had.

I had an 06 Century that went on the hook 3 times because the ECM wouldn't recognize the tranny.

My 08 ProStar was better, but still did some wonky things every now and then.

And backing was a byatch! With a clutch you can just roll easy. With auto you gotta rev up to move. Slammed a lot of kingpins and docks let me tell you!

 

driving a truck is like riding a bike you never forget,youll be fine

 

The 12s default to R1 now instead of R2. Much smoother backing.