Unit 2 Basic Vehicle Control CHAPTER 5 BASIC CONTROL TASKS

Lesson 1 - Using an Automatic Transmission Transmission – set of gears needed to move a vehicle. It takes the energy from the engine and moves it to the wheels Steps for starting a vehicle with automatic transmission: Put your right hand on the gear selector level and make sure it’s in park Make sure the parking brake is set Turn the ignition key to the Start position and start the vehicle Release the accelerator and let the engine idle Check the gauges and warning lights to make sure everything is working property

Steps for putting the vehicle in motion: Press down firmly on the brake pedal with your right foot Use your right hand to shift the gear selector lever to Drive or Reverse Release the parking brake Before moving, check for traffic in all mirrors and around you. If backing up, look over your right shoulder Turn on your directional Look over your shoulder in the direction you want to go to check for blind spots Be prepared to accelerate into the desired lane once the roadway is clear. Remove foot from brake and gradually apply pressure to gas pedal

Lesson 2 Speed Control Acceleration – a vehicles ability to increase speed Rate of acceleration – time it takes to accelerate from one speed to another Deceleration – decreasing speed Rate of deceleration – time it takes to decelerate from one speed to another At higher speeds and with heavier vehicle’s the rate of acceleration and deceleration will be lower

Monitoring Your Speed Most of the time you can monitor your speed by keeping up with the flow of traffic around you Frequently check the speedometer (quick glances) As speed varies you will notice a change in the amount of vibration in the vehicle, the level of sound from the tires and the level of sound from the wind and engine Remember, your perception of how fast you are going can be wrong If you see you are going to fast either ease up on the gas pedal or put on the brakes

Braking Braking to a stop: Check mirrors for tail gators. If there’s a tail gator gently tap the brakes as you stop Apply smooth, steady, firm pressure to the brake pedal, easing up slightly as you come to a halt Stopping distance – reaction distance + braking distance

Emergency Braking Threshold Braking – Pressing the brake pedal firmly to a point just before the wheels lock. This is the safest way to stop the car quickly Antilock brakes (ABS) - pump the brakes for you preventing your wheels from locking. You will feel a vibration on the foot pedal. Firmly hold your foot on the brake allowing the ABS to work (do not pump the brakes)

Lesson 3 Using A Manual Transmission Manual transmission (stick shift) – you must manually shift the gears by manually moving the gear shift from place to place. Manual transmission vehicles are harder to drive than automatic transmission vehicles Clutch – third foot pedal used with the left foot. It is used to break the connection between the engine and the transmission when switching gears

Friction point – point where the engine and the transmission engage. Downshifting – shifting from a higher gear to a lower gear to gain more power from the engine: Up a hill Down slope Or to allow trucks to slow down or stop with good control

Lesson 4 Steering a Vehicle Steering is often the way to avoid a collision above 25-30 mph because of the increased distance and time needed to stop a vehicle Tracking – keeping your vehicle moving on the path of travel you have chosen Make adjustments Look 20 to 30 seconds ahead along your intended path of travel Steer towards that path

Steering to Turn Turning: Need good sense of timing Allow room for back of vehicle (rear wheels have a smaller turning radius than front wheels) Hand-over-hand steering – good method for turning through a tight radius Push-pull-feed steering – gives you more control of the vehicle because both hands are always on the wheel When turning, brake into the turn and accelerate gently about halfway through to pull out of the turn