Author Topic: Auto stop and battery indicator  (Read 40386 times)

culzean

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #135 on: July 29, 2020, 10:27:32 PM »
When I drove autos in countries where manual boxes were unusual the rule was keep left foot out of the way, you never want to accelerate and brake at same time and left foot is hopeless for braking...
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

Jocko

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #136 on: July 29, 2020, 10:49:04 PM »
I drove automatics for 25 years, including coaches and double-deckers, and you never brake with your left foot. One trainee on the buses, who had never driven an automatic before, tried to brake with his left foot, and the instructor near had apoplexy. Told him if he did that on his test, he would be failed immediately.
New automatic drivers are told to tuck their left foot under the seat!

Dayjo

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #137 on: July 29, 2020, 10:58:14 PM »
I drove automatics for 25 years, including coaches and double-deckers, and you never brake with your left foot. One trainee on the buses, who had never driven an automatic before, tried to brake with his left foot, and the instructor near had apoplexy. Told him if he did that on his test, he would be failed immediately.
New automatic drivers are told to tuck their left foot under the seat!

I did that. When I was a new automatic driver.

Many old drivers go tearing around car parks. Pressing the wrong pedal.

Honest John, and others, recommend two feet. Works very well for me.......
David.
Drive them 'til the roads wear out.......

culzean

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #138 on: July 30, 2020, 09:07:08 AM »
Many old drivers go tearing around car parks. Pressing the wrong pedal.

Strange comment.

Brake pedal on an auto is massive compared to loud pedal.  The accelerator and brake are mutually exclusive on an auto absolutely no need to press both at the same time ( why would you ever need to accelerate with the brakes applied ? ),  in many years of driving autos / CVT ( my wife had a CVT ) I never used my left foot for anything except getting in and out of the vehicle....

Even motorbikes have rear brake on RH side and gear change on left probably because it was found that left hand foot is not at all sensitive enough to use for braking. 

If you ever have to drive a manual car again you may find yourself in trouble if you try to brake with left foot...
« Last Edit: July 30, 2020, 09:22:33 AM by culzean »
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

sparky Paul

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #139 on: July 30, 2020, 09:28:41 AM »
Even motorbikes have rear brake on RH side and gear change on left probably because it was found that left hand foot is not at all sensitive enough to use for braking.

...especially when it's used to shoving the clutch pedal in.

Going for the clutch and hitting the oversized brake pedal is my favourite when driving an auto again. Good job for seatbelts, or I would have been through the windscreen several times.

Kenneve

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #140 on: July 30, 2020, 09:50:37 AM »
I remember a mate of mine saying, when his old Dad changed from manual to auto, he had to put a loop of rope around the drivers seat which restrained his left foot from hitting the brake.
For most people your left foot is simply not 'programmed' to apply the brake and in those days we didn't have seat belts!

equaliser

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #141 on: July 30, 2020, 09:59:39 AM »
I know Honest John is a big advocate of left foot braking but it's something I don't agree with him on, especially if like me you are swapping between manual and automatics on a regular basis.

Jocko

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #142 on: July 30, 2020, 10:06:39 AM »
All my automatics had standard sized brake pedals, but I once drove an automatic with a large brake pedal (might have been a Ford Corsair) and an unexpected emergency stop (do you get expected ones?) saw me hit the brake and "clutch" simultaneously and boy did that car stop. Two feet on the brake pedal certainly has an effect.

Another thing about the automatics I had is that they all had the brake pedal to the right of the steering column obviously the same as the manual version. So why would I want to move my left foot from the left side of the car to brake?

John A

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #143 on: July 30, 2020, 10:25:58 AM »
Glad it's not just me who is having trouble working out how it's safer to use the left foot for braking.  :)

Downsizer

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #144 on: July 30, 2020, 02:21:53 PM »
Glad it's not just me who is having trouble working out how it's safer to use the left foot for braking.  :)
Yes, I don't fancy trying to hold a CVT on the brake and accelerator at the entry to a busy roundabout.

Dayjo

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #145 on: July 30, 2020, 10:08:38 PM »
Hmmm.... Seems I'm in a distinct minority here.

Can't quite understand some of the comments from drivers, who have not given it a try. Practised the art....
 Rally drivers seem to do ok, with left foot braking!

My old MD, popped into his office, one Saturday afternoon, to catch up on some paperwork. Feeling unwell, he decided he better go home.
 As he engaged reverse, in his Mercedes SLK, he had a heart attack.
The car shot backwards through two wire mesh fences. Across the adjoining firm's car park. And, was only stopped, when it hit an earth bank which raised the car's rear end off the floor, allowing the wheels to spin free.
 During recovery, he maintained at all time he was pressing the brake. The car must be faulty. He intended to sue Mercedes.

Mercedes, showed him the telemetry. In his anguish, he had floored the accelerator. This happens regularly, they said.
 He was advised to drive using both feet, in future......
David.
Drive them 'til the roads wear out.......

Jocko

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #146 on: July 31, 2020, 08:30:01 AM »
Rally drivers seem to do ok, with left foot braking!
Racing drivers do it too. However, there is a difference between hard braking in a racing situation and smooth braking on a busy road. I have tried left foot braking and found it impossible to get smooth control at lower speeds.

Dayjo

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #147 on: July 31, 2020, 09:01:50 AM »
Rally drivers seem to do ok, with left foot braking!
Racing drivers do it too. However, there is a difference between hard braking in a racing situation and smooth braking on a busy road. I have tried left foot braking and found it impossible to get smooth control at lower speeds.

I guess, many have tried, few have persevered...
 We all produced kangaroo starts, when we encountered our first clutch. But, we had to learn left foot dexterity.

I can stop smoothly, using either foot.
David.
Drive them 'til the roads wear out.......

culzean

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #148 on: July 31, 2020, 09:46:49 AM »
Rally drivers seem to do ok, with left foot braking!
Racing drivers do it too. However, there is a difference between hard braking in a racing situation and smooth braking on a busy road. I have tried left foot braking and found it impossible to get smooth control at lower speeds.

I guess, many have tried, few have persevered...
 We all produced kangaroo starts, when we encountered our first clutch. But, we had to learn left foot dexterity.

I can stop smoothly, using either foot.

Well done, now try to drive a manual car... I never used my left foot for anything other than getting in and out of car or working the clutch and could seamlessly swap between auto and manual vehicles on a daily basis ( I often had to drive company vehicles and my wifes CVT as well as my own cars ).

What people do in motorsport has really no relevance on the road.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

Kenneve

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Re: Auto stop and battery indicator
« Reply #149 on: July 31, 2020, 09:49:58 AM »
The question remains, why would you want to use your left foot for braking?
I can well see, in certain situations you would end up, pressing both pedals at once, not a particularly good idea,  ::)

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