When descending a long grade, a steep grade, or a longis, steepish grade, if you simply ride your brakes, you will find them getting less and less effective due to overheating. The pedal travel feels like it decreases and the pedal feels hard, but you feel less and less stopping power. You may also smell the brakes "cooking" and see smoke. I've seen more than one mountain road where all vehicles are stopped to check brake temperatures - those that are hot are pulled over till they cool off. The lower gears in the trans are there for something (Why do 400 HP cars have more than one forward gear - not needed just to get up to speed!?). On moderate and short downhills, it's up to the driver to chose the gear. On a long downgrade, not using a lower gear could be suicide. I was in a car, as a kid, where the Low range on the auto trans was busted and less than half way down a reasonable grade, the brakes were useless - VERY FREIGHTENING!!! I've also talked to far too many who didn't know to use a lower gear going down a mountain. They said brakes were no good. Repeat - look up correct use of the trans in all situations. I've had a coupler "Automatic Overdrives" and found them shifting up and down constantly (Ford - especially bad). the owner's manual suggested locking out the OD to stop this. Had a Buick where it clearly said only use the OD when crusing on "flat, level" roads and that using it where it will shift (by itself) frequently will increase fuel consumption and abuse the trans. Check out any half decent book with info about mountain driving, how to use a standard trans and how to use an auto trans. If it feels like the car is "getting away" going downhill, you are in too high a gear. I'm not talking about routinely shifting the auto trans like a sports car racer would a std. A while back I was on the Cabot Trail (spectacular drive) on Cape Breton Island in Canada - a combination of the 5 speed trans and the brakes was still not enough to avoid overheading the brakes, so I stopped to coool them. I was forced to run at least 15 -20 mph faster than sane by the speed of other traffic. I did not know how long that section of road was. would have made it with very hot brakes. Most of those behind me must have been "suicidal!" they ignored signs sdaying "use lower gears" and were well above the posted speed limit, let alone the advisory speeds for the hils and twisty bits of road. I've raced cars (legally) on both Oval track and Road Courses and been trough 6 high performance driving schools (including a 5 day RACING School run by Bob Bondurant (Ex Grand Prix Driver). All taught the use of a combo of brakes and trans. Treat the entire car with respect and it will serve you well - My supposedly fragile MGB was the most reliable car either I, my dad, or my wife has ever had. I did drive it with gusto, but not abuse!!!
When I had an old style (pre box) Volvo (new in 1967), I found TWO of about a dozen of those who I HAD to rely on for service knew how to drive it. The rest drove it like an old pick up truck (will destroy a small engine). I have a mechanic friend who routinely told people it was fine to leave their foot on the clutch between shifts - SO He'd GET TO REPLACE MORE OF THEM!!! There are so many fine points involved in driving anything, it could lead to endless debate. Follow the maufacturer's printed recommendations, unless they clearly don't work. As with my 87 Ford van - It was constantly shifting in and out of (auto) overdrive and got terrible mileage. I tried, as per the book, not using the OD - still awful milkeage and it "hjurt" me to hear the engine running so fast. I replaced the optional size tires (worn out by then - got the van used) with the standard size ( a lot less $$$). The smaller tires were 4 inches smaller when measured all the way around the outside (circumferance). They were the standard size (The larger should never have been recommended, just a heavier load rating!). The Over Drive began to work right and I jumped 3 mpg (from 13 to 16 locally and from 15 to 19 over the road. All of us can be wrong, including (especially) engineers and mechanics (especially when it's something they are not familiar with). I recently drove a Hyundai Elantra Automatic. It shifted at 6000 RPM on the Tach when driven briskly (not hard). Had I not seen it and felt and heard it, I'd have been shocked to hear about it, but it was fine - designed to do that. With a 5 speed, shifting at a significantly ower RPM will be hard on the engine (unless there is virtually no load on it). My 1971 Ford pick up will easily start from rest in 2nd (Low is for loads and hills and go round street coners at 8 - 10 mph in 3rd (Had it "detuned to run on 87 octane gas - originally rqired 91 = pinged a lot and could not pull with the engine. There asre so many variations - learn about yours. You will enjoy driving miore and get better use out of the vehicle (s)!
Gotta say, the Optima is a really fun car to drive. haha.. I think it's a great car, how about you? :57:
