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Still Confused? Check The Meaning Of Automatic Car Gears Here!

Automatic Car Gears

In order to drive an automatic transmission car well, you need to understand in advance the meaning of automatic car gears. If you are currently still confused about the series of codes, please see our following article. We will help provide the explanation for you. 

Automatic cars today are indeed increasingly popular. People generally prefer cars with automatic transmissions because they tend to be easy to drive. In addition, automatic cars are also suitable for people who want to learn to drive because the automatic car work system is systemized and automatic.

As we know, how to operate an automatic car is different from a manual car. In manual cars, the transmission system used is a manual system in which the gearshift is carried out by stepping on the clutch and shifting the gear lever. While in automatic cars, the system used is an automatic transmission that can shift gears automatically according to the gas pedal pressure and car speed.

Well, the main function of the automatic car gear itself is to assist the driver in operating the vehicle as follows:

  • helping the automatic car when it is about to be parked;
  • help motorists to drive automatic cars at the best speed;
  • making the automatic car able to drive stably when on an incline;
  • making automatic cars able to pass through derivatives safely;
  • and help the automatic car to be in a neutral position when the car is about to stop.

Therefore, to make it easier for the driver to operate the car such as forward, backward, or neutral, the automatic car gears will be provided with info or codes in the form of letters and numbers. To be able to understand it, here we provide the meaning of the car's gears. 

Meaning of Automatic Car Gears 

Please note that each automatic car manufacturer will provide an unequal gear code. Even so, for operation it remains the same. In addition, it is important for you to understand that the code in the form of letters and numbers in this gear does not refer to the acceleration gear but refers to the function of each position of the transmission lever.

1. P or Parking

The letter P on the gear lever of an automatic car stands for parking. If you set the lever in this position of the letter P, then the transmission will be locked. That way, the car will not be able to move. You can use this P mode when parking or leaving the car.

2. R or Reverse

The meaning of the R code in gears is reverse or backward. As the name implies, you can set the lever to the letter R to perform a reverse maneuver or move backwards.

3. N or Neutral

Car gears also have the letter N which means neutral. When the lever is in the N position, the car engine will be in neutral but unlocked condition like parking mode. So your car can still move forward or backward when pushed. This mode is usually used when the car is waiting for a red light, when conditions are stuck, or stopped for quite a long time.

4. D or Drive

The next meaning of car gears is the drive for the letter D. Mode D is used so that the car can run forward on the road. When this mode is activated, the gearshift from 1 to the highest gear will be adjusted automatically so that you can simply operate the gas and brakes.

5. 2/S or Second

Automatic car gears also have a code of 2/S. The code is used so that the car can drive with a maximum limit of up to 2nd gear only. In addition, you can also make uses of this mode when the car goes through less steep uphill terrain or roads in the mountains.

6. 1/L or Low

Well, when you are going to go over a steep incline, then 1/L mode can be used. When you move the transmission lever to the letter L, the engine will be in the lowest gear ratio, which is 1st gear. That way, the car can get more optimal acceleration for driving on an incline.

7. O/D or Overdrive

Please note that overdrive mode is actually already active when you drive. So, when you press the overdrive or O/D button, the mode will become disabled and the O/D OFF indicator on the dashboard will light up.

The function of overdrive or O/D itself, is basically to limit the gearshift acceleration system. For example, when the lever is already in D, the driver simply presses the O/D button on the transmission lever and automatically the transmission gear that is already in position 4 will drop to 3. 

Well, this overdrive mode can be used to make the car speed more responsive when it will overtake other vehicles. In addition, the O/D button also needs to be disabled when you want to accelerate on the ramp so that the power delivery response can be more optimal.

8. The +/- sign

Some automatic car gears also have a code in the form of a +/- sign. If your automatic car has this sign, then it indicates that the automatic transmission inside can be used like a manual car transmission. With this feature, the driver can adjust the position of the gears to his liking. Even so, the ECU will still help synchronize engine and transmission revolutions so that over rev does not occur.

9. Shift Lock

Shift lock is a button that serves to free the lock on the transmission lever so that it can be moved from P to N when the engine is off. This mode is usually used when you want to park an automatic car with a parallel formation. This shift lock feature allows the parking driver to be able to shift the car that is being parked because the wheels of the car are not locked.


That's the meaning of automatic car gears. By understanding the function of each code listed in gear, you can make it easier when you have to operate a car with the automatic transmission.

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