Contents: Position "P" – parking ("Parking") ↳ Position "R" - reverse ↳ Position "N" - neutral position ↳ Position "D" - automatic gear… ↳ Position "2" – automatic gear… ↳ Position "1" – 1st gear is… ↳ Using forced gear reduction… ↳ Towing ↳
Position "P" – parking ("Parking")
In this position, the rear wheels are fixed. The automatic transmission is locked by a ratchet mechanism, preventing its shafts from rotating. Setting the gearshift lever to position "P" is possible only when the car is stationary.
Position "R" - reverse
The gearshift lever can only be set to the "R" position when the vehicle is stationary. Even at very low speeds, the vehicle must be stopped and only then reverse gear engaged.
Warning! Do not attempt to move the gearshift lever to the "R" position while the vehicle is moving forward or to the "1", "2" or "D" position while the vehicle is moving backward.
Position "N" - neutral position
In this position of the gearshift lever, the drive is disengaged. The running engine does not drive the car. The engine carburetor is equipped with an automatic starting device, which after it is started, maintains the accelerated idle speed of the engine during its warming up.
When the gearshift lever is moved from the "N" position to the "1", "2", "D" or "R" position, the vehicle tends to move. Therefore, before moving the gearshift lever to one of these positions, the brake pedal should be depressed.
Position "D" - automatic gear shifting when moving forward
When the gearshift lever is in this position, the car starts moving in 1st gear, and shifting to 2nd and 3rd gears occurs automatically depending on the speed of the car, as well as the opening level of the throttle valve in the carburetor (the position of the accelerator pedal). Shifting to a lower gear also occurs automatically. Pressing the accelerator pedal all the way down and holding it in this position for a short period of time (kick-down) causes, depending on the speed, shifting from 3rd gear to 2nd or from 2nd to 1st, i.e. to a lower gear.
During engine warm-up, when the engine is running at a high idle speed, the vehicle tends to move slowly when the gearshift lever is set to the "1", "2", "D" or "R" positions. This tendency decreases as the engine warms up and its idle speed decreases. Therefore, when warming up the engine, it is recommended to press the brake pedal or tighten the handbrake lever before setting the gearshift lever to one of the above positions.
Position "2" – automatic gear shifting from 1st to 2nd and back
The car starts moving in 1st gear and during the movement it automatically switches to 2nd gear only. 3rd gear is not included. Position "2" is recommended for use during long descents from hills, since in this position quite intensive engine braking is possible and, thus, the brakes are protected from excessive heating.
Attention! The gear shift lever can be moved to position "2" provided that the vehicle speed does not exceed 100 km/h.
Position "1" – 1st gear is constantly engaged
The car starts moving in 1st gear and does not shift to a higher gear. Position "1" is recommended for use when descending steep hills, as this position allows for very intense engine braking. Moving the gearshift lever to position "1" while driving in 3rd gear causes the gear to shift to 2nd. Shifting to 1st gear will only occur when the speed drops to 20–40 km/h.
Attention! The gear shift lever can be moved to position "1" provided that the vehicle speed does not exceed 100 km/h.
After the first gear is automatically engaged, the transmission will not shift to a higher gear under any circumstances.
When driving with the gearshift lever set to the "D" position, it is possible to immediately set the transmission to 1st gear, provided that the vehicle speed is 30–50 km/h. This requires pressing the accelerator pedal all the way down.
Using forced gear reduction (kick-down)
Pressing the accelerator pedal all the way down makes possible sharp acceleration when driving downhill or overtaking (except for the above-mentioned cases of engine braking). When the gearshift lever is set to the "D" position, the gear automatically switches from 2nd to 1st. The described actions can only be used in the corresponding range of vehicle speed.
Towing
For instructions on towing a vehicle, including a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission, see subsection 1.4.