Well hello there, how are you doing? Most of you own a car, right? If you don’t, then you know someone who owns a car. It is the most common mode of transportation for most people. Have you noticed the cover that is present on the gearbox of automatic transmission cars?
Do you know what this is for? Don’t worry if you do not have a clue about this; we know exactly what this is for and shall be explaining it to you today. Before we get to the explanation though, we would like to refresh your car knowledge. So, how many of you understand the difference between a stick and automatic transmission cars?
To put it simply, the stick drive or the manual drive car is the car where you have to press the clutch and then shift gears. Whereas, for the automatic transmission; the car changes the gear for you automatically based on your speed and rpm. Both kinds have their pros and cons.
People prefer cars that feature automatic transmission because they offer more convenience whereas the stick-lovers claim that they are able to enjoy more control over their car’s acceleration and grip with manual transmission.
Moving on to the cover that we mentioned; it exists only for automatic transmission cars. So, basically, unlike manual transmission cars where you can shift gears even when the engine isn’t switched on; the automatic transmission cannot be changed from ‘Park’ when the engine is off.
This feature is great and all but can be a nuisance when you have to shift to neutral without switching the one; towing the vehicle on account of a dead battery or when the engine won’t start. When you remove the cover, you will find a button that you can push for releasing the gear shift even when the engine is off. That is the purpose of this button; it enables drivers to switch from park to neutral when they are unable to switch the engine on.