1. Unit 2 Basic Vehicle Control
CHAPTER 5
BASIC CONTROL TASKS

2. Lesson 1 - Using an Automatic Transmission
Transmission – set of gears needed to move a vehicle. It takes the energy from the engine and moves it to the wheels
Steps for starting a vehicle with automatic transmission:
Put your right hand on the gear selector level and make sure it’s in park
Make sure the parking brake is set
Turn the ignition key to the Start position and start the vehicle
Release the accelerator and let the engine idle
Check the gauges and warning lights to make sure everything is working property

3. Steps for putting the vehicle in motion:
Press down firmly on the brake pedal with your right foot
Use your right hand to shift the gear selector lever to Drive or Reverse
Release the parking brake
Before moving, check for traffic in all mirrors and around you. If backing up, look over your right shoulder
Turn on your directional
Look over your shoulder in the direction you want to go to check for blind spots
Be prepared to accelerate into the desired lane once the roadway is clear. Remove foot from brake and gradually apply pressure to gas pedal

4. Lesson 2 Speed Control
Acceleration – a vehicles ability to increase speed
Rate of acceleration – time it takes to accelerate from one speed to another
Deceleration – decreasing speed
Rate of deceleration – time it takes to decelerate from one speed to another
At higher speeds and with heavier vehicle’s the rate of acceleration and deceleration will be lower

5. Monitoring Your Speed
Most of the time you can monitor your speed by keeping up with the flow of traffic around you
Frequently check the speedometer (quick glances)
As speed varies you will notice a change in the amount of vibration in the vehicle, the level of sound from the tires and the level of sound from the wind and engine
Remember, your perception of how fast you are going can be wrong
If you see you are going to fast either ease up on the gas pedal or put on the brakes

6. Braking Braking to a stop:
Check mirrors for tail gators. If there’s a tail gator gently tap the brakes as you stop
Apply smooth, steady, firm pressure to the brake pedal, easing up slightly as you come to a halt
Stopping distance – reaction distance + braking distance

8. Emergency Braking
Threshold Braking – Pressing the brake pedal firmly to a point just before the wheels lock. This is the safest way to stop the car quickly
Antilock brakes (ABS) - pump the brakes for you preventing your wheels from locking. You will feel a vibration on the foot pedal. Firmly hold your foot on the brake allowing the ABS to work (do not pump the brakes)

9. Lesson 3 Using A Manual Transmission
Manual transmission (stick shift) – you must manually shift the gears by manually moving the gear shift from place to place. Manual transmission vehicles are harder to drive than automatic transmission vehicles
Clutch – third foot pedal used with the left foot. It is used to break the connection between the engine and the transmission when switching gears

10. Friction point – point where the engine and the transmission engage.
Downshifting – shifting from a higher gear to a lower gear to gain more power from the engine:
Up a hill
Down slope
Or to allow trucks to slow down or stop with good control

11. Lesson 4 Steering a Vehicle
Steering is often the way to avoid a collision above mph because of the increased distance and time needed to stop a vehicle
Tracking – keeping your vehicle moving on the path of travel you have chosen
Make adjustments
Look 20 to 30 seconds ahead along your intended path of travel
Steer towards that path

12. Steering to Turn Turning:
Need good sense of timing
Allow room for back of vehicle (rear wheels have a smaller turning radius than front wheels)
Hand-over-hand steering – good method for turning through a tight radius
Push-pull-feed steering – gives you more control of the vehicle because both hands are always on the wheel
When turning, brake into the turn and accelerate gently about halfway through to pull out of the turn