How not to drive a bus

[User33236]

Mercedes have conveniently moved the parking brake from left hand operated to left foot operated (small pedal tucked down in footwell). But then I have know some auto drivers who just leave it in "park" and don't ever bother putting on the parking brake.

My Passat is a push button on the dash for the parking brake. Must admit I rarely use it unless I park on a steep incline.

 

[beatlejuice]

The bus in question is owned by Stagecoach who fit nasty Voith automatic gearbox to every bus they buy. So the left leg of the modern bus driver is redundant. Seeing has it wastes cab space and thus could be used as extra seating the company will probably expect bus drivers to have this unnecessary appendage removed.

 

[GrasB]

Most recent auto I drove was indeed a Merc, but a BMW also didn't change instantly (and I was at the appropriate revs for the change).

Okay what scenarios are you talking about?

BMW giving it beans will take a split second to respond as will a manual over ride in auto mode. If the car is doing other stability control stuff then you can have a half second gear change lag because the ECU doesn't want you to unsettle the car. In full manual mode it'll be much more willing to change down more-or-less instantly but the ECU will still delay a change if it think this will cause issues for its stability aids. What it will never do is completely block a change unless you're trying to drop to an rpm in excess of the red-line.

Merc boxes will flat out refuse to change in situations for no apparent reason in full manual mode (e.g. absolutely no response from the 'box when straight line, neutral throttle and at a speed which would deliver say 6000 rpm in the gear you're going for)

 

[SteCenturion]

That is so Manchester.

Nah, glass seems to be intact & if moving, it's not on bricks so can't be Manchester.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Okay what scenarios are you talking about?

Nothing more taxing than accelerating up through the gears. I'm not talking mega delays, just enough lag to be irritating.

 

[GrasB]

Nothing more taxing than accelerating up through the gears. I'm not talking mega delays, just enough lag to be irritating.

Were you turning when it happened? In which case you're starting to involve the stability systems which will be doing all kinds of cleaver things to stop the car from trying to exit the corner rear end first. In a straight line in sport mode I'll put money on a current 8sp BMW box actually beating you to the gear. However because you're not actually doing anything you notice it's 0.3s delay.

 

[Piemaster]

Mercedes have conveniently moved the parking brake from left hand operated to left foot operated (small pedal tucked down in footwell). But then I have know some auto drivers who just leave it in "park" and don't ever bother putting on the parking brake.

I had a W108 from '71(ish) that had the parking brake there and my fathers W123 (1974) has it there. Release is a dashboard lever. It's not a new thing for them by any means.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Were you turning when it happened? In which case you're starting to involve the stability systems which will be doing all kinds of cleaver things to stop the car from trying to exit the corner rear end first.

A very gently curving sliproad would be a typical example - where you can give it full welly in a manual with nothing more than a bit of mild squirming, certainly no reason to delay a shift.

 

[GrasB]

Where you can give it full welly in a manual with nothing more than a bit of mild squirming, certainly no reason to delay a shift.

If you have squirming then the stability control has kicked in. So now you have a situation where the stability control system is now trying to balance out the car with inputs it know causes the car is having grip problems. Delaying a change in those situations is absolutely the right thing to do.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Delaying a change in those situations is absolutely the right thing to do.

Only if you think the box should force you to drive like a granny. We'll agree to disagree. :-)

 

[GrasB]

Only if you think the box should force you to drive like a granny. We'll agree to disagree. :-)

If the car squirms then it's moving on its tyres. If the car is moving on its tyres then you've crossed the grip threshold and are into the realm of slip traction. There's not driving like a granny & not driving like a race driver.

 

[Chromatic]

You two are Stirling Moss AICMFP.

 

[CopperBrompton]

There's not driving like a granny & not driving like a race driver.

I don't think I've owned a car in the past 15 years that hasn't seen some track use ...