Automatic Shift Patterns

Here's a fun topic:

It would be fascinating to find out just how many automatic shift
parrerns, especially in cars (though all vehicles are open for
discussion here).

The standard ones, of course

(early)
PNDSLR
PRNDLR
PRNDS
PRNDIL
PRND2L

(later,starting in the 1950s)
PRND(1)D(2)L
PRND21
even PRNDL(2)L(1)

According to one posting here, also PRNDGr(!!)LR--Gr meaning Grade.

Others:

RN1234D (5-speed Austin America automatics!!)

Mercedes Benz and Honda tend to have selections whose selected gfears
for each ends at best in second..in short, no "1" hold, and in some
cases no 2-3 shift.

Here's a description
(Merdeces Benz 4-spd.automatics as tradioanll installed)
PRN432

Then
PRND31,etc.

Truck transmissions are more complicated (off road..)
the Allison HT70's, AT545's,etc. with their hyphenated gear-descrtpitve
lever selections.

For instance..
R,N,306-3-5,3-4,1-2 (HT70)
R,N,2-5,2-4,2-3,1 (AT545)

(Go to allisontransmission.com, get Adobe (tm) Acrobat Reader then
download the operators manuals for as many as you want to read all of
THEIR unsual and very serviceable shift patterns.)

WHich brings me to:
Bus automatic transmissions selections:
For many years, transits used only 2-speeds--either SPicer (with the
selecitons written out in full-see below) or Allison (VH/VS-2-6/8
series) (with the usual abbreviations).

The selectors were DIRECTLY directionional, with NO other postions than
just Forward--just one.

Like--
(Spicer)
FORWARD
NEUTRAL
REVERSE

Allison:
F
N
R

Those positons also went for the later (1966-1967 at oldest) overdrive
three speed automatics, but only with the F-N-R patterns as before.
(Maybe there was a semi-automatic clutching thing).

Later the RND21 (Allison/GM V730) all the way to today's hi tech, ultra
sophisticaeed B 400-600 series with the little panel-buttons like so:
R [mode]
N [^]-for upshift
D [V] for downbshift



The above LARGELY applies to transit buses..


School buses used mostly the various medium Class 6 Allsion off roasd
and "trashtruck" semi-automatics, the HT70 series (3-6,3-5,3-4,and 1-2
of the gear selecitons) or HT545 (1,2-3,2-4,2-5) or the M643 4-speed
auto, kinda (think Hydramastic) taking General Motors full circle on
automatics, (forward gear selection varying).

Anyway, especially as this is a automobile newsgroup, I'd like to know
of the more odder car automatic shift patterns

Just to share some more..
A friend I know had a Jeep with this:
R
N
D
3
1-2
Plus two-peed transfer case :-)

Some of those "double drive"(D2, D1), variaitons are interesting..the
little dot, big dot, :double-D" being one and there is even a P R N 2D1
L I saw as a kid once.

RN21L(a la the Autmatic Stickshift utilized in the 1960s-1970s by VW).

Thnderbird used the following twos-peed control..RNDrLo(like such).

(Next time , push buttons all the way to today's hitech futurisic
transit bus Allisoin controls!)

(Back in the old days a surprsing number of three d pushbuuttons,
esp.on AMC/Nash-Ramblers, existed..sometimes the fun of riding,
especially at that innocent age..was seeing all the diverse types of
tranny controls and shift pattrern and egar configurations.:P)

Well, any observations or comments?

Oh.. by the way..
P
N
Dr
Lo
R

(Toontown as Disney Land has a ROGER RABBIT kiddie car with a
similuated make beleive 2-speed auto selector, on dash, simulated!
PNDR-with one gear seleciton,Cool! Just like on a bus.LOL)

> wrote:
> Here's a fun topic:
>
> It would be fascinating to find out just how many automatic shift
> parrerns, especially in cars (though all vehicles are open for
> discussion here).

[snip wacky patterns]

The old DAF Variomatic (infinite-ratio belt drive - it was a
proto-CVR system) had a

Forward
Neutral
Reverse

lever, with just arrows for the indication. My grandfather owned a
66DL which would frequently die as it was put in Forward mode. He
habitually started it in gear with a very dangerous jump forward as the
engine fired.

I encountered a later one of these cars, badged as Volvo 66GL (I dunno
what constituted the Grandiosity of its Luxury - more cheap fake
plastic woodwork, probably), and this had a more normal PRND selector,
though P was quite useless as the parking pawl would stick horribly.
(The handbrake was also quite useless, so parking was rather
precarious.)

That 66GL had a cut-out switch so you couldn't start it in D, but with
automatic choke being what it was would also frequently die when put in
gear. "Try Reverse." "Bloody hell!"

Yup, it'd do the familiar jump when started in R.

--
Roy