Advice please on driving method for automatics on steep mountain roads

[sciac2001]

Never had an automatic vehicle before and now I have a campervan with it. Will be wanting to drive into the mountain ranges of the continent but wary of how the automatic should be best used, especially on the downward steep roads.
A few years back I burnt the brakes on a manual transmission mh. I realised that I drove it wrongly by not using the gears as the conditions demanded. Now armed with an automatic, will the gear selection decision be automatic or should I use the manual overrides - 7-GTronic system?

Thanks for any/all tips.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Many autos should have some form of hill descent mode. The Fiat comfort magic has a dashboard button. ( not the UP function that’s changes gear later on climbs). But this would only engage at low speeds.

 

[Robert Clark]

If it’s it’s Fiat comfotmatic simply press the gear lever up and it will change gear just like a manual

 

[olley]

On mine I can select 1,2 or 3rd gear however I expect like mine if you overspeed the engine it will go up a gear to prevent engine damage.

 

[tonyidle]

Autos are becoming smarter and it may change down itself or may even have a Hill Descent Mode that you can engage. Ultimately you're still in control though so simply ensure that it changes to an appropriate lower gear or, if it doesn't, you change down as required. Select a gear such that engine rpm don't exceed 4000 on very steep downhill sections.

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[tacr2man]

The 7 g tronic has TCL on all gears so can be used downhill like a manual gearbox , by selecting a lower gear to utilize engine braking , and using the brakes to keep revs in check , ideally you want it in a gear that gives suitable retardation , and allow it to operate at the higher end of the rev band for max efficiency .

 

[Taran_Las]

The comformatic box will drop a cog when you press the brake pedal. It only changes back up a gear when you apply throttle.

 

[makems]

Never had a problem with Comfortmatic on our 5tonne Burstner Elegance and we went up and down some pretty big and steep mountains in Morocco for several years. It did change down and hold a lower gear if you were going downhill with foot off the accelerator.

 

[sciac2001]

Thanks to all and apologies for the late appreciations.
(Have been overriding the auto manually and works well.)
Cheers.

 

[DDJC]

Got a 2.3, 150hp, 3500kg, Fiat Rimor with Comfortmatic gear box. This year we went through the Mont Blanc, then a week later, down the Brenner Pass & up the long climb into the Otzal Valley in the Austrian Tirol. The bus never missed a beat and simply got on with it. It changed gear when I would have done it.

There is one long, long upward as you ascend to the Mont Blanc tunnel. I was ready to flick it over to stay in 4 or 5, but the Comfortmatic did exactly what I would have done. No over heating.

Coming down through traffic on the Brenner Pass in Austria was fun, as the rain was coming down sideways. You certainly have to use the brakes and the engine to keep the speed down, but as long as you keep a lid on the speed and support the brakes and gearbox with little touches so that they complement each other, it was easy. I didn't need the hill descent button.

AND, I was towing a double axle trailer with a Suzuki Ignis and 200kilos of gear for the whole journey. Barely noticed it.

Practice on some littler hills in UK! You will be fine, these gearboxes are MEANT to do what you are wanting to do.

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[pappajohn]

Forget the gears descending hills...... Make sure your horn works.