Many people do not know about the L gear present on the position shifter in the Honda Civic and are unaware of its benefits.
What is L Gear in Honda Civic? L gear in Honda Civic means low gear that provides more power while the vehicle drives at slow speed. It provides a smooth driving experience on uneven and bumpy roads. It helps you climb the hills by passing through obstacles because it decreases stress on the engine and produces more torque. Moreover, there is lesser stress on the brakes when the car is in L gear because it avoids quick depression of brake pedals. Furthermore, you can tow a heavy load when the car moves at a low steady speed.
The number of gears varies in every vehicle, whether manual or automatic. Many manual cars have 4 to 5 positions, increasing to 9 in automated cars.
It is better to understand the types of positions that you can achieve like the D or drive, P or park, L or low, N or neutral, and many others.
Furthermore, look at the gear shifter and the alphabet written close to it to learn about the different positions.
What is L gear?
The term L gear refers to low gear that relates to the vehicles. You can see an alphabet ‘L’ on the position shifter where 5 other types of options are available, including N, R, P, and so on.
These position shifters help change the transmission that regulates the car’s speed. It means that the vehicle moves on the first and second gear.
You can drive in this particular position when moving on uneven roads and obstacles around the car like stones and snow.
Why would you keep Honda Civic in L-gear?
Driving at a low speed has many benefits that allow drivers to downshift their cars in the first and second gear.
Less stress on brakes
When you are driving at low gears, you do not have to apply brakes quickly in case of any obstacle on the road.
The brakes can get damaged due to overheating when you depress the pedal with a quick force.
Moreover, the braking system has to work hard when you try to reduce the speed in a hilly area.
Brakes can wear out quickly when you press them hard while descending on an uphill because they have to work against the force of gravity.
So, the prolonged stress on the braking system can lead to its failure. Therefore, it is better to drive in low transmission, so you do not have to use brakes to get quick control over high speed.
Efficient driving on hills
Driving a car in L gear increases the engine power that helps the car move efficiently through uphill roads.
Moreover, it reduces the engine and transmission stress and helps climb the road by producing extra torque.
Efficient towing
It allows you to tow a heavy load of almost 2000 to 2600 pounds behind the car.
You cannot efficiently tow a trailer when moving at high speed because the load adds to the vehicle’s weight.
So, shift the position to L mode when you want to tow a load on your car to avoid problematic situations due to high speed.
Smooth driving
You can enjoy a better driving experience in this transmission by maximizing the speed to a limited extent. However, it leads to an insignificant effect on the well-being of the vehicle.
Moreover, it helps to drive on the poor roads with many ups and downs on the way. The obstacles like stones and snow can interfere, and you have to apply brakes at some point.
So, you do not have to minimize the speed because the transmission can effectively manage bumpy roads by improving the acceleration rate.
Increased torque production
Shifting of gears directly impacts the torque production and keeps changing with the speed changes. Therefore, there is an indirect relation between speed and torque.
A decrease in the vehicle’s speed increases torque production and vice versa.
Similarly, lower pressure decreases the rotating efficiency and produces more torque.
Less consumption of fuel
Less pressure on the engine consumes less fuel and improves the fuel economy when there is less pressure. In addition, it allows you to drive a few extra miles while in this position.
A car needs more fuel when starting at a lower speed to accelerate.
How do you shift to L-gear in Honda Civic?
You can downshift the Honda civic and decrease the speed after releasing the gas pedal by taking your foot off the pedal.
After that, change the transmission by moving the shifter. First, you have to understand the position shifter and all the modes you can attain by changing its position.
Moreover, six options are available on the shifter, including parking, neutral, reverse, sport, drive, and low.
It is present on the end of the shifting lever. You have to press the button on the upper side of the shifter and move it in a backward direction to reverse.
Then, press the side button again and reach the neutral and drive modes. Keep moving this lever until you reach the L mode.
In automatic vehicles, a computer system controls the transmission and allows the engine to run at a specific range of RPMs.
You have to maintain a steady speed at 20 to 25 mph for as long as you want to drive in the same mode.
Then, rerelease the gas pedal to reach the first gear, where you can drive at 10 to 15 mph.
One of the feasible ways to downshift the car is to change the position of the transmission when you stop at a traffic light signal.
Can I use L gear while driving in snow?
The snowy roads provide a wet surface that can interfere with smooth driving while moving at high speed. You can shift your vehicle to L gear when driving on the snowy road.
It can help you drive on a slippery surface without any fear of slippage because the production of extra torque helps keep the car under control.
Moving the shifter to the L position reduces the speed and, ultimately, pressure on the engine due to the quick pressing of the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
Furthermore, you can move to the second gear to gain some speed when the first one is not enough to get a grip on the road.
Is it good to drive your Honda Civic in L gear all the time?
It is not feasible to drive a car in the L gear all the time because you can increase the speed when moving on clear roads.
The big cities have wide and smooth roads, which allows you to shift to higher gears by changing the position from L to D.
You can change the modes back to L when you feel obstacles on uneven roads and stones in a hilly area. This shifting decreases the speed of the vehicle gradually.
So, it is better to make decisions about the positions according to the road condition.
For example, a highway road is suitable for shifting to 4th or 5th gear, while a hilly road requires it to be in 1st or 2nd one.
How fast can you drive in L gear?
Its speed depends on the gear number according to the type of vehicle, like whether it is manual or automatic.
You can reach a maximum speed of 10 to 15 mph when the transmission is engaged in first gear.
Moreover, it is possible to reach 20 to 25 mph when driving your Honda civic in second gear.
Therefore, it is better to shift at a low speed or between 20 to 22 mph for driving your vehicle a long way.
When you try to exceed the maximum limit of 25 mph, you exert stress on the engine resulting in damage that can cost you more.
Can you shift from D to L while driving?
It is essential to know about the safety gears to avoid damage to the transmission when changing the shifter position while driving.
You cannot shift from the D position, the driving mode, to a reverse and park mode.
This is because they can affect the transmission because the parking mode locks the wheels and restrict their forward and backward motion.
It is not good to shift to the P and R position, but you can easily move to low gear while driving in a D position. In addition, it slows down the speed of a car resulting in smooth driving.
Automatic cars like Honda Civic have automatic transmissions that can shift the transmission after assessing the road conditions.
So, you can easily shift from D to L while driving to optimize the vehicle’s performance at a proper time.
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