Touring Switzerland in my Fiat automatic?

[Reg1958]

Hi all, I am planning on going to Europe next June with the aim to spend a week in Switzerland.
I have been to Switzerland on my motorbike and know some of the swiss mountains are brutally steep.
I am going in my Fiat carado 2.3 automatic 2021.
my worry is wether the auto gearbox will cope with the long, steep roads.
if I have a bit of a run up I’m pretty confident I will be ok, my worry is if I have a slow start, will the gearbox react as I need to get me up the mountain.
have any of you funsters any experience or advice of driving extreme gradients in an automatic gearbox motorhome?
All replies will be gratefully received, cheers.

 

[Bessy765]

Your box is manual with a robotic gear change, you should have a button on the dash which will hold the gears longer it looks like a lorry with a weight on the back.

 

[Phill D]

Many autos can be used in manual mode you selecting the gear you want.

 

[Nirvanauk]

put it in manual.

 

[Lenny HB]

As it's 2021 I assume a 9 speed ZF box so shouldn't be a problem.

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[ANDKEZLULA]

We went to Switzerland & Italy this year in our 2021 Fiat Auto, Then on another trip to French Alps both times up & down some serious gradients , I have to say the gearbox is a joy. No way would I want to go back to a manual.

 

[Rob Turner]

You won’t have any problems.
Crack on.

 

[Reg1958]

Thanks for the quick replies, to my shame I have only just noticed the ‘ drive mode ‘ button next to the gear knob!
No idea what it does ( only had the van a year! ) so I‘ll have to dig the manual out , I appreciate the info from you all

 

[orridge]

Your box is manual with a robotic gear change, you should have a button on the dash which will hold the gears longer it looks like a lorry with a weight on the back.

We had the comfortmatic and only found that button this trip to Europe and it made a huge difference in the Swiss/German mountains makes the gear changes far more quicker between gears.

 

[Guigsy]

It's likely that you've got the 9 speed auto. In which case, you'll have no issues. It's fast and provides plenty of ratios to keep the turbo singing.

If you've got the older 6 speed Comfortmatic auto, then what you've actually got is a 6 speed manual box, but with a robot doing the gears and clutch for you. It's a bit slow at changing, but it's fine. There's still plenty of stomp to get up anything. Just you might want to use manual mode to drop it into a lower gear on the approach to uphill hairpins to pre-empt it so you can keep the momentum going.

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[Reg1958]

Sorry to appear a bit thick, mine is the 9 speed box, do I just push the drive mode button once and that’s it?

 

[Guigsy]

Sorry to appear a bit thick, mine is the 9 speed box, do I just push the drive mode button once and that’s it?

Should be.

 

[Pentlander]

Each time you press the mode button it will change between eco, normal, power and this will be indicated in the instrument pane. It always reverts automatically to normal when you switch the engine off.

 

[PlacidoD]

Nobody has mentioned it yet but selecting manual will pay dividends on downhill stretches with many bends allowing engine braking. I lost my rear brake two up on a Yamaha FJR 1300 during a very long descent from the hilltops behind Argegno descending into Switzerland from the Balcone d'Italia through Arogno and down to Rovio. The brake fluid boiled under heavy use. Brake function returned to normal about 30 minutes later. That scenario is best avoided in a heavily laden van!!! So drop down through the gears on a downhill descent.

Chris