2012 Corolla - How Do You Shift to First Gear When I Only See Third Gear?

[paul r.]

I test drove a 2012 Toyota Corolla Sedan and didn't know how to shift the gear into 1st drive and the sales person didn't really make it clear as to how so I didnt buy the car. Its funny I have to ask the question where is first drive because no where on the gear shift does it show first drive. The top of gear shift shows P for park, then below that is R, then N, then below that is 3 D, then 2, then L. There is no D alone as in 1st drive anywhere. Is 3 D third drive combined with 1st drive? What exactly is third drive? Do I have to slightly move the gear stick off of 3 D to get to 1st drive, if so do I move it up or down? I can't move the stick upward when on 3 D if so it would be on N, and downward would bring me to 2. Where is 1st drive and how do I get to it?
ZOOM IN 200% to see clearly what I mean, where is 1st drive?-

 

[echarleswhyte]

well, it is a four speed automatic. d is drive, all the gears will be used. move it over to 3 and only the first 3 gears will be used. drop it into 2 and only the first 2 gears are used and drop it into L and only the 1st gear will be used. L=1.

 

[paul r.]

well, it is a four speed automatic. d is drive, all the gears will be used. move it over to 3 and only the first 3 gears will be used. drop it into 2 and only the first 2 gears are used and drop it into L and only the 1st gear will be used. L=1.

As you can see by that picture there is not a D only where anyone of the 4 gears will be used automatically, theres only a 3-D. So 3-D will automatically use first drive?(first drive being the normal drive everyone uses all the time or very most of time while driving.).So that means in order for that car to be in first drive the shift has to be on 3-D? L is not first drive, its first gear that revs up the engine the loudest causing the rpms to increase to maximum thus causing people to drive the slowest? And what gear is first drive, is it gear 3 or gear 4? If its gear 4, how can 3 D auto switch to gear 4 when its only 3 gears? Thanks.

 

[fishycomics]

As you place in to 3-D, that I will ask you this simple question.

When you place to the "D" the gear shifter will be able to shift "Sideways" one step. 3 is no over drive, D is over drive selected.

and the rest is history.

 

[echarleswhyte]

as fishycomics said. when it is in the 3-D, if you keep the shifter to the right you are in D (all 4 gears, overdrive, whatever you want to call it) move the shifter to the left in the same 3-D gate then you are in 3. only gears 1,2,3 will be used. and so forth. this is an automatic so if the shifter is in D then the vehicle will start out in gear 1 and AUTOMATICALLY shift to 2nd then to 3rd and finally to 4th (D) then back down to 3rd and 2nd and 1st depending on speed.

 

[paul r.]

WOW, so Toyota did what Sony did with the PS2. Thinking I was born with the knowledge that when turning the power of a PS2 to on, I have to hold the power button instead of pressing it, haha. But in this case, Toyota thought I would automatically know I had to pull the shift down to 3-D but a little more to the right would be in D. And thats why I thought there was a bit more effort than normal to put it in drive when I was shifting it all the way to 3-D to the left side,when I was suppose to keep it to most right of 3-D. THANKS for telling me. When it was on 3-D to left, the engine was revving louder all the time with higher rpm's like 4000 continuously at 110 km. So this explains why, I was suppose to keep it to the right. I bet you alot of people will be making this mistake and driving all the time with the shift to left side of 3-D ruining the engine in so many years. Toyota should put the D next to the right side and keep the 3 alone. Thanks again.

 

[fishycomics]

Take a better look at your picture and in the car when you shift, you are passing the "D" and it is in a correct order.


You are skipping "D" not Toyota or our mistakes.

the steps if broken down are:

..P
.r
...n
3 D
2
1

so how are we all switching to 3 if the shifter slides into D first

 

[paul r.]

Now that I know, it will slide down into D first at right but I thought it had to go directly next to 3-D to left which is in fact directly on D instead of black space nothing slot to right. By leaving it down to rightest side it is NOT directly next to D and seems a little misleading because its next to no symbol at all and thats what confused me. I bet others will be too. I was driving it directly on 3-D(directly on D to left) just for the 2 times I test drove it with a high rev and higher rpm's thinking the engine was toast and thats why I didnt buy it and bought a different car instead. Toyota should put that D to right side that way everyone will shift it down and keep it there for certain. The way it is now its like a puzzle and I think alot of people won't keep it to right and will put it directly on D which is to left and will be in 3rd with a higher rev and rpm, I think its a mistake made by Toyota and not very user friendly, my opinion, thanks!!! Although I bought another car instead, I was just so curious as to how to solve this puzzle of a gear shift that was a bit misleading especially when test driving it for only 40 minutes and thats why I posted this thread and found the answer.

 

[echarleswhyte]

seems to me what your missing is the fact that 3-D is not one setting but 2 different ones. toyota did nothing wrong. if you look at it, all the letters and numbers are on the left side of the shifter (consistent with every left hand drive car if I'm not mistaken) reason being is the left side is closet to the driver and thus you can look down at a glance and see all the relevent info as to what gear your in instead of having the letters and numbers to the right and having to look through the shifter handle to see what gear your in and spending more time looking down than at the road. this being the case why then would toyota place the D on the right side? what car did you end up buying? I bet the numbers and letters for the auto tranny are on the left of the shifter as well.

 

[fishycomics]

paul r

on the dashboard will be the Shifter indicator. so no mistakes what gears we are in?

Also Paul when you were shifting, you do not pull the handle to you, it will go straight down, and fall into the gears correctly, by pulling it and to you, it will slip to the 3 and that is what you were doing? being in there for minute or days...

here is a video. enjoy