What ATP Stands For (And Why Your Automobile Could Have A Warning Gentle About It)

At any time when one of many widespread dashboard warning lights in your automobile illuminate, like many drivers, you most likely launch an audible sigh. It is not that these warnings aren’t useful, however typically they may end up in an costly journey to the mechanic. One of many much less widespread indicators on choose autos is labeled “ATP,” and its which means and performance aren’t readily recognized by most drivers. For those who occur to see the ATP warning mild activate in your instrument cluster, here’s what it means and what its warning you.

ATP stands for automated transmission park and it is available in automated transmission 4×4 fashions the place you may choose between two and four-wheel drive modes by way of a switch case. In 4×4 autos, there’s usually a two-wheel drive setting, together with 4WD Excessive, 4WD Low, and impartial. It is necessary to know the distinction between 4WD Excessive versus Low and when to make use of which 4×4 mode. Primarily, ATP is alerting you that your automobile has a chance of rolling even together with your transmission in park and that the switch case is about to impartial. As easy as an automated transmission seems from the driving perspective, there are a number of complicated processes happening. The truth is, there are possible many stuff you won’t know concerning the gears in an automated.

In four-wheel drive autos, there’s a switch case managed by a swap, a dial, or a shifting knob across the heart console to pick out both two- or four-wheel driving configurations. There are correct procedures for switching into these totally different modes. For instance, when switching from 2WD to 4 Excessive, Toyota recommends you gradual to beneath 62 mph or extra throughout colder temperatures, then flip the dial and verify for a stable 4HI indicator mild. Nevertheless, switching into 4 Low, which is for rugged terrain requiring extra torque, it’s essential be in impartial and stopped.

What occurs should you do not observe the rules for altering modes in your switch case? One driver in a Nissan Frontier discovered after making an attempt to change into 4 Low to rise up his slick and snowy driveway. He reported, “First time utilizing 4LO, so I did not know to attend (or shift to N) to permit xfer case to really be in 4LO, aka the 4LO indicator steadily lit.” What occurred was an ATP warning lit up in his truck and was accompanied by an alert tone. The automobile was alerting him that when shifting into park, for the reason that switch case was not totally locked into 4 Low, the automobile would behave as if it was in impartial. With the switch case successfully in impartial, even with the transmission in park, the automobile has the potential to roll and isn’t safely stopped.