Pontiac 1955 Owner's Manual page 15

CAUTION: Do not "pump" the accelerator pedal at any time. Avoid racing
the engine during warm-up period.
Cold Weather—In cold weather (0° F. and colder) the engine must
idle with the control lever in the N position until engine and trans
mission are warmed up. When engine is cold and running at fast
idle, the car will tend to creep when the control lever is moved to a
driving position. A slight application of the foot brake or hand brake
will hold the car until motion is desired.
OPERATING IN DR RANGE—DR range has two driving positions,
each marked by an arrow. The control lever can be moved at will
from one arrow position to the other when traveling at any car speed
on dry roads where traction is good.
The left hand arrow position in DR range
is provided for all normal forward driving;
it reduces engine speed, provides better
driving comfort and improves fuel econ
omy. When driving in this range at a car
speed of less than 60 MPH extra perform
ance can be obtained by depressing the accelerator pedal. This will
cause the transmission to shift down into third speed. The car speed
determines the amount the accelerator pedal must be depressed to
cause this shift. At a speed of about 27 MPH or less the accelerator
pedal need only be partially depressed to cause the shift and at speeds
of 28 MPH to 60 MPH it is necessary to completely depress the
pedal. The transmission will automatically return to fourth speed as
car speed increases or the accelerator pedal is released.
The right hand arrow position in DR range
is provided for better acceleration and is
very useful when driving m congested traffic.
It is also effective when ascending or de
scending long mountain grades. When driv
ing in either DR range at a car speed of less
than 20 MPH an extra burst of speed can be obtained by completely
depressing the accelerator pedal. This will cause the transmission to
shift down to second speed. The transmission will automatically
return to third or fourth speed, depending on the DR range being
used, as the car speed increases or pedal is released.
Acceleration in DR Range—The shift events from first speed to
second, second speed to third, and third speed to fourth (direct drive)
will occur at progressively higher car speeds depending on the amount
the accelerator pedal is depressed.
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