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FTT Car Controls and Warning Lights

The FTT asks what each control does and what the dashboard is telling you. Know the three pedals, the speed range of each gear, how an automatic gearbox works, and which warning lights must go off once the engine runs. Vehicle Controls is one of the three biggest FTT chapters.

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Pedals and handbrake

  • Accelerator: the most sensitive pedal. Use the outer edge of the ball of the right foot, pressing steadily. p.10
  • Brake: ball of the right foot. Brake on and off 2 or 3 times (not in an emergency): it warns drivers behind, stops the wheels locking and dries the brakes after a flood. p.10-11
  • Clutch down = disengaged, engine power cut. Press it to engage 1st or reverse from rest, to change gear and to stop. p.11-12
  • Handbrake (parking brake): works on the two rear wheels only; press the footbrake to apply or release it. p.9-10

Gears and their speeds

1st10-20 km/h: moving off4th40 km/h and up
2nd15-35 km/h5th'overdrive': cruising above 70 km/h
3rd30-45 km/hRreverse

Lower gear = more power, less speed. Changing to a higher gear is changing up. p.7-9

Automatic gearbox

  • No clutch. Four basic positions: P park, R reverse, N neutral, D drive. p.13
  • Start the engine in P with the handbrake on. p.15
  • L holds a low gear: in slow, heavy traffic, or down a long steep hill. p.14
  • Kick-down: press the accelerator sharply past fully open for a quick change down, for example to overtake. p.14

Warning lights and meters

Brake lightstays on after the handbrake is off: brake fluid low
Oil pressure lightstays on after starting: engine oil below the level
Battery lightstays on after starting: charging system faulty
Temperature gaugepast the normal range: engine overheating
Door lighta door is not shut properly
High beam lightheadlights on high beam
Both arrows flashhazard lights are on

Ignition ON: brake, oil and battery lights come on; oil and battery go off once the engine runs. Tachometer = engine revs per minute; the trip odometer can be reset. p.18-20

Switches, seat and steering

  • Ignition: LOCK, OFF, ACC, ON, START. Let go of the key once the engine starts; the key comes out only with the engine off. p.15
  • Headlights on 7pm-7am, and in poor daylight. Push the lever forward for high beam, pull back for low beam. p.17
  • Hazard switch: all four indicators flash, for a breakdown or a short stop at the roadside. p.17
  • Demister: clears mist from the rear windscreen. p.17
  • Seat: left leg almost straight with the clutch down; headrest level with ear and eye; belt on after adjusting the seat. p.21
  • Steering: 'ten to two' or 'quarter to three'; do not cross your hands. p.6

Test traps

  • Handbrake works on the two rear wheels only, not all four. p.9
  • Brake light still on after you release the handbrake: brake fluid is low. p.20
  • Oil and battery lights come on with the ignition: normal. A problem only if they stay on once the engine runs. p.20
  • Clutch pedal fully down = clutch disengaged: no engine power to the wheels. p.11
  • Kick-down changes down a gear, for quick acceleration. p.14

Test yourself

  1. The handbrake acts on:

    • A. All four wheels
    • B. The front wheels
    • C. The two rear wheels
    Show the answer

    C. The handbrake (parking brake) works on the two rear wheels only. p.9

  2. The battery light stays on after the engine has started. What does it mean?

    • A. The battery charging system is faulty
    • B. Engine oil is low
    Show the answer

    A. Battery light on after starting: charging system faulty. Oil light: oil low. p.20

  3. In an automatic car, which position do you start the engine in?

    • A. D
    • B. N
    • C. P
    Show the answer

    C. Start in P (Park) with the handbrake on. p.15

  4. Which gear is used to move off?

    • A. 1st
    • B. 2nd
    • C. 3rd
    Show the answer

    A. 1st gear (10-20 km/h) is for moving off. p.8

Slides for social media

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FTT Car Controls and Warning Lights, slide 1 of 7
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Practise Vehicle ControlsFTT flash cards
SG Driving

Based on the official Final Theory of Driving handbook, pages 5-22; page numbers are the handbook's. The drawings are our own simple versions. An unofficial study aid by sgdriving.net, not a Traffic Police publication: where anything differs, the official handbook prevails. The handbooks are free from the Traffic Police Online Learning Portal.