Automatic Gear

Automatic Gear (Pikmin)
This ship part is required for the S.S. Dolphin to escape the planet.
Weight	15
Max. carriers	25 Pikmin
Location	The Forest Navel

Automatic Gear (Pikmin 4)
Weight	15
Location	Sun-Speckled Terrace, Blossoming Arcadia, Serene Shores, Hero's Hideaway

The Automatic Gear (オートマチック・ギア^?, lit.: "Automatic Gear") is a ship part in Pikmin. It chugs along at its own pace and it makes piloting easier, giving Captain Olimar time to concentrate on finer points of space travel. When collected, this part does not change the S.S. Dolphin's appearance.

In Pikmin 4, 6 Automatic Gears must be collected across the four areas of Olimar's Shipwreck Tale.

Collecting the part

The following article or section contains guides. The strategies shown are just suggestions.

In Pikmin

File:FN texture.png

Location of the Automatic Gear.

The Automatic Gear is found in The Forest Navel, on a ledge near the landing site, where a climbing stick must be built to get to it. As it is in a high place, Pikmin can lose their flowers when they fall off the edge while carrying it. The tilted ship part glitch can also occur due to the long drop.

To avoid your Pikmin getting deflowered, you can call them back just as they are walking off the edge. Another useful method is to simply walk away. If the Pikmin are out of the view of the camera, they will not get deflowered. This technique is also useful for getting other ship parts in the game. Due to several Shearwigs being in the area where the Pikmin fall, you must take precautions to ensure no Pikmin deaths.

Fiery Blowhogs can also wander into the drop point of the part later in the day, so it may be a good idea to use Red Pikmin. If doing a speedrun, have your Pikmin work on collecting this part while you discover the Blue Pikmin, as the Blue Onion and the part are very close together.

In Pikmin 4

Sun-Speckled Terrace

The Automatic Gear is in the north of the area, inside an Arachnode web. You can reach the Arachnode from either direction, but before you kill it, make sure to also dispatch a nearby Puffy Blowhog.

The carrying path for this part depends greatly on which structures you have built or destroyed so far in the Terrace. Predict the path carefully and kill any enemies that might threaten your Pikmin along the way.

Blossoming Arcadia

The Automatic Gear is in a niche south of the Misshapen Pond landing site. From the opposite edge of the nearby mud pit, go along the blue pipe and you will find the part inside a stack of toy blocks. Throw 15 Pikmin to dig it up. It is easiest to retrieve the part using Yellow Pikmin, but any type can reach it if you position Olimar or Moss on top of the mound near the toy blocks.

Serene Shores

There are three Automatic Gears in this area.

See also: Bug-Eyed Crawmad strategy.

For the first gear, go to the beach near the Water's Edge landing site and proceed left into a flooded passage. This corridor leads to a Bug-Eyed Crawmad which has an Automatic Gear in its stomach. To ensure the Pikmin's safety as they carry the part back, it is recommended to kill the Aristocrab Offsprings on the previously mentioned beach.

See also: Masterhop strategy.

For the second, go west into an open space where a Yellow Wollyhop and a Masterhop reside. Kill these enemies and proceed until you find a buried Automatic Gear in the right corner.

For the third, go to The Sand Keep landing site and kill the Sovereign Bulblax. Once the boss is dead, build the climbing wall a bit to the east. It is recommended to move your base to The Sand Keep for two reasons: doing so creates a much shorter path for your Pikmin to retrieve necessary raw material from the S.S. Dolphin, and eases retrieval of the Secret Safe which the Bulblax drops upon death. Beyond the climbing wall, an Automatic Gear lies amid a few bubble geysers. Destroy the geysers with any Pikmin type before you let them carry the part.

Hero's Hideaway

After you have defeated the area's Gildemander, push down the two cardboard boxes leading from the eastern section of the area to the left. Kill the Tusked Blowhog between said boxes and the Feasting Centre landing site, and move your base there.

Having completed these tasks, take out at least 30 Pikmin for Olimar. Leave Moss behind and go through a hole in the wall next to the landing site mentioned previously. The tunnel leads to a moving platform that takes Olimar down to a raised desk. On the far end of this desk, an Automatic Gear lies near a Miniature Snootwhacker. Moss cannot go through the hole with Olimar, so the best option here is to stun the enemy with an item such as a Bomb Rock or Ice Blast. If no such items are available, distract the enemy with Olimar while your Pikmin carry the part.

Notes

Olimar's monologs

“I've found the Automatic Gear!

This thing chugs right along at its own pace. It makes piloting much easier, giving me time to concentrate on the finer points of space travel.

---

It has thin cracks running through it. I tried to fill them with dirt... I hope it will be all right.”

Gallery

• 

  The Automatic Gear on the high ledge it is found on.

• 

  The part being retrieved to the S.S. Dolphin.

Trivia

The icon.

• A very early Treasure Hoard icon for the Omega Flywheel resembles the Automatic Gear, but is yellow instead.
  • Interestingly, the Automatic Gear in Pikmin 4 is yellow and gray, making it moreso resemble the early Omega Flywheel.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	オートマチック・ギア? Ōtomachikku Gia	Automatic Gear
Chinese (traditional)	自動式齒輪 Zìdòng-shì Chǐlún	Automatic-Type Gear
Chinese (simplified)	自动式齿轮 Zìdòng-shì Chǐlún	Automatic-Type Gear
Dutch	Turbotandwiel	Turbo gear
French (NoA)	Engrenage de vitesses automatique (in-game) Engrenage (final results screen)	Automatic speed gears Gear
French (NoE)	Boîte Automatique	Automatic Box
German	Autom. Getriebe	Automatic Gear
Italian	Autonavigatore	Automatic navigator
Korean	오토매틱 기어 Otomaetik Gieo	Automatic Gear
Portuguese	Transmissão automática	Automatic transmission
Spanish	Transmisión	Transmission