Automatic Gear
(Pikmin)
Icon used to represent the ship part on the wiki.
Artwork of the Automatic Gear.
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)
Icon used to represent the ship part on the wiki.
Icon for the Automatic Gear from Pikmin 4's Olimar's Shipwreck Tale.
Weight 15
Max. carriers 30 Pikmin
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

 
The location of the Automatic Gear in The Forest Navel.

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 location of the Automatic Gear in the 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 Sun-Speckled Terrace. Predict the path carefully and kill any enemies that might threaten your Pikmin along the way.

Blossoming Arcadia

 
The location of the Automatic Gear in the 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

 
The location of the Automatic Gears in the Serene Shores.
Bug-Eyed Crawmad
See also: Bug-Eyed Crawmad#Strategy.

Go northeast from the Water's Edge base 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.

Masterhop
See also: Masterhop#Strategy.

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.

The Sand Keep

Go to The Sand Keep base and kill the Sovereign Bulblax. Once the boss is dead, build the climbing wall shortly 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 also eases retrieval of the Secret Safe which the Bulblax drops upon death. Beyond the climbing wall, an Automatic Gear lies amid a few bubble blowers and Aristocrab Offsprings. Destroy the geysers and kill the enemies with any Pikmin type before you let them carry the part.

Hero's Hideaway

 
The location of the Automatic Gear in the Hero's Hideaway.

After you have defeated the area's Gildemander, push down the two cardboard boxes leading northward. Kill the Tusked Blowhog between said boxes and the Feasting Center, 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

Trivia

 
The icon.
  • A very early Treasure Hoard icon for the Omega Flywheel resembles the Automatic Gear, but is yellow instead.[1]
    • 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

References