Driving an auto like a manual??

MISTA FIESTA · 17-07-2005, 09:31 AM

Howdy,

Might be a stipid question, but is there any harm to the gearbox in upshifting and downshifting in an auto excessivly, ie 1,2,D or D,2,1 like a manual??

By Excessively i dont mean bang bang bang just a smooth gear change up and smooth gear change down when going into ver very very tight corners ( ie bluemountains) :the_finge

Cheers

Damian

b2tf · 17-07-2005, 12:41 PM

Friend killed numerous gearboxes doing this, but he was very rough with them and it was a Commodore.

I think if you look after it and be gentle with it, it should be ok.

xurbanx · 17-07-2005, 03:38 PM

lol i know nothing about them .. dad says its when your going uphill and it hasnt got much power .. also under the gear for auto theres that overdrive thing =) dad pushed it on the freeway once on mums focus and it sounded like it was revving higher .. dont know what they do tho

btw ... what does the 1 and 2 mean?

MITCHAY · 17-07-2005, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by back2thefutura

Friend killed numerous gearboxes doing this, but he was very rough with them and it was a Commodore.

I think if you look after it and be gentle with it, it should be ok.

My mate does it in his VX. I told him your not supposed to do it and his reply was "Why does it have 1,2,3,D and drive for then?" "Its used for inclines, declines, and towing fool" is what i said to him. I cant see it doin much harm if not done very often but wouldnt do it as common practise. I really dont see why he does it as ive done it once or twice in my mums VT and it isnt exactly smooth changing.

With a smaller car if you do it gently it should be alright if used in the way you explained but if you want to drive it in that way perhaps a manual would have been the better choice?

MISTA FIESTA · 17-07-2005, 04:49 PM

Yes i am kicking my self now saying i should have got a manual, but ive got an an auto so ill just deal with it.

I only was shifting becasue of inclines, declines not on straight roads if u know what i mean, but my speeds were averaging between 60 - 80 down the mountains.

MITCHAY · 17-07-2005, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MISTA FIESTA

Yes i am kicking my self now saying i should have got a manual, but ive got an an auto so ill just deal with it.

I only was shifting becasue of inclines, declines not on straight roads if u know what i mean, but my speeds were averaging between 60 - 80 down the mountains.

Yeah then you are using it in the proper way so thats alright my mum does it in the commy. But i dunno why people use it that way in the city. The whole idea of an auto is so you dont change gears lol. I think ill always go manual or at least tiptronic which isnt exactly an option in every car.

Casper · 17-07-2005, 05:13 PM

Used for upshifts it will do no harm at all (hitting the limiter excluded). For downshifts it can shock the auto as you cant match the revs on a downshift so the auto takes the brunt of the shock. In small amounts it doesnt do any real damage but an "all day every day" situation will hurt the auto.
Using it to stay in a gear and not let it upshift (such as coming down a hill and locking it in 2nd) will not hurt it either.

Steffo · 17-07-2005, 08:45 PM

All the numbers mean is the maximum amount of gears you're allowing the transmission to use. Lets say you have a four speed automatic, so your shift pattern looks something like this:
P
R
N
D
3
2
1

If you put it in Drive, means its allowed to use all four gears. Put it in 2, it can use first and second. Three is first, second and third. Don't think for a second that putting it in, say, 2nd means its always in second. It just means it won't go above second gear, it'll still use first and second.

ratter · 17-07-2005, 08:52 PM

it's the only way I can drive my auto ZC

it has a full manual valve body

xurbanx · 19-07-2005, 12:18 AM

whats a full manual valve body?

Amazer · 19-07-2005, 10:51 PM

I wouldn't do it all the time and harshly.

The overdrive button stops it using top gear. This should be used around town and is good to have this switched off when under 80km/h. What happens in for example 4 speed Auto as soon as you get to about 40km/h and lift off the throttle they drop in to top gear then as soon as you touch the accelerator it kicks backwards and forwards meaning its continually changing for not necessary.

I personally leave overdrive off around town when in the mood I pull back to 2nd under brakes, when I get the feeling I really wish to be in a manual right now.

I don't own an auto and plan never to, but part of my job means I have to drive them a fair bit.

Rob

whippet_zetec · 19-07-2005, 10:59 PM

guess that the point isnt it Rob, if you want to drive like a manual get one instead of pretending with an auto box

Danny · 21-07-2005, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steffo

All the numbers mean is the maximum amount of gears you're allowing the transmission to use. Lets say you have a four speed automatic, so your shift pattern looks something like this:
P
R
N
D
3
2
1

If you put it in Drive, means its allowed to use all four gears. Put it in 2, it can use first and second. Three is first, second and third. Don't think for a second that putting it in, say, 2nd means its always in second. It just means it won't go above second gear, it'll still use first and second.

Has anyone ever spoken to one of those people with autos that know nothing about cars??

They all seem to think that to drag, they MUST have the auto in 1st becasue Drive starts off in 4th and doesnt allow for a good takeoff..

The always usually stare at you in disbeleif when you tell them that Having it in Drive and one is the same thing as Drive starts off in first as well.....