Shifting between D, 3, 2, & 1?

[weo]

Is there a general opinion on using 3, 2 (or possibly even 1) over D?

I don't mean driving it like a manual, shifting from 1 -> 2 -> etc, but rather coming off a highway in D and dropping it into 2/3 for areas where there's a lot of stopping, both because 4th gear is kind of pointless over such a short distance and because engine braking simply doesn't exist in D unfortunatly..

and in the same vein, if i'm coming up to a stoplight, does it hurt to go from D -> 3 and rely on engine braking instead of wearing the brake pads down? The only downside is there's no warning to stupid drivers who can't tell that you're slowing down without gigantic red lights coming on, so you might still have to tap your brakes lightly

[blindman]

its gonna wear tranny down not engine

[weo]

that's what i've heard, "brakes are cheaper then trannys", but part of my work route takes me through a residential area where i'm accelerating and braking for 70% of the time, and the transmission puts the car in 4th as soon as i let off the gas, just to have me brake right away, and then it downshifts to accelerate after the stop sign and upshifts again just to coast 5 seconds and then brake, and the process continues. why is using the 4th gear in that case less wear then just allowing it 2 or 3?

[antichrysler]

as long as you keep the revs reasonable it'll be fine... i'd try not to go above 2500 RPM if you're using the engine/tranny to stop.

It's no different than driving down a hill.

[troyertrain]

take it from anti, he knows about cruising around in 1st gear for an extended period of time... :)

[weo]

are there any estimates as to the # of shifts the tranny has in it during its lifespan or is it essentially unlimited?

[MixtapeMessiah]

there are certain max rpms that u should be doing with 1,2,and 3. Since ur using it to stop, the saying u said is true, brakes are cheaper than a rebuild kit for ur tranny

[BlackJack]

3 isn't so much of a problem, because truthfully, D is designed as highway overdrive and 3 is really intended for normal urban driving. Where you'll have problems is 2 and 1. Those have a propensity to wear out the bands quickly because those are designed primarily for occasional towing use.

3 is reasonably durable, that's what most of us race with the selector in (so we dont lose torque band if it somehow goes to 4th below 80mph.)

[jayson_waltz]

pretty sure that our trannys are 3 speed with overdrive so going into 3 would just take away overdrive. as for 1 when your in that its always in first gear so when you floor it doesn't hesitate while deciding what gear to go to its just there. when i'm racing someone i have it in first off the line b\c it pulls really hard and then when it gets to about 3 grand i shift it into 3 so when the engine hits redline it will shift right away

[Satsuriku]

ive seen many ppl shifting there autos and its DUMB DUMB DUMB!!!

ive seen it kill trannys in no time, even when ppl are being as careful with it as possible, when you start driving, pick a gear and stick to it unless your in some kind of circumstance where you need to shift it while driving but those reasons should almost be non-existant. while in town, i use 3rd, if i know im gonna hit the highway, i use D and nothing else!! i want my car to last as long as possible with as little problems as possible so i avoid doing stupid shit with her

[jackal2000]

pretty sure that our trannys are 3 speed with overdrive so going into 3 would just take away overdrive. as for 1 when your in that its always in first gear so when you floor it doesn't hesitate while deciding what gear to go to its just there. when i'm racing someone i have it in first off the line b\c it pulls really hard and then when it gets to about 3 grand i shift it into 3 so when the engine hits redline it will shift right away to 2nd, 3rd, whoop the crap out of the opponent:p

im 100% sure that its a 4 speed transmission.

[Redog]

Well whatever, it's not a great idea to shift with an auto tranny

[antichrysler]

Seriously.... those settings are there for if you're towing a trailor and you're going up and down hills and the engine is constantly shifting from going up/down hills. Automatic transmissions aren't built to be engine retarder brakes.

Just let it do its thing and if you are going up hill and you anticipate a shift don't go more than one gear. Going two can really put extra strain that you don't need.

[Frostbite545]

Automatic transmissions are automatic for a reason. Shifting it excessively, even putting it into neutral at lights etc, causes exsessive wear on the transmission. D is for pretty much everything and the owners manual reccomends leaving it in D as much as possible, though 3 can be used also. Personally I only use 3 when I'm in city driving and wont be going really fast, or going up a hill where I know the car cant maintain the speed in 4th without downshifitng.

Dont use 1 or 2, your car will make scary noises when you use them for a long time.

[white04alero]

just leave it in D... i dont see what the big deal is

ive never used anything other than D, and im not going too.. my grandpa and uncle are mechanics and when i asked them what 1 2 and 3 were.. they said not to worry about it because i wouldnt use them for normal driving, and like the others said.. the only reason to put it in anything other than D is towing, which i dont do in my alero.. so just leave it in D.

[jackal2000]

and then it downshifts to accelerate after the stop sign and upshifts again just to coast 5 seconds and then brake, and the process continues. why is using the 4th gear in that case less wear then just allowing it 2 or 3?

its not downshifting to accelerate from a stop, it will already be in 1st gear. gear is determined by rpm and mph so idle rpm + 0mph = 1st gear. whats really annoying is the torque converter settings which why there is a lag when cruising at like 40mph and then trying to accelerate.

[alerojack]

whats the difference between using 1,2 and 3 to shift when driving hard(like at the track, to get a harder shift and drag the rpms) and using a b&m shiftplus or auto trans to get essentially the same shifts? wouldnt the b&m or autotrans wear down the tranny as well??? just curious as the difference...

[jayson_waltz]

Shifting it excessively, even putting it into neutral at lights etc, causes exsessive wear on the transmission.

unless you are at the light for a really long time then its better to put it in neutral (especially when its hot outside) so the tranny doesn't get too hot.

[BlackJack]

whats the difference between using 1,2 and 3 to shift when driving hard(like at the track, to get a harder shift and drag the rpms) and using a b&m shiftplus or auto trans to get essentially the same shifts? wouldnt the b&m or autotrans wear down the tranny as well??? just curious as the difference...

The difference is that your PCM (computer) electronically sends signal to the trans to shift at certain RPM vs. MPH, just like Jackal explained. The B&M merely adjusts at what RPM/MPH to shift, and also increases line pressure to increase clutch grab.

There are two methods that power is transferred inside the trans. Clutches, primarily used for every day driving under automatic conditions, and bands, which are engaged when the shifter is manually brought down. Bands can be used somewhat as an engine brake when you are decelerating, and this is why you'll hear your engine wind up when you're at 40mph, let off the gas, and drop it to 2nd. If you'll notice, if youre in D or 3 at 40 mph and let off the gas, it doesn't drop instantly to 2nd gear and wind your engine up during deceleration. This is because the TC mode when in automatic mode allows slippage when not under acceleration (unlocked). However, when you're in manual 1 or 2, the TCC goes into lockup by default, and the bands are used in conjunction with engine compression to slow the vehicle down when you let off the gas. This is not good for daily driving, as the bands do not last as long as the clutches do, and will wear out. Then you got all kinds of bad stuff going on in the trans.

Im not a transmission guru, but that's basically how it works. Someone else with more operational knowledge on trans internals want to fix this if I said something that didn't make sense?

[SIUlero]

There are two methods that power is transferred inside the trans. Clutches, primarily used for every day driving under automatic conditions, and bands, which are engaged when the shifter is manually brought down. Bands can be used somewhat as an engine brake when you are decelerating, and this is why you'll hear your engine wind up when you're at 40mph, let off the gas, and drop it to 2nd. If you'll notice, if youre in D or 3 at 40 mph and let off the gas, it doesn't drop instantly to 2nd gear and wind your engine up during deceleration. This is because the TC mode when in automatic mode allows slippage when not under acceleration (unlocked). However, when you're in manual 1 or 2, the TCC goes into lockup by default, and the bands are used in conjunction with engine compression to slow the vehicle down when you let off the gas. This is not good for daily driving, as the bands do not last as long as the clutches do, and will wear out. Then you got all kinds of bad stuff going on in the trans.

Im not a transmission guru, but that's basically how it works. Someone else with more operational knowledge on trans internals want to fix this if I said something that didn't make sense?

Actually the application of the gear IS done using a combination of clutches and bands, BUT it's the same combo no matter how it is selected. Clutches are always in use, and some gears call on a band to be applied...it doesn't matter whether it's manually selected or automatic. When manually shifted into 2 or 1, line pressure to the clutches/bands for that gear is increased to hold the gear more firmly, which is what gives that stronger launch feel. The torque converter lockup doesn't work any differently as it does in D...engine braking is actually allowed by a one way roller in the trans that is only applied when the selector is in 1, and it uses an additional clutch pack or a band (depending on the trans)(this might be what you were thinking of, BJ). If the TC remained in lockup, the engine would stall when the car stopped.

I've never been really good at explaining things in type, so if this is confusing I appologize. It is a really difficult topic to learn...I actually had an 8 week course on it, and hold an ASE cert for it, and I still have to sort things out in my head when I try to think about automatics.

[BlackJack]

thanks.....bottom line, manual down-shifting is bad.

[alerojack]

thanks blackjack and siulero for the info, i only asked about the shift kits because i just bought the b&m shiftplus and wondered if there was a danger of wearing the tranny out faster with it in use. thanks again for the info...