iron_chef

I defected from to AT after doing MT for the past 9 years...

I carry over the habit of shifting into N at red lights...
Is this "OK" to do to the AT ? Does doing this reduce engine/tranny work & thus reduce
gas consumption ?
Also is it "ok" that I don't step on the brake when shifting in/out of N ? will this cause any (long-term) damage or problem ?

Thanks

ks112

just leave it in drive. After all an auto is designed so that you don't have to shit gears.

dom

I don't know but if I had to guess I'd say throwing it into neutral is not good for the tranny.

iron_chef

no guesses plz just facts...

dom

So your telling me when I can post?

:noob:

ks112

ok here are the facts. I know two people who shift to neutral wit their auto trannys at stops and both blew their trannys within 2 years. Well one of them was doing neutral drops but the other one wasn't. Autos are designed so you dont have to shift, put in in D and go. Now with the sport shifts you can shift back and forth between gears. But i bet if you get 2 people with auto tsx's and one uses sport shift all the time and the other one just leaves it in drive the one who just leaves it in drive will have his tranny last longer. If you want to shift by a manual, if there is too much traffic then buy an auto, if there is too much traffic but you still want to drive manual then by a manual and also buy a beater auto. IF you still dont believe me go to a transmission shop and ask them.

jlukja

Don't you mean ?

dom

If I could have used it I would have

jlukja

whew. Glad you have a sense of humor.

jlukja, who would be crushed if he was banned (even for 24 hours)

dom

biker

Anyway, shifting in/out neutral without brakes makes no diff - just make sure it's at idle when shifting into drive. You do lessen the load on the engine and wear on the torque converter slightly if you shift to neutral but that is probably offset by the extra jarring the tranny takes everytime you put it back into drive.
Gas consumption will not be affected by any of this.

dom

Is that a fact? :sqnteek:

We want facts here Biker not opinions

TSX7

It's recommended that you take the gear out of drive if you're going to be stopped for a long period of time (especially when the engine is cold) to reduce wear on the tranny.

iron_chef

chill out boss, whatever gives you that idea ?

ks112

i shift into neutral when i am driving my mom's car. I do this when i am stopped on an incline this will give people the impression that i am driving a manual because i am rolling back. I think me doing this makes me look super cool and everyone else envys me.

biker

My word is fact.

dom

You telling me not to guess. Show me one thread in this entire forum where a question was asked and only facts and not opinions were given.

See what I'm getting at here?

If you pose a question expect any kind of answer, even opinions. Next time I'll keep my opinion to myself.

dom

I hope you sensed the sarcasm.

iron_chef

OK, boss points taken

dom

I ain't the boss.

And if you only want the facts next time you pose a question, maybe make mention of it in the initial post.

biker

Not the boss, but anyone with less posts is a noob.

dom

Anyone? At this stage its everyone. Anyway in your case I am the boss so :noob:


iron chef, I don't mean to be a prick but your post really did'nt make any sense considering the surroundings. Its a open forum, how can you not expect to get opinions when you ask a question? I expect them when I ask, its all part of the process of finding the correct answer.

But if you really only want to hear facts, just make that clear in your first post.


BTW - I still don't think we're sure that the RIGHT answer has been posted.

(No offense Biker)

dzuy

i would say just keep it in drive.

the word automatic implies that the driver doesn't have to do more than press the gas or brake anyway

i'm sure it wouldn't hurt, but i remember my friend used to do it in his car, and a couple of times he revved the motor in neutral, b/c he was used to having the car in drive, and when he didn't go anywhere, he would panic then put it in drive again before the rpm's fell, which is def BAAAAADDD...

so basically, why would you even bother?

habits can be broken, and this is one i suggest you do.

robert_tsxgeek

All bad habit that you should stop. Automatics are designed to stay in
gear. You are increasing wear and tear, not reducing it.
It is pointless, and causes extra wear and tear on the transmission, the
shifter, the engine mounts, the transmission mounts and the CV joints.
Suggest you stop doing it.

sauceman

All of it.

Let me add my own experience with ATs, which is closest to facts you'll get, short of someone actually bringing up studies.

I have had an AT on my 95 Accord EX-R. I replaced the AT tranny at 585,000km because I was sick of it and I badly wanted an MT back. So I swapped an MT tranny back in. Meanwhile, during those 585,000km, I did all that you're "not supposed to do": putting it in neutral at stop lights, downshifting manually while rev-matching, neutral-dropping it at the tracks, etc, etc.

Well it still lasted me for at least 585,000km, and when I took it out, it was still working ok. All I ever changed were CV joints, but that's nothing out of the usual, considering Honda CV joints are a weak link, and the high mileage.

As far as I'm concerned, shifting to neutral is not hurting your tranny. It is probably even saving you wear on the torque converter during prolonged stops, (ex: 1 minute+ like at a train track, road work or really bad traffic jam)

just my

iron_chef

Hmmmm most, like 90%, comments I've heard in this thread & elsewhere is AGAINST this habit....
Also I think FWD also reduce any good shifting into N does....
I think I will take the heed and kick the habit.

Just hate having to keep a firm foot on the brake at lights ALL of the time.
I suppose this is the tradeoff you have to take when having AT.

Max

Check your TSX manual, it says that you should put the car into N at "prolonged stops" I believe. Still, having it in Drive all the time isn't a bad thing for sure. I think using tiptronic is going to put the most wear on an AT tranny.

ClutchPerformer

You should have gotten an MT...

Edit: I don't understand why people are saying that using the sportshift option would cause more wear on the tranny. It's not like you're moving the gears by hand. Whether SS or not, the shift is automatically done. The only thing that's different is who decides when: you or the AT logic.

MikeMa

Precisely what I was thinking. I bet if you compare two transmissions--one where you used exclusively SS and one exclusively D--and both were shifted at the exact same points, they'd both die at the same time. So, if you're gentle in either mode, the transmission will last longer. If you're more aggressive in either mode, the transmission will probably not last as long.

As for the Neutral thing, I agree with Biker (since he sounds like he definitely knows his stuff). As long as you don't shift out of neutral while doing stupid speeds, and as long as you shift back into drive while you're at idle, you should be fine.

Brain

how bout this one: cruising about 80MPH off the highway, dropping into neutral, then coasting for a half mile or so until u get to the stoplight...?

not that i do that or anything.... ¬_¬

sauceman

Why not? Can you foresee some wear would be going on anywhere doing it this way? Me neither.

Actually, when you keep it in gear and just drop the gas, the troque converter will absorb friction, so automatically some sort of wear. In neutral, the only friction you have is the differential and the axles, as well as the gears, but it's not driven, so there should be but very minimal wear.

ks112

hmmmm i dunno. sport mode is like shifting between 1 2 3 and D gear in an regular honda auto except all you do is tap the gear lever forward and back, and i definitlly remember that your not supposed to do that every time. sport shift is created so you can use it for enjoyment or performance purposes. Its not meant for use everytime you get into the car, if someonel liked shifting so much then they should just buy manual or smg.

biker

In terms of wear and longeity an SMG is the worst. And it's not the clutch in the SMG that is the problem it's all the other crap that needs to be installed to get rid of the gear lever and clutch pedal.
In an AT it's always the tranny doing the shifting - the only diff is where the input comes from - its own logic or your hand. The wear is the same.
Coasting from 80 in neutral in an AT makes very little diff but will reduce wear on some tranny related parts - makes no diff in milage.
All of the above would be totally different in an IMA equiped car.