Guys:

I know you might say this is a stupid topic, but this is also an important issue. Do you shift to N while waiting for a long traffic light? I learned this habit from my dad and since this is my fast automatic (my other 3 previous cars were manual), I don't know if there is any long term side effect if the tranny is not properly being care for. It feels that the car is wanting to go and you are stepping on the brake, so it can't go. Doesn't it seem not right? Maybe there is something in the tranny (perhaps the torque converter) is designed taking care of disengaging flywheel from the output shaft. Can anyone help on this issue? Should I shift to N while waiting at a light? Thanks.

 

The question is why would you want to Shift into netural?

 

Don't you feel that you are stopping the car while it's try to go? Because I don't truely understand how an auto tranny works, so I don't know it's ok to just step on the brake while the car is in driving gear (while for a light or in traffic).

 

There's nothing wrong in putting your car in neutral at a stop light, nor is there anything wrong in leaving the car in drive while stopped(obviously)
Ed

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Acura-TL.com - Forum Moderator
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if i'm not mistaken, when the tranny is in drive, doesn't the tranny act like it's in neutral? isn't that the whole idea of a torque converter? check this site out:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/torque-converter.htm

 

Crav4speed:

Thanks! This is really helpful. Now I can step on the brake and leave it in D5 while I am sitting in a 2-hour traffice jam

 

- IMHO -
I would be worried about hitting the gas and then shifting into drive before the RPM's dropped all the way (ie. neutral drop). I also don't like the fact that you can roll backwards in neutral.

Dropping it out of gear seems like a potential safety issue to me.

Nothing concrete, just my $.02.

 

That's so true. Also, I notice everytime I shift from N to D5, there is a jerk happens couple seconds after the shift. According to the manual, this is when the lockup torque converter is engaged. I am hesitated to step on the gas before it's engaged. Now, I think it's better to leave it in D then shifting back and forth.

 

I do the same thing sometimes in my 98 Accord. Either at the light or in traffic when I know there is no way that the car is gonna roll backwards. I spoke to a couple mechanics and they all said that while this in no way is going to damage ur transmission, you are much better off just living it in drive and forgetting about it, rather than jerking it back and forth.

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"TL is an awesome car" VW dealer in Long Island.

 

Yeah, the TL does seem to lunge and strain at stop lights while in drive, more than any other car I've owned that was an automatic. It does feel as if the torque converter is slipping / grabbing to me as well. It's annoying that I have to hold the brakes down so hard to keep the car from lunging forward.

As far as it being a safety issue being in neutral at a stop, well, it's no worse than being in a stick shift car at a stop and having the clutch depressed - just use the darn brake! Jeez, it's like none of the people these days learn how to drive a stick anymore...

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'01 White Diamond Pearl 3.2TL
-Wing, tint, wood and Whistler

 

There is nothing wrong with putting it in neutral while waiting for long lights, a train to pass or a heavy traffic jam.

I would not do it at every light just because of the extra wear and tear on the shifting mechanism.

As for the transmission itself, it is actually better to be idling in neutral than in gear. Even though you're stop their is still a slight load put on your engine and drive train when gear. This load is energy that's being converted in to heat and heat is the transmissions worst enemy.

So keep in mind that there is no need to shift in to neutral for every stop. But you may want to for those longer stops. I usually shif in to neutral from anything longer than 1 minute.

Just make sure you fully depress the brake and shift it in to gear before stepping on the gas. Those sudden driveline engagements are not good at all for any part of the car.

RUF

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2002 TLS WDP w/Ebony interior
Formula 1 35% Premier Tint

 

It's funny you should mention that. When I wrote the above comment, I was thinking of those who are not that familiar with a manual trans. I would never tell my wife to drop the TL out of gear at an intersection because she is not used to driving a manual and might forget the car can now roll the wrong way.

Incidently, I was driving a GM rental awhile ago and it would roll backwards in gear. Very weird.

 

Sounds like the transmission is low on fluid, burnt up, or the torque converter is shoot.
All likely due to abuse. Did you say this was a rental car? ;-)



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2002 TLS WDP w/Ebony interior
Formula 1 35% Premier Tint

 

My dad's old Saab 900 Turbo had tranny problem after 40k because he shift to N all da time at the light. But I think it's gonna be okay with cars, nowadays.

 

Cool site...very imformative!!

 

For what it's worth - I've done this with every automatic car I've ever owned, 7 to date. I had over 100,000 miles on 3 of them. Two others had over 80K and never a transmission problem with any of them.



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2002 TLS WDP w/Ebony interior
Formula 1 35% Premier Tint

 

Ruf87:

Are you saying you shift to N very often at stop with all of your previous cars?

 

Yes, some more than others. In my Malibu SS I didn't need to do it very often because I had a 3000RPM stall converter so there was no "surging" from the car. Basically it would roll backwards if the hill was steep enough. However I would put it into park if I was waiting on a train to pass and sometime even shut it down if I could see that it was a long one.

As for my others, it really depended on the situation. For the most part most situations are not worth the hassel shifting in and out. So far with my TLS I've probably done it no more 12 time in the past 3 months.

Unless you are sitting at long light on hot days and or you like using your auto as you would a manual there is not enough value to make a difference in the wear and tear by doing so. Just change your tranny fluid as recommended, or sooner if you do a lot of stop and go driving.

I personally like being engaged with the car and shifting manually from time to time.


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2002 TLS WDP w/Ebony interior
Formula 1 35% Premier Tint