mklaudt

I go up (and subsequently back down) a big-*** hill on my way to and from work. The car automatically stays in 3rd on the way up (i'm going about 50), shifts to 4th and 5th at the top, and then I manually put it in to 3rd on the way down to save my brakes (unless I'm late for work, when I let it fly). Since it seems like 3rd seems to be the main fault of our transmissions (at least from what I've read)should I not be doing this since brakes are easier / cheaper to replace than a transmission, or does this really matter?

Thanks

Hockeyman

i bet you waste a lot of gas keeping it in third going downhill....I would just let the tranny do it's thing.

fsttyms1

Brakes are intended to slow the car. They are FAR cheaper to maintain and replace than a trans.

mklaudt

Will do. thanks

mklaudt

BTW - on a slightly related note, what are people paying for ATF? I've been letting my mechanic do it the last few years just b/c I'v been so busy at work. The last time I bought it, it was 3.50 / qt (2006). I just bought it last week (Honda dealer) at 10 / qt. Has it really increased in price that much, or should I be shopping around more? I guess Honda needs to pay for all these transmissions somehow...

BIGTUFFGUY

x2^infinity

seriously guys, use your brakes.

fsttyms1

Shop around more.

01tl4tl

acura gets 10 bucks- honda charges less and even local import parts shops get 6-7 per qt- that was 2 months ago. I cant say about today with rising prices on everything.

acutee

x2. 10 for a quart is too much.

01tl4tl

Brake pads are 85$ for a hi dollar front set- 1 hour to replace (being generous on time)
Transmission rebuild at trans shop 2500-2800$$$$$

If you have a steep downhill- put trans in 4th gear not 5th,
and apply the brakes using medium pressure to kill some speed- then release the brakes so air cools them off- then apply again
Do not ride the brakes or you will get rotor warp and pad glaze- and need a brake job

mklaudt

Thanks. I think I've got the downhill thing firgured out from what everyone's written. Any recs on uphill (again, car prefers to stay in 3rd going up and stays around 3,000 RPM) - should I force it into 4th or just let it do it's thing. In otherwords, is 4th better than 3rd for our tansmission??

01tl4tl

If the computer puts it in 3rd while in D4 or D5, thats what it need to be on the powerband for the hill. The car is very smart and uses sensors of exhaust and many others to decide whats happening
Shifting to 4th- only way to do that would be in SS, since in D- the computer wont allow it.
Its far harder on the trans to be behind the power curve on hills-

As long as you are not running 6000 rpm up the hill in 3rd- you are not putting the severe heat hurt on it- downshifting from 70-80-90 to 3rd will cause the heat that is the problem- well part of the problem for purposes of the story

01tl4tl

to better explain, - torque- the pulling power you feel in the car-
4th gear final drive ratio iirc is 1 to 1 and the 5th is an overdrive meaning less than 1 to 1

Pulling/accelleration gears are over 1- hypothetical example: 1st gear 5 engine revolutions to 1 rotation of the wheel- that gets it moving off the line
2nd, 4 to 1, 3rd 2 to 1-- so more revs made per wheel rotation is more power the engine is making- the powerband
At cruise speeds in 5th- the engine is turning less rpm for the same amount of wheel speed than 4th gear- lets say its .8 of an engine rev is 1 turn of the wheel, so better fuel economy- but zip for instant passing power- thats why when you hit the gas in 5th, it downshifts itself- 4th - sometimes 3rd gear depending on how your throttle input and the sensors decide is the fastest way around the semi truck

Razzi

i just toss my car in neutral and save gas on a hill lol