Auto transmission

[gambit]

Need some advice on this. When stopping in traffic for short or longer periods should I put the transmission into neutral and apply the brake or leave it in Drive. I've heard conflicting advice.

Some say leave it in drive as neutral causes overheating and shifting between gears in an auto causes wear/tear.

Others say leave in neutral and apply brake as this prevents overheating.

Basically I wanna reduce fuel consumption so I thought leaving in netural would be best but if its a problem for bimmas I will stop

Grateful for any help, thanks.

G

[iqvkucuh]

i dont think this will cause any damage, i did that all the time, i think is good for your tranny and your gas...
so just stop then put in neutral, but remember dont let out the brake when you do that...

[zboot]

the tach on the auto's i've driven have always read the same for when the car was in drive, but fully stopped with the brakes depressed and when in neutral. However, if I'm on a hill and waiting at a light, if I leave the auto in drive, when I remove my foot from the brake to accelerate when the light changes, the car doesn't roll back. It will do that if I had put the car in neutral. The times when I put the car in neutral to save gas is when I'm moving at speed and have come to a to top of a hill and will be going downhill for a while. Going to DC from Rochester NY, around the PA border, after climbing for 20-30 minutes, I started going downhill and was able to ride in neutral for the next 10. That was awesome.

[iqvkucuh]

Originally Posted by zboot

the tach on the auto's i've driven have always read the same for when the car was in drive, but fully stopped with the brakes depressed and when in neutral. However, if I'm on a hill and waiting at a light, if I leave the auto in drive, when I remove my foot from the brake to accelerate when the light changes, the car doesn't roll back. It will do that if I had put the car in neutral. The times when I put the car in neutral to save gas is when I'm moving at speed and have come to a to top of a hill and will be going downhill for a while. Going to DC from Rochester NY, around the PA border, after climbing for 20-30 minutes, I started going downhill and was able to ride in neutral for the next 10. That was awesome.

dude, it is not so good for your car if you put your car in neutral while you going downhill. cuz your car will go faster and faster and you have to press your brake all the time, but if you put your car in 1 or 2, it will starts eg brake, thats good for your brake...
got any thoughts about this?

[zboot]

Originally Posted by iqvkucuh

dude, it is not so good for your car if you put your car in neutral while you going downhill. cuz your car will go faster and faster and you have to press your brake all the time, but if you put your car in 1 or 2, it will starts eg brake, thats good for your brake...
got any thoughts about this?

Umm. . . if I would need to slow the car down, why would I put it in neutral when I'm going downhill? In any case, I was on the highway with almost nobody around me. It would be pointless to be applying the brakes unless I was exceeding the speed limit by a lot.

Besides. . .even if I was in a city. . . and I'm going downhill. . and I put the car in neutral. . .and I need to slow down. . . then I could just put the car back into first or second. No need to apply brakes unless I need to stop.

[jkilla71]

I leave it in drive all the time. I think when highway driving the O/D is such a high gear and the Ti has such a big flywheel; I can’t see how you would be saving gas in neutral.

Also I believe it is a good idea to leave it in drive at stop lights and in any situation just seems a whole lot safer.

When driving down a hill putting the car in neutral could cause loss of traction when you put it back in drive.

I have a 160k and no problems and I redline the car a lot.

[iqvkucuh]

Originally Posted by jkilla71

I leave it in drive all the time. I think when highway driving the O/D is such a high gear and the Ti has such a big flywheel; I can’t see how you would be saving gas in neutral.

Also I believe it is a good idea to leave it in drive at stop lights and in any situation just seems a whole lot safer.

When driving down a hill putting the car in neutral could cause loss of traction when you put it back in drive.

I have a 160k and no problems and I redline the car a lot.

Nice, you have a automatic so how can you drive with redline...
did you do that neutral drop stuff?
if you do, be aware dude, it is really easy to break your tranny!

[iqvkucuh]

Originally Posted by zboot

Umm. . . if I would need to slow the car down, why would I put it in neutral when I'm going downhill? In any case, I was on the highway with almost nobody around me. It would be pointless to be applying the brakes unless I was exceeding the speed limit by a lot.

Besides. . .even if I was in a city. . . and I'm going downhill. . and I put the car in neutral. . .and I need to slow down. . . then I could just put the car back into first or second. No need to apply brakes unless I need to stop.

oh ok, my bad

[jkilla71]

Originally Posted by iqvkucuh

Nice, you have a automatic so how can you drive with redline...
did you do that neutral drop stuff?
if you do, be aware dude, it is really easy to break your tranny!

I put the car in drive and then go.

I have a conforti chip and all you have to do is floor it and it will redline in every gear, except O/D.

[GhostRyder]

mine redlines when i floor it and im pretty sure mines all stock

[gambit]

Thanks so far but does anyone have a definitive answer?


At the moment when I am stuck in traffic I change down to neutral from drive and then:

**If the road is flat I leave both foot and handbrake off as it aint gonna roll on a flat road (and to prevent brake wear). Basically the car is stationary with no brakes and in neutral like a manual car - thought this would save petrol as it is what I did in manual cars.

**If the road is steep I apply handbrake or footbrake depending on how soon I think the car in front is gonna start moving again.

In either case I am stuck in traffic that is very start stop for up to an hour evry morning and so was wondering if what im doing is okay. Should I revert back to leaving in drive and just use foot/hand brake - it doesnt seem natural as the car feels like it is trying to stall (as in a manual) and worse feels like its causing wear and tear to either the brakes or the clutch....please help more answers please!

Thanks,

Gam

[zboot]

Originally Posted by gambit

Thanks so far but does anyone have a definitive answer?


At the moment when I am stuck in traffic I change down to neutral from drive and then:

**If the road is flat I leave both foot and handbrake off as it aint gonna roll on a flat road (and to prevent brake wear). Basically the car is stationary with no brakes and in neutral like a manual car - thought this would save petrol as it is what I did in manual cars.

**If the road is steep I apply handbrake or footbrake depending on how soon I think the car in front is gonna start moving again.

In either case I am stuck in traffic that is very start stop for up to an hour evry morning and so was wondering if what im doing is okay. Should I revert back to leaving in drive and just use foot/hand brake - it doesnt seem natural as the car feels like it is trying to stall (as in a manual) and worse feels like its causing wear and tear to either the brakes or the clutch....please help more answers please!

Thanks,

Gam

Automatic transmissions don't have a clutch. With an auto, the difference in rpms between stopped (at zero speed) with the car in drive and stopped (at zero speed) with the car in neutral is negligible. There is pretty much ZERO benefit with respect to gas consumption. Since while you are stopped, you would be advised to keep your feet on the brakes anyway (in case someone bumps you from behind - you won't fly into the guy ahead of you), there is pretty much ZERO benefit with respect to brake wear either. You must be pretty light on your brakes if your car is still trying to idle forward. Just depress your brakes even more, the car will stop shuddering trying to move forwards. Trust me, at zero speed, your brakes aren't working any harder keeping the car still in neutral or while it's in gear.

So, the answer to your question is you can put your car in neutral if you like (and will feel more comfy doing so). Just make sure you're ALWAYS applying the brakes when stopped in traffic. Even if your car is in no danger of rolling forward, that all would change if someone rear ends you.

[iqvkucuh]

Originally Posted by jkilla71

I put the car in drive and then go.

I have a conforti chip and all you have to do is floor it and it will redline in every gear, except O/D.

nice

[iqvkucuh]

Originally Posted by zboot

Automatic transmissions don't have a clutch. With an auto, the difference in rpms between stopped (at zero speed) with the car in drive and stopped (at zero speed) with the car in neutral is negligible. There is pretty much ZERO benefit with respect to gas consumption. Since while you are stopped, you would be advised to keep your feet on the brakes anyway (in case someone bumps you from behind - you won't fly into the guy ahead of you), there is pretty much ZERO benefit with respect to brake wear either. You must be pretty light on your brakes if your car is still trying to idle forward. Just depress your brakes even more, the car will stop shuddering trying to move forwards. Trust me, at zero speed, your brakes aren't working any harder keeping the car still in neutral or while it's in gear.

So, the answer to your question is you can put your car in neutral if you like (and will feel more comfy doing so). Just make sure you're ALWAYS applying the brakes when stopped in traffic. Even if your car is in no danger of rolling forward, that all would change if someone rear ends you.

nice explaination...
it actually happened to me once, i put into netrual, and i let out the break, i thought is safe, but there are few winds put me forward and i dont even know. it almost occur a acident, yeah, and just put your brake while you waiting the light!...

[sfj642]

Originally Posted by gambit

Need some advice on this. When stopping in traffic for short or longer periods should I put the transmission into neutral and apply the brake or leave it in Drive. I've heard conflicting advice.

Some say leave it in drive as neutral causes overheating and shifting between gears in an auto causes wear/tear.

Others say leave in neutral and apply brake as this prevents overheating.

Basically I wanna reduce fuel consumption so I thought leaving in netural would be best but if its a problem for bimmas I will stop

Grateful for any help, thanks.

G

Think your concern over gearbox problems stemmed from the early ZF 4 speed boxes of the 1980's which, due to a design fault, could burn out the clutches if you pushed it into neutral at the lights. As far as I know, there has been no problem doing this with later boxes.

Also - have just swapped out the gearbox oil this morning and the book says - allow the oil to warm up to get the level right. Ticking over for 15 minutes the oil went from 19C to 38C - so the oil DOES warm up just in neutral, though probably not enough to concern you at the usual traffic stops.