What do you do with your auto. trans. when @ a stop???
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From: The dark carnival
What do you do with your auto. trans. when @ a stop???
When I am at a stop and I know that I will be there for a minute or so I usually shift into neutral to take the load off of the motor then shift back into drive when the wait is over.
But then I noticed that every time I am in the passenger seat and someone else is driving the driver will keep the trans. in drive throughout the wait.
Am I the only person that removes the load from the motor when at a stop?
Is the shifting from drive to neutral @ stops putting wear on the trans.?
But then I noticed that every time I am in the passenger seat and someone else is driving the driver will keep the trans. in drive throughout the wait.
Am I the only person that removes the load from the motor when at a stop?
Is the shifting from drive to neutral @ stops putting wear on the trans.?
Last edited by eco; Oct 14, 2006 at 04:56 PM.
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I've seen people do this.
I don't believe shifting to neutral does anything positive...if anything causing more wear in the shifting to neutral and back. Sitting at a stop with your foot on the brake is not a load on the engine, nor the transmission...(much more load occurs to both while driving...idle is insignificant by comparison)...you are simply idling while the fan blades in the torque converter spin with the transmission fluid as liquid resistance. A similar saying might be "I sit at a stop light with my clutch pushed in because it takes the load off the engine." Nonsense. Again, the engine is idling while spinning the clutch and pressure plate.
I don't believe shifting to neutral does anything positive...if anything causing more wear in the shifting to neutral and back. Sitting at a stop with your foot on the brake is not a load on the engine, nor the transmission...(much more load occurs to both while driving...idle is insignificant by comparison)...you are simply idling while the fan blades in the torque converter spin with the transmission fluid as liquid resistance. A similar saying might be "I sit at a stop light with my clutch pushed in because it takes the load off the engine." Nonsense. Again, the engine is idling while spinning the clutch and pressure plate.
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From: The dark carnival
Vacuum is proportional to load.
Vacuum does drop quite a bit (down to roughly 10 inches) when the vehicle is at a stop yet the trans. is in park. In neutral the vacuum is @ roughly 20 inches.
In a manual trans you can sit in neutral without holding down the clutch.
Vacuum does drop quite a bit (down to roughly 10 inches) when the vehicle is at a stop yet the trans. is in park. In neutral the vacuum is @ roughly 20 inches.
In a manual trans you can sit in neutral without holding down the clutch.
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Joined: Jul 2006
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From: South Georgia
Nope I never do it. I'd probably forget it was in N and then rev it. Then I'd probably freak out about why my truck isn't moving and then slam it down into D on accident while the engine is still revving and then blow something up. I'm absent minded like that! 
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From: cleve,oh
only time i ever seen or shift my auto trans in n while at red light etc... is when engine idle was to high never really thought about it any other time except rail road crosing then i put in park and shut off engine and take a nap city trains are slooooow
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Wetaskiwin, Alberta
With the truck and Canadian winters I learned to put the trans. in "N" when trying to slide to a stop on the hard pack or ice. It seems that just removing that little bit of forward torque really helps the old girl stop faster. I am really unhappy with the way the truck behaves in slippery conditions when trying to stop and I'm pretty sure that I have done all the troubleshooting that a back yard guy can do. I even put new calipers and what not on her and it's always still a challenge to whoa it down to a stop without hitting someone/something or just sliding right on through the red light. It has caused me many pucker moments over the years. This winter we are trying out some new winter tires so here's hoping that they will help. Other than as mentioned, though, I never shift into "N".
Cheers!
Mike
Cheers!
Mike
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From: Hawkeye Country
i dont shift in to neutral, if im sitting in the drive thru or waiting for a insanely long red light i'll just shut it off. besides dosnt the engine turn more rpms idling in neutral then when idling in drive? it may only be a 100 or 200 rpm differance but its burning more gas, it maybe less of a "load" on the trans but its working the engine more
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From: Wisconsin
From what I have read, putting the tranny in neutral during short stops does nothing compared to leaving it in drive. Although, on long stops (like waiting for a train), putting it in neutral is better.
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Joined: Aug 2004
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From: West Mansfield, Ohio
I usually put it in nuetral. From what I've been told (not sure if it's true)..... if the truck is sitting with the trans still in drive, the front pump is not turning, which doesnt allow the fluid to pump through the cooler, allowing it to be cooled. On the other hand, they say that if it's in nuetral, that is allowing the pump to spin, which in turn allows the pump to pump the fluid to keep the temps down.
The person who told me this has 160,000 on his 351/E4OD equipped F-150 and has MINIMAL debris on the magnet when he changes the fluid.
My truck, however, idles at about 500/550 when in drive, but idles at 550/600 when in nuetral. To each his own I suppose...
The person who told me this has 160,000 on his 351/E4OD equipped F-150 and has MINIMAL debris on the magnet when he changes the fluid.
My truck, however, idles at about 500/550 when in drive, but idles at 550/600 when in nuetral. To each his own I suppose...
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Ashland City, TN
In my tempo I would use neutral all the time with my crappy little 3 speed. But I drove it like a stick. The transmission was crap to begin with, so I'm not sure if me useing neutral all the time was good or bad.
As for stoping. It is very good idea to shift to neutral while stoping in snow/slippery surface. Its the way you are supposto. Practiceing it might help you out during the winter.
Even better if you know how to downshift an auto while driveing to help stop. I've had this save my life in my tempo a few times with a downshift /ebrake combo. Amazeing what you can do with a front wheel drive car if you have practiced Ebrake slides.
Clutch vehiles are always suppirior IMO to a point, however its all to taste.
I dont use clutch at stop, i just pull it outa gear well before i'm ready to stop and coast as much as possible. then push in clutch and stick it in gear before it turns green.
Mine as well have everything spinning.
As for stoping. It is very good idea to shift to neutral while stoping in snow/slippery surface. Its the way you are supposto. Practiceing it might help you out during the winter.
Even better if you know how to downshift an auto while driveing to help stop. I've had this save my life in my tempo a few times with a downshift /ebrake combo. Amazeing what you can do with a front wheel drive car if you have practiced Ebrake slides.
Clutch vehiles are always suppirior IMO to a point, however its all to taste.
I dont use clutch at stop, i just pull it outa gear well before i'm ready to stop and coast as much as possible. then push in clutch and stick it in gear before it turns green.
Mine as well have everything spinning.
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From: southwest michigan
when i had 600 pounds of salt in my truck bead a few years ago. if i found a really icy patch, i could actually put the truck in drive and at idle push on the brakes and have rears wheels push the truck while the front wheels where locked up.
needless to say, that winter almost every stop i was engine breaking and going in neural once slowed down enough.
needless to say, that winter almost every stop i was engine breaking and going in neural once slowed down enough.
