Tranny 101

[90tsiawdturbo]

Ok I Have a few driving habits and was wondering if they were bad for my car or not...I just would like your opinion. Thank you
pulling it out of gear into neutral without using clutch
skipping gears. example: going from 3rd to 5th
roll down hills or up to stop signs in neutral in an awd (helps save gas )
they may seem like stupid questions to some but I'm just curious

 

[dented_coffee]

I'm interested in this as well. I do the same as you do I just don't ever move the shifter unless I'm pushing the clutch in.

 

[Aproductions]

Ok I Have a few driving habits and was wondering if they were bad for my car or not...I just would like your opinion. Thank you
pulling it out of gear into neutral without using clutch
skipping gears. example: going from 3rd to 5th
roll down hills or up to stop signs in neutral in an awd (helps save gas )
they may seem like stupid questions to some but I'm just curious

Well I think I read one time that skipping gears would help the life of your tranny and clutch and stuff.

 

[turbo90gsx]

Make sure you use the clutch when changing gears, other than that everything is ok.

 

[FluidKaos]

So long as your not yanking it out of gear, and just sliding it our of gear, you should be fine. Skipping gears, and rolling in neutral won't harm your tranny at all. I've seen people with much worse shifting habits.

 

[habitatguy187]

I'm pretty sure that skipping gears is not good for the trans. Which is why whenever I do it I always double-clutch first. It also seems to go into gear easier and smoother when you double clutch.

 

[housegsx]

Ok I Have a few driving habits and was wondering if they were bad for my car or not...I just would like your opinion. Thank you
pulling it out of gear into neutral without using clutch
skipping gears. example: going from 3rd to 5th
roll down hills or up to stop signs in neutral in an awd (helps save gas )
they may seem like stupid questions to some but I'm just curious

None of that sounds particularly good. And putting it in neutral going down hills won't save much gas, it might actually hurt you mileage.

 

[vannaksgsx]

Skippy gears (assuming it's a smooth transition), rolling and keeping in neutral at a stop sign are fine. I don't know about the "pulling into neutral" w/o the clutch though. Personally, I wouldn't pull out of gear w/o using the clutch, even if I was going into neutral- the clutch is there for a reason.

 

[Maas]

I don't see any reason you should risk harming your tranny by pulling out of gear W/O the clutch. Especially with how finicky Dsm trannies can be.

 

[standard235]

Skipping gears can accelerate syncro wear. Think about it. The difference in speed between 3 and 4 is much smaller than 3 and 5.

However, you slightly wear 2 syncros instead of more on 1. I prefer to wear things evenly.

Pulling out of gear without clutch can't be good for it. I felt it once when my clutch went out and wouldn't disengage.

Not good.

 

[mindset]

When you pull it out of gear like that with out pushing in your clutch, you are just crushing those synchros. Decreasing their life every time you do that. Example of when you can do that: In a large semi truck, their trannys have no synchros in them. I've talked to several drivers before and the only time they use a clutch is when they get going from a stop, or starting to stop.

 

[keviebaby]

None of that sounds particularly good. And putting it in neutral going down hills won't save much gas, it might actually hurt you mileage.

How do you figure that putting the car in neutral could hurt gas mileage at all? Instead of rolling up to a stop at 1K-2K RPM, you roll up at 700 RPM. Less revs = less gas used.

 

[habitatguy187]

How do you figure that putting the car in neutral could hurt gas mileage at all? Instead of rolling up to a stop at 1K-2K RPM, you roll up at 700 RPM. Less revs = less gas used.

Our cars cut the fuel if you're coasting in gear above 1200rpms (IIRC), may be 1100rpms.


Get the car up to about 3500rpms in 3rd, take your foot off the gas, and turn off the key, coast for a few seconds and listen to the car, then turn the key back on. You won't hear a change in sound, but when you press the gas pedal it will start accelerating again.

 

[Artago]

^ Bingo. Coasting down in gear saves a tiny amount of gas vs rolling in neutral.

 

[BrokenTsi]

I try to avoid using the clutch as much as possible. Especially when standing at a red light.

I'd rather replace a clutch or synchro then tear up a main/thrust bearing.

The last engine I pulled out, I inspected the thrust bearing (6-bolt). It was chewed up bad including the main itself. The machine shop had to weld it and remachine it to get it back in spec for me. This is due to heavy pressure plates/clutch combos.

 

[boostNmetal]

Kudos to the guys up top regarding better gas mileage about decelerating in gear, I was reading the thread and waiting for that to get cleared up

To the OP, I'd call those all bad habits.

 

[ramsack]

I don't think skipping gears will hurt anything. Vettes are made so if you are driving normally you MUST shift from 1st to 4th. Coasting coming to a stop wastes a tiny bit of gas, and being in neutral at speed makes the car not as stable. I always just downshift with 3rd or 2nd being the last gear until I reach the 1500 rpm fuel cut line. Shifting out of gear will hurt the trans if you have load on it, but if you do it as soon as you let off the gas it is fine. You will feel the difference of having to pop it out vs. it coming out easily.

 

[90tsiawdturbo]

Ok. Thanks for all your input...I just don't understand how you save more gas coasting in gear at say 2000 rpm then coasting in neutral at 750rpm....I guess what i'm triying to say is that how can our cars still decellerate smooth if the fuel is cutting out at 1500 rpm...I can't hear the motor change at all when the fuel cut is supposed to be happening

 

[ramsack]

When you let off the gas, in gear or not, your engine cuts fuel if it's over 1500 rpm. Any time the throttle is closed and the engine is above 1500 rpm there is NO fuel being injected. I guarantee you can feel fuel coming back on around 1500 if you stay in a low gear and wait for it.

 

[90tsiawdturbo]

Thanks a lot ramsack for breaking it down and drawing me a picture...I feel a little slow today

 

[TJCTalon]

Yes i honestly cant imagine how you get worse fuel economy coasting in neutral.

Can someone please explain this? ^those explainations arnt making sense to me.

 

[WolfsFang]

Ok. Thanks for all your input...I just don't understand how you save more gas coasting in gear at say 2000 rpm then coasting in neutral at 750rpm....I guess what i'm triying to say is that how can our cars still decellerate smooth if the fuel is cutting out at 1500 rpm...I can't hear the motor change at all when the fuel cut is supposed to be happening

i am also as confused as the OP. i kinda hear a difference when i lift off the gas at around 2k rpm and coast down a hill. the car gets alot louder but i think that is due to vacuum in the muffler?

When you let off the gas, in gear or not, your engine cuts fuel if it's over 1500 rpm. Any time the throttle is closed and the engine is above 1500 rpm there is NO fuel being injected. I guarantee you can feel fuel coming back on around 1500 if you stay in a low gear and wait for it.

if there is no fuel coming to the engine then how is it running?. im also going to try this. just go by a hill near me and coast from 2.5k down to 1.5k see if i feel a difference.

 

[ramsack]

i am also as confused as the OP. i kinda hear a difference when i lift off the gas at around 2k rpm and coast down a hill. the car gets alot louder but i think that is due to vacuum in the muffler?

Air will always travel from the intake to the exhaust. The engine is an air pump.

if there is no fuel coming to the engine then how is it running?. im also going to try this. just go by a hill near me and coast from 2.5k down to 1.5k see if i feel a difference.

The engine is an air pump. As long as the car is moving and in gear it doesn't matter if fuel is getting pumped into the engine, the parts will still rotate. When I come to a stop I can feel the engine braking me, and then once I hit down below when fuel kicks in again, the engine wants to move the car forward. I know for a 1g that threshold is 1500 rpm. Maybe it's different for a 2g. It may not be completely cut off, but it is very very lean.

 

[housegsx]

Yes i honestly cant imagine how you get worse fuel economy coasting in neutral.

If you have one, look at your wideband reading when coasting in gear... Mine goes blank.

Ramsack has explained why.

 

[jerzeeog]

I skip gears only to downshift, like if I came off the highway unto a 25mph curve I would go from 5th to 3rd. Just remember to rev-match (blip the gas) for a smoother shift and better tranny wear. As for skipping gears when upshifting, I really don't see the point specially since you lose the momentum/acceleration had from the previous gear.