Manual Changing in an Auto?

[stocky]

^^brakes pads are cheaper than gearboxes

sounds like a bunch of dreamers in here. get a manual, or a properly built auto, if youre driving this way.

 

[senatorbaz]

I am no transmission specialist, but talking from a bit of experience (i.e. gearbox #8) changing upwards would never hurt your transmission, it is what it was designed to do. The 4L60E (vr/vs commodore box) was never designed to be shifted down. Ever notice when you slow down, it doesnt change down drastically??? When you use gears to slow you down all the pressure is put on the 'sprag clutch'. Even the hardend versions arent very strong and can't cope with slowing down. Imagine the back wheels spinning at 100km/h, then when you back off, the rear wheels are now turning the diff and gearbox, add the 1600Kgs of commodore and thats a **** load of pressure being put on the gearbox. Unfortunately on my last gearbox shattered the sprag sending **** all through my gearbox, my gearbox then locked up and due to the speed I was doing, and the lock out on the stally was in (+80kmh) i also cracked the stall converter.

My suggestion would be, stop trying to be cool and down shifting an auto. We all know its an auto and you can't escape that. If you want to hear your exhaust get a bigger one, if you want to sound cool so you can be liked, go **** yourself.

 

[DannyboyDS]

I shift into 3rd when coming down long steep hills, helps me hold the speed limit, I also don shift to 3rd then 2nd for roundabouts (never had to write that one before) and if turning off the road down a side street, etc, etc, of course I use the brakes as well.

Its not so I can punch it and launch, I just find it easier to control the speed of the car that way, I started doing it like that after I was forced to drive a manual car for a week and decided it was allot easier to get the car to do what I want it too, rather then let it decide.

 

[S2_VR_]

hey i dont change down to "look cool"....at the most i down change to second...and after this thread i have only been going between 3rd and "D"....i only change into 3rd when im coming into tight corners.... so it doesnt change or feel too quick for the corner

 

[tyrefryer]

as said, its got nothing to do with looking cool, and its not like i smash the gears up n down how ever i feel, im sure what i do wont do any damage as it doiesnt put any more pressure on than what it would do driving hard in D[rive]. Its more just shifting to second at 60 or 70 (which the car changes up into 3rd at anyway) around corners to hold the gear better. i hate when my car kicks down.

 

[vr_shart]

iv had vr wagon for three years always used gears , learn your car i change bak to first at 40 k's and never had box trouble changing to first @50 ks enforces a compression lock up lockin up the back wheels this puts stress on box so dnt do that , as i said learn your car dnt do stupid s#*t more than once and you should be fine

 

[t-rav]

no point in changing manually will actually cause the car to go slower as the highest torque range in the gears will be acchivable in Drive ... as this is how the ECU is programmed... sure it might be better doing burnouts in 1st but for speed use drive ..

get a manual tho sooo much better got both manual and auto 95 Vs's manny goes way harder =]

 

[tyrefryer]

see i think i might have lost my licence by now if i had a manual lol

 

[commsirac]

I concur with the majority here, changing down in an auto...whether you kick it down or do it manually will cause wear on the components. I agree there can be situations where you want the car already in the lower gear as you slow down into a corner or for engine braking on steep descents etc, but other than that let the auto work as its designed.

Whether the auto lets you slam it into 1st at 60km/h isnt an indication that it doesnt cause any wear, its typically designed just to lockout at a speed to not only protect the trans but also not send the motor past the redline if you shift it down.
Its a little similiar to a manual, the synchro rings let you do crazy stuff like change it into 1st at 60km/h, but keep doing it and eventually the rings will be worn and you wont be able to get 1st until you slow down to a crawl or master double declutching.

 

[kingrat502]

is there a mode called abuse mode in vr-vs autos? i remembrer once doing a bit of a burnout .had the shifter in 1st and it shifted into second while the tbar was still in 1st,,made a fool of me cause she didn,t want to spin in 2nd