Does gear shifting wear a transmission?

[ShawnD1]

I remember watching an episode of Top Gear where Clarkson was saying the 7 speed automatic in the car he was driving was annoying because it never seems to know what gear it should be in. My car only has 4 auto gears but it's just as annoying, changing between 3 and 4 every couple seconds. A butterfly in China flaps its wings and my car will shift gears then shift back.

Is constantly shifting gears hard on the transmission? Would one expect a 7 speed tranny to wear out faster than a 4 speed tranny if both were connected to the same car and had the same cooling capacity?

 

[LTC8K6]

It's kicking in and out of overdrive, most likely. There's probably a button you can push to stop that.

 

[ShawnD1]

It's kicking in and out of overdrive, most likely. There's probably a button you can push to stop that.

Indeed the transmission can be kept in gear 3, and it greatly improves the drivability of the car at the cost of 10-20% increased fuel consumption. I'm just wondering if it kicking back and forth is hard on the transmission.

 

[LTC8K6]

Kicking back and forth all the time is not normal, unless you are in an area with a lot of hills. If you were in an area with a lot of hills, you would normally turn off the o/d. Or, if you were towing a trailer.

 

[ichy]

Yet another example of why automatics suck.

 

[JCH13]

Try driving with a gentler/more consistent gas pedal. This is a reason why cars with plenty of low-end torque are more drivable: they don't need to down-shift.

 

[ShawnD1]

Kicking back and forth all the time is not normal, unless you are in an area with a lot of hills.

Generally happens when there's a little bit of traffic. Shifting to overdrive will drop the engine rpm below 1500 and it's only a 4 cylinder engine. It has no torque at all when running at that speed, so lightly touching the gas makes it shift down.
There's nothing wrong with the car. It's just a little bit aggressive when it comes to shifting into overdrive. I plan to drive this car into the ground, so knowing whether or not this constant shifting shortens the life of the transmission is something I'd like to know.

I know the owners manual says to keep it in 3 if pulling a trailer or if the car is carrying a lot of stuff.

 

[LTC8K6]

Sounds like "gear hunting".

Sound like an irritating car to drive.

You would think it would be set up to save fuel and not downshift so easily.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Buy an Impreza?

YASDCAHCT-Yet Another Shawn D Complaining About His Car Thread

 

[thescreensavers]

On the highway I keep my Car in 5th(5AT) so if I want to pass someone I stay in 5th and just floor it.

If I put it in Drive just 30% of throttle will get it into 4th then 50% will make it downshift to 3rd.

Fuuck that.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Kicking back and forth all the time is not normal, unless you are in an area with a lot of hills. If you were in an area with a lot of hills, you would normally turn off the o/d. Or, if you were towing a trailer.

I have a 4 speed auto in my Accord and I don't experience "gear-hunting" unless I'm driving uphill at highway speeds. In the city, whether I'm driving smoothly or driving like my pants are on fire, I know exactly when the transmission will shift. Very predictable.

On long uphills, I drop it to D3 to keep the revs up and the power up until I crest the hill, then I shift to D4. This is what the owner's manual recommends.

Learn to drive Shawn and quit being a whiny bitch.

Buy an Impreza?

YASDCAHCT-Yet Another Shawn D Complaining About His Car Thread

LOL. So much fail.

 

[amdhunter]

Whatever you do. Don't turn OD off at 100MPH. Ask me how I know...lol

 

[ShawnD1]

Buy an Impreza?

YASDCAHCT-Yet Another Shawn D Complaining About His Car Thread

As usual, Jules can't answer the OP's question but decides to post anyway.

Whatever you do. Don't turn OD off at 100MPH. Ask me how I know...lol

how do you know?

 

[Doggiedog]

Whatever you do. Don't turn OD off at 100MPH. Ask me how I know...lol

Don't tell me you had an automatic RX-8 with O/D.

 

[jlee]

Don't tell me you had an automatic RX-8 with O/D.

D:

 

[speedy2]

Yet another example of why automatics suck.

Yeah. And the same engine with a stick is going to be way better? You're going to bog the engine down a lot if you don't downshift. That's all the auto is trying to do as well. Part driver, part road, part engine. With enough low end torque you could climb hills in both an auto and a manual and hardly ever downshift. In a tired old 4 banger you're gonna have to down shift no matter what transmission you have.

 

[angry hampster]

Yeah. And the same engine with a stick is going to be way better? You're going to bog the engine down a lot if you don't downshift. That's all the auto is trying to do as well. Part driver, part road, part engine. With enough low end torque you could climb hills in both an auto and a manual and hardly ever downshift. In a tired old 4 banger you're gonna have to down shift no matter what transmission you have.

My 4-cyl with no O/D on the 5-speed manual has never bothered me. Gas mileage could be a little better, but it's still got passing power on the highway.

 

[cprince]

it could also be the lock-up clutch engaging and disengaging

 

[Eli]

Of course it is hard on your transmission. The clutches only have so many shifts....

Disengage OD and stay in 3rd during any situation where it is hunting. Fuel is cheaper than a new transmission.

 

[KentState]

I know my car will almost always downshift from 6th to 5th when doing anything more than trying to slowly accelerate while cruising. Luckily, the transmission is very smooth and anything but red line shifting isn't noticeable.

 

[ichy]

Of course it is hard on your transmission. The clutches only have so many shifts....

Automatics don't have a clutch.

 

[JCH13]

Automatics don't have a clutch.

Automatic transmissions do have clutches, several in fact. They are used to lock out different stages of an automatic transmission's planetary gears.

 

[kami333]

My 4-cyl with no O/D on the 5-speed manual has never bothered me. Gas mileage could be a little better, but it's still got passing power on the highway.

My 4-cyl with 4 speed auto doesn't have a gear hunting problem either.

Then again, it is an Impreza

 

[Eli]

Automatics don't have a clutch.

Sure they do. In the OP's case, he has four.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

I have the same problem with my 1998 Acura 3.5RL. I live in a hilly part of the state, but still, for some reason, the engine does not have the grunt that it should have. I am suspecting that the engine only now has 150 horses due to 168k miles on it.