Driving in D3 on highway

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LightningRider

Senior member
Feb 16, 2007
558
0
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Hey everyone

I recently bought a new car. It's the first car that I've ever actually owned. A brand new 2009 Toyota Corolla.

Anyways today while driving to work I didn't realise that I had the transmission in D3 instead of the normal D (it's a 4 speed automatic transmission). It takes me about 15 minutes to get to work. Most of the way is city driving with red lights etc where I've read D3 is fine to use. However there is one segment where I'm on the highway for about 3-4 minutes.

I'm wondering if I could have done any damage to either the engine or the transmission by driving in D3 for this segment. I wasn't going that fast, between 70km and 90km/h. I think my RPMs were a little above 3000. I didn't notice any blinking light indicating the transmission was overheating or anything either.

The only thing that concerns me is that I've read it puts extra strain on the engine. Considering the car is still during it's break in period for the engine, I'm wondering if I could have damaged it by driving in D3 at those speeds for that amount of time. I've got just under 400kms on it now.

Any thoughts?
 
herm0016

herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
8,500
1,116
126
it should be fine... D3 would be 3rd gear, usually nearly 1 to 1. 3k rpm is not going to hurt anything.
 
Throckmorton

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,829
3
0
No, that's no problem. 90kph is about 55mph, and 3000rpm isn't high. My engine spins over 3500 at 70mph. The average person probably drives home at 75mph/125kph, which should be higher RPM even in top gear
 
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Pacfanweb

Lifer
Jan 2, 2000
13,155
59
91
Won't hurt a thing. In fact, it'll help break the engine in quicker. More revs, you see. Not really significant either way, though.
 
M

manowar821

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2007
6,063
0
0
Well, if you have a hold button, it did absolutely nothing. You have to put the selector into the desired gear, THEN hit the "hold" button, or something similar. That's how my auto works. It's 4 speed +overdrive, with a hold button. I could pull it all the way down into the 1st position, and it wouldn't do anything differently until I hit that button to toggle the hold function.
 
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LightningRider

Senior member
Feb 16, 2007
558
0
0
I tried it again this morning on the highway at D3 reaching a speed of 90-100km/h just to verify the RPMs I thought I was doing yesterday and the engine was only doing a bit over 3000 RPMs like I thought. Kicking it into OD shortly afterward lowered the RPMs to around 2500.

I guess I am safe after all. Nowhere near 5 or even 4 K.
 
Demon-Xanth

Demon-Xanth

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
20,551
2
81
You will now find that the car has hung itself in the garage because of your abuse.


...actually no damage at all. For my car to cause damage driving around in third gear (5 speed manual) I'd need to be doing more than 90, and in the equivalent gear to your third (my fourth) I'd need to be doing around 130. Depending on where your redline is, you're likely higher.
 
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imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
9,148
0
0
Unless you were continually red lining it, you just had more torque to accelerate better.

Not sure if autos have a rev-limiter though. If hey do, then absolutely no problem.
 
Demon-Xanth

Demon-Xanth

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
20,551
2
81
Originally posted by: Kelvrick
Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
you sound like a corolla driver :D

your car will be fine man
Click to expand...

I resent that! Sometimes I drive my wife's corolla.
Click to expand...

I'd ask you to hand in your man card, but I know you traded that for the keys.
 
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LightningRider

Senior member
Feb 16, 2007
558
0
0
Lol

Well like I said above, I tested it again today and it was only a little over 3000 RPMs. After verifying it, I kicked it up into OD and the RPMs went down to around 2500. Anyways, I was no where near the redline so I'm not really worried anymore.

Maybe I sound like a Corolla driver lol but more than a Corolla driver I think I sound like someone who just got their first car, is new to cars in general and is paranoid about doing anything wrong.

I am more of a conservative driver though. :p But besides, the Corolla is a great car for me. Maybe I shoulda sprang for the XRS... but the CE serves me just fine anyways, especially for a first car.
 
LTC8K6

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,575
126
Most likelt it won't actually go into low if he does that.

IIRC, it will just wait until the speed is low enough and then go into low, like all modern automatics.
 
Q

Q

Lifer
Jul 21, 2005
12,042
4
81
I have an old Accord (96), that has D2, D3, and D4. I always drive in D4, so what even is the point of D2 and D3?
 
LTC8K6

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,575
126
D2 is to take off in slippery conditions, and D3 is for trailer towing or mountain driving, IIRC.

The owner's manual will tell you.
 
thecoolnessrune

thecoolnessrune

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2005
9,673
583
126
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Originally posted by: Quintox
I have an old Accord (96), that has D2, D3, and D4. I always drive in D4, so what even is the point of D2 and D3?
Click to expand...

To hold it to a lower gear
Click to expand...

I personally use it to slow down when i'm traveling in the snowy hills here in Wisconsin :eek:

Dont know if that's good for it or not though! ^_^*
 
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LordMorpheus

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2002
6,871
1
0
In my town car (I have OD, 2 and 1) the OD is the "normal operation" mode, with an option (button on the shifter) to turn the OD off so it'll run in 1 2 or 3.

In 2 or 1 it puts it into that gear and holds. i.e. if I put it into 2 it stays in 2, it doesn't drop to 1 when I'm stopped and it won't upshift either, and 1 just keeps it in 1 (anything over 15 gets pretty loud).

on the Corolla does 3 keep it in 1st 2nd or 3rd, or does it hold 3rd like my car? It seems with a little engine like the Corolla's you'd notice that you were in third once you got off the highway .. I can't imagine that you'd have anything undel the pedal if you tried to get a Corolla rolling in third gear.
 
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