Driving an Automatic Car

smokedog

smokedog

smokedog

Soldato
Joined
28 Jul 2004
Posts
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It is good practice to drop it into neutral when stopping at traffic lights or it best just to leave it in Drive with the foot on the brake?
 
Some would argue that it saves wear on the torque converter but personally I don't bother :).
 
Dropping into neutral is pointless if on a slope, you'll have to either put it into park or neutral and foobreak.

leave it in drive and use the footbrake unless youve parking up :)
 
I always drop it in to neutral. as A. I think it wears the torque converter and B. uses more fuel as its sitting there straining against the brake. and also I get annoyed at people that sit with their foot on the brake with the brake lights burning my retinas when there in front of me. so I dont do it to the person behind. I'm nice like that.

bullit
 
bullit in head said:
I always drop it in to neutral. as A. I think it wears the torque converter and B. uses more fuel as its sitting there straining against the brake. and also I get annoyed at people that sit with their foot on the brake with the brake lights burning my retinas when there in front of me. so I dont do it to the person behind. I'm nice like that.

bullit
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Same
 
I drop to neutral, mostly because the only auto I ever drive is french, so anything I can do to try to avoid the blasted thing breaking I will.
 
Off topic but I drove an A6 3.0TDI the other week and the electronic parking brake on it was very nifty. When you were at a set of traffic lights I can't remember the exact way of doing it but you left the car in drive with the PB on and it wasn't straining against it constantly. When the lights went green, foot on the gas it then took off the PB and engaged the car into drive and go! :)

Yes I am easily impressed/amused :p
 
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i keep my automatics in drive most of the time. if i am stopped at traffic lights, i'll apply the handbrake but leave the box in drive.

sure, the back end will sit down by a few inches, but there isn't any real wear and tear happening when left drive + handbrake. the atf fluid will eventually warm up too much, but you shouldn't be stopped long enough for this to be an issue.

when a pause becomes a wait (i.e. longer than 2-3 minutes) i will slip the box into neutral. if i am waiting any longer than this, i'll select park and turn off the engine.

this bit may be dogma, but i never use park on its own. ever. it is always supplemented by the handbrake.
 
bullit in head said:
I always drop it in to neutral. as A. I think it wears the torque converter and B. uses more fuel as its sitting there straining against the brake. and also I get annoyed at people that sit with their foot on the brake with the brake lights burning my retinas when there in front of me. so I dont do it to the person behind. I'm nice like that.

bullit
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Same for me too. Same principal as not sitting in a manual at the with the clutch down and on the foot brake.
 
Depends how long the lights are going to be red but if they have changed as im approaching then i normally go into neutral.
 
Phate said:
Off topic but I drove an A6 3.0TDI the other week and the electronic parking brake on it was very nifty. When you were at a set of traffic lights I can't remember the exact way of doing it but you left the car in drive with the PB on and it wasn't straining against it constantly. When the lights went green, foot on the gas it then took off the PB and engaged the car into drive and go! :)

Yes I am easily impressed/amused :p
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Assuming that the A6 you drove had a DSG box, then it declutches when you stop anyway so it wouldn't strain against anything even in drive mode.
 
I Googled 'audi a6 3.0 tdi dsg' and the first link referenced DSG so I assumed that it had DSG without bothering to check properly due to lack of inclination.
 
I pop mine into neutral and apply the hand break. I do wonder whether it would be more appropriate to put it into park. But going from Park to Drive is quite a few shifts where as Neutral to Drive is one.

Oh my god, how sad is it that I am actually pondering this! :o
 
bullit in head said:
I always drop it in to neutral. as A. I think it wears the torque converter and B. uses more fuel as its sitting there straining against the brake. and also I get annoyed at people that sit with their foot on the brake with the brake lights burning my retinas when there in front of me. so I dont do it to the person behind. I'm nice like that.
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I shift to neutral and engage hand brake for similar reasons, to reduce wear on gearbox and rear light bulbs.
 
[TW]Fox;15274416 said:
Why would you assume that :confused:

DSG is not available with the 3.0 TDI :confused:
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Again off topic but going back to the A6 it was lush. 57 plate S-Line model - absolutely ******* gorgous! :D


And no I wasn't test driving it, my friends Dad bought it not long ago and wanted to show off so let me drive it back from the airport :p
 
Phate said:
Again off topic but going back to the A6 it was lush. 57 plate S-Line model - absolutely ******* gorgous! :D
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Thats what driving around in Rovers will do for you :D

And no I wasn't test driving it, my friends Dad bought it not long ago and wanted to show off so let me drive it back from the airport :p
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Didn't know you had DOC? ;)
 
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