Engine braking

[TheInterceptor]

Heya, got a question for you guys.

How do the BTR's handle manual downshifting and using it to slow the car down?

Ive read that throwing it in first isnt such a good idea but on the long term, how do these boxes handle shifting from D to 3 - 2 - 1?

My old box didnt really do it... the new one though is fantastic at it.

[GasoLane]

There must be a reason for you wanting to do this with an Auto. I'm guessing it's so you can impress bystanders with the exhaust note ?

[TheInterceptor]

haha no particular reason, only time id use it for is when the car is carrying some real heavy weight down hills, my driveline is stock apart from a K&N filter so no awesome sounding exhaust. :P

[DJM83]

Different auto but, in my TE i use ESS 90% of the time but i never down to 1st i always let it do it by itself.

Originally Posted by GasOLane

There must be a reason for you wanting to do this with an Auto. I'm guessing it's so you can impress bystanders with the exhaust note ?

With an I6?

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

haha no particular reason, only time id use it for is when the car is carrying some real heavy weight down hills,

Ah, in that case take out of 'D' for drag and use 'R' for race

Originally Posted by DJM83

With an I6?

Oops!

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Ah, in that case take out of 'D' for drag and use 'R' for race

[Stattic]

I don't trust downshift to first if i'm taking corners Iike to sit in 2nd, it just smacks down too hard when you downshift to first, if you're in 2nd just accelerate so it kicks down and then hold it in 1st and change when you want

[broken_suave]

I use slight engine braking (ie: D to 3, occasionally 3 to 2) to maintain smoothness and pricise control over speed. I do also occasionally manually shift the auto during a bit of spirited driving, but I use a bit of mechanical sympathy at the same time. I dont drop it to too low of a gear before the speed allows for it. I know at what revs I can shift down without overstressing the box. However I cant imagine that it would be great for box life if you did this a lot.

So you can do it, but I wouldnt do it all the time.

[JC]

I use manual gears in mine all the time. If you throw it to first, it will not actually engage first, it will only go into first at low enough speeds.

[The Monty]

Well, Ive had my 2 AU's for 5 years, and about 200000km's and use the gearbox manual 100% of the time. I havent had one gearbox/uni/diff go from this, only from the drags, but no gearboxes there either.
If you change into first, just lift your foot off the brake, and it doesnt slam in, and reapply the brake when it has engaged. You can get used to it so its pretty much seamless. In saying that, putting it back into first in the wet will cause a bit of a compression lock up, so hold on!
Just do it.

[The Monty]

Originally Posted by JC

I use manual gears in mine all the time. If you throw it to first, it will not actually engage first, it will only go into first at low enough speeds.

Around 60-65 it will go in.

[broken_suave]

Originally Posted by The Monty

Around 60-65 it will go in.

This is what I've found, but around 50-55 is more comfortable..

Also on the exhaust rumble thing, my old catback had an awesome deceleration crackle/burble. Since getting my extractors/cat/mandrel 2.5" I thought at first that it didnt burble on decel, but I've realised it does, its just much deeper and softer. Its harder to hear, but sounds a whole heap meatier.

So when going down a slope I do occasionally open the window, drop down a gear, and listen to the deep thumping burble. Its nice, gotta get a bit of enjoyment out of the car ;)

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by JC

I use manual gears in mine all the time. If you throw it to first, it will not actually engage first, it will only go into first at low enough speeds.

Standard auto maybe but my T2 will do it at about 60kph (did it by accident one day)

[AUIIPURSUIT]

definately for towing i did it, and to hear my 1000 dollar exhaust on quiet nights.


now i drive my cars, rather than steer them :P

manual all the way baby

[frd906]

Every now and then id manual down shift, when im towing a tralier empty or full i will always use manual,

i found with my new gear box when shifting from d to 3, then 3 to 2 with my foot on the brake or letting it glide with out my foot on the gas, when i downshift it, i cant feel it go into the gears till i my foot touches the gas agian,

in my old gear box, i could feel it, specially from 3rd to 2nd could defintly feel the car pull back, didnt really like it, box served me good though, the hard years under my foot lmao

[Stattic]

The cars supposed to pull back when you downshift if you don't have the throttle open

[HLC]

well i almost always drove "manually" with my auto, including engine braking, into first and everything. the exhaust note gave me a chubby. i could also blip the throttle for extra **** factor and it sounded sweet~

the box took it fine, however i did have it serviced, all fine, but then it developed a small leak, which meant more and more oil dripped out, and on a hot summers day after a thrashing, i cooked it and it dumped oil all over my drive way.

and as a result, the C4 clutch band is now gone, and i have no engine braking.

lesson to be learned, abuse it and think "she'll be right, its just a small drip", youll stuff it. if i had of looked after that little leak when it developed,im sure id still be listening to my car popping and crackling and sounding real angry all the time.

[frd906]

its a bit wierd, downshifting on a hill manually is fine no problemo, but rolling down a hill do 60 ks an hour with no gas on, shifting back from d to 3 then 3 to 2nd i cant feel it shift, but if i have gas on doing 60 and manualy shift back i can feel it.

[frd906]

when im rolling down a hill ill put it into second doing 60 , then ill touch the gas and its in second already dosent need to kick back, its in the gear already, its a bit wierd to my old box, maybe im not just use to it

[BuckTooth]

I gotta put my hand up, lol. Nothing does sound as good as a V8 rolling down a hill with engine braking I do use the engine braking idea occasionally, but i more so leave it to when i'm towing something.

[TheInterceptor]

Thanks for the replies fellas

[mik]

i use the manual gears a bit myself, rarely drop into first unless crawling, but on the western ring road tonight it was bumper to bumper for some reason, 20/40 kph :( , i find it good to go a little slower than the cars in front speeeding up slowing down speeding up slowing down and hold 2nd at a steady pace, never had a problem with the auto.

[robbyj]

Originally Posted by HLC

i could also blip the throttle for extra **** factor and it sounded sweet

when i first got my cat back less rear muffler i must admit i did it a couple of times... 60 back into first to hear the crackle and pop.

But i guessed it couldn't be good for it.. so i stopped. Occasionally if traffic is crawling along ill chuck her back in first.. but i wouldnt think it would be healthy doing it all the time from speeds back into first.

[GS608]

Very rarely do i go down into 1st, bloody things gives me that lovely gearbox whine, still get plenty of crackle and pop in 2nd

[AUIIPURSUIT]

get a manual up ya !!!

[Auturbo6]

The gear gates (3-2-1) are designed for exactly what u are using them for. Just don't abuse them. The more the gearbox shifts the shorter it's life. Reguarding low (1st) when selecting low the gearbox applies the rear band, that's why harsh engagement, the rear band is only used for reverse usually. When in drive wilst in first at lights, the rear band is not on, but the one way clutch, the rear band is only on in low. Same goes for selecting neutral at lights. Great way to put unessasary pressure and wear on the front clutch when engaging drive again. So leave in drive at all times and let the converter do it's work. Also don't stall the car up, overheats the oil in the converter and substancially reduces the oil life, therfore also the transmission life. Some useless facts for a sunday night. Later.................

[AUIIPURSUIT]

thanks auturbo6... even though i could never drive another auto again, i love learning every day.

[Stattic]

so auturbo6 its bad to sit in neutral at traffic lights?

[Mr Hardware]

Yes, auturbo6 is correct. Putting it in neutral at the lights is unnecessary and probably a bad thing, they are designed to be able to cope with sitting all day long in drive with the brakes on.

[RG]

Every time I go anywhere that I can get the sound reverberating I will do it.

It's a V8, how could I not?