Is it better to put the 6-speed auto trans to neutral when I stop at the long stop light?

 

You want to have the clutch in the least amount of time possible. Any red light means neutral.

 

Being it is a automatic I would not think it owuld matter, just treat it like you would any other automatic transmission....meaning, to me, leave it in Drive.

 

leave it in drive

 

I read this earlier this morning.....and somehow I figured Laythor missed the fact that it was an auto. I hope so! Just leave it in gear like any other automatic transmission vehicle.

 

put in reverse.

 

That's why they put a torque converter in it. In gear at a stop is neutral.

 

Or he was being a good boy and pretending this car never came with a slushbox...

 

You're not one of those ricers that think it's cool to shift their automatic cars from N to D (or 1-2), right? You know the ricers that think it's cool to have their cars roll back before they move from a stop?

Yeah...

 

I have AT...leave in drive...why would you put it in neutral?? Even in manual mode...leave in drive...

 

I don't think I've even had my MT in neutral yet.

 

well dont expect your clutch to last long keeping it in gear at stops

 

I wouldn't expect his clutch to even exist, given that it's an Auto.

 

considering I was talking about the guy above me with a 6MT I suspect he does in fact have a clutch.

 

Putting the AT 8 in N actually saves gas. I do it all the time. I even do it when I'm going down a hill and then I hit back drive, weird but yes, thats what I do..

 

Excellent, the first reply that actually used an IQ level above 35........

Japanese owners manual for the FD RX-7 + JC Cosmo actually tell the user to place the AT into "N" at lights. Am yet to get a translated version of the Japanese FE RX-8 owners manual so cant be sure they continued the same theme but tradition just may say so..........

So "Yes" place the tranny into "N" at lights or extended stops if you wish

REgards

 

Automatic : On drive

Manual : On neutral

 

long lights and train stops I put the MT in neutral so I dont have to hold both the brake and clutch.. other than that its first gear and clutch pressed. as far as the AT tranny.. dont see it making much of a difference... .5 extra miles per gallon for city driving? so going from 16-17 versus 16.5-17.5.. not sure if its worth it.

 

^ Trust me.. It's worth it.

 

which is actually illegal in most states. check your drivers manual

 

Bad idea. You never want to be moving and not have power available to you. What if someone cuts you off and you need to get out of a sticky situation? By the time you realize it and put it back in gear you'll probably be in a wreck. I can't imagine that it does any good for your powertrain to go from N to D at 40 mph.

 

In a 4at going from N to D at 40mph can't be good for it but what about this. If you are going down the road at 40 put it in N and let the revs go down to idle which at 40 they aren't much above idle in 4th, put it back in D and the car will almost always put itself into 4th gear sometimes 3rd which at that speed isn't too much rpm. I can do 50mph in 4th and just barely around 2krpm mark. So if you let the rpm's come down to idle and put it back into D without touching the gas and don't try it at some insane speed there shouldn't be too much of a jolt but that doesn't mean it's not hurting it. I would think this would be very bad if you were to try this over the 2200 rpm torque converter limit.

 

There is one thing that everyone missed so far. Are your engine mounts broken? If so, put it in neutral to stop the vibration from knocking your fillings out

 

Interesting question on the Manual trans, I always believed that the primary wear on a clutch came drom the actual slipping of the clutch to hold the car in position (like on a hill) or during the actual engage/disengage while starting and shifting. If the clutch is disengaged you are actually holding the clutch away from the flywheel, so there is no wear. So if you sit at a stop level and are not slipping the clutch, you aren't wearing the clutch. Personally, I keep my MT in gear and right foot on the brake when needed unless at a really long light and do not want a tired left leg. I prefer to be able to move out quickly in the event that some idiot is about to hit me.

BTW, I've only had one AT since 1970s, all my vehicles are MT and no I have not replaced a lot of clutches. My 8 has 76K, my SUV has 157K, and I had a Camry with 218K all on original clutches (although I have replaced clutch release cylinder on the SUV recently).

 

it was late and assumed it was a MT. Didn't think anyone would even ask about an AT.

My Bad