Torque converter auto- best practice?
Discussion
If all goes to plan I'm picking up a e39 530i this weekend. I've driven a couple of CVT based autos before (as well as an awful "multimode" Toyota aygo), although they were rentals so wasn't too fussed about what I was doing. However, I've always owned manuals so need a bit of guidance on where to use neutral, when to leave it in drive and park on a traditional torque converter based automatic.
I understand what all the positions do, but want the gearbox to last as long as possible! I've heard that some auto boxes can overheat if left with the engine idling in neutral?
Also when should I/ shouldn't I use park? I understand it engages a pawl inside the 'box that could become damaged if the car is shunted forwards?
I understand what all the positions do, but want the gearbox to last as long as possible! I've heard that some auto boxes can overheat if left with the engine idling in neutral?
Also when should I/ shouldn't I use park? I understand it engages a pawl inside the 'box that could become damaged if the car is shunted forwards?
Judging by your username we are near neighbours.
Leave it in drive at lights, etc etc, handbrake on. (or footbrake if lazy and like dazzling cars behind) This is what they are designed for.
Just have a think about probably the world's largest auto market - the USA, no-one, and I mean no-one, ever knocks their auto into N at traffic lights - I mean, imagine the effort! If there was an issue with this, they'd have found it (remember these are the people who gave you runaway cars that didn't occur anywhere else) and launched a class action lawsuit.
I've also had a series of autos, all torque converter based and over thousands of miles never had the slightest issue.
I was advised by an auto transmission rebuilder and family friend who rebuilt one of my Ford (manual) 'boxes as a favour, that they (torque converter autos) are designed to idle in drive.
Put it in park when you are, er..... parked.
If the Americans can manage it, it has to be straightforward.
Leave it in drive at lights, etc etc, handbrake on. (or footbrake if lazy and like dazzling cars behind) This is what they are designed for.
Just have a think about probably the world's largest auto market - the USA, no-one, and I mean no-one, ever knocks their auto into N at traffic lights - I mean, imagine the effort! If there was an issue with this, they'd have found it (remember these are the people who gave you runaway cars that didn't occur anywhere else) and launched a class action lawsuit.
I've also had a series of autos, all torque converter based and over thousands of miles never had the slightest issue.
I was advised by an auto transmission rebuilder and family friend who rebuilt one of my Ford (manual) 'boxes as a favour, that they (torque converter autos) are designed to idle in drive.
Put it in park when you are, er..... parked.
If the Americans can manage it, it has to be straightforward.
Edited by V8forweekends on Tuesday 17th June 09:23
In practice it's like this.
Never use neutral.
Keep it in drive with the foot brake on when stopped at junctions.
If the lights look like you'll be ages put it in park.
(Putting it in park is like putting a manual in neutral and resting the clutch really).
When you park, put it in park and don't bother with the handbrake - especially if it's a weird electric one or some sort of foot operated job that's a pain to use.
Never use neutral.
Keep it in drive with the foot brake on when stopped at junctions.
If the lights look like you'll be ages put it in park.
(Putting it in park is like putting a manual in neutral and resting the clutch really).
When you park, put it in park and don't bother with the handbrake - especially if it's a weird electric one or some sort of foot operated job that's a pain to use.
I've owned autos of several types for well over 30 years now and never yet had problems with any of them.
I always slip the box into neutral if halted for more than a few moments in traffic. I would never put the box in 'park' while at traffic lights - if I was unfortunate enough to be clouted in the rear I wouldn't want a smashed transmission as well.
My left foot/leg hasn't fallen off yet.
There you go...
I always slip the box into neutral if halted for more than a few moments in traffic. I would never put the box in 'park' while at traffic lights - if I was unfortunate enough to be clouted in the rear I wouldn't want a smashed transmission as well.
My left foot/leg hasn't fallen off yet.
There you go...
I haven't had many autos but my old 2.8 e39 was by far the best auto box I've ever had, never felt sluggish and the kickdown was easy to manipulate. I would occasionally abuse the crap out of it and the only thing that didn't ever show a fault was the box, so I wouldn't worry about leaving it in drive.
The original water pumps are crap on them and the impeller breaks off, easy to change in half a day and all the bit are less than £100, give the fan a wiggle to see if it's loose. Plastic inlet manifolds crack, cause a massive air leak and make the car run like a pig, also fairly easy to change and you can normally hear the leak when they go. Everything else that I broke were serviceable items or things like abs sensors, but it was on 200k miles by the time I sold it and had been in a rear end shunt
The original water pumps are crap on them and the impeller breaks off, easy to change in half a day and all the bit are less than £100, give the fan a wiggle to see if it's loose. Plastic inlet manifolds crack, cause a massive air leak and make the car run like a pig, also fairly easy to change and you can normally hear the leak when they go. Everything else that I broke were serviceable items or things like abs sensors, but it was on 200k miles by the time I sold it and had been in a rear end shunt
niccis dad said:
Now think. Two pedals......Two feet. Teach that left foot the delicacy of braking. It'll wither and fall off unless you do.
My other car is a manual, so not to worry 
s p a c e m a n said:
I haven't had many autos but my old 2.8 e39 was by far the best auto box I've ever had, never felt sluggish and the kickdown was easy to manipulate. I would occasionally abuse the crap out of it and the only thing that didn't ever show a fault was the box, so I wouldn't worry about leaving it in drive.
The original water pumps are crap on them and the impeller breaks off, easy to change in half a day and all the bit are less than £100, give the fan a wiggle to see if it's loose. Plastic inlet manifolds crack, cause a massive air leak and make the car run like a pig, also fairly easy to change and you can normally hear the leak when they go. Everything else that I broke were serviceable items or things like abs sensors, but it was on 200k miles by the time I sold it and had been in a rear end shunt
cheers, well aware of the cooling system issues so planning on refreshing all that at some point, DIY is no problem. The car I'm picking up has done 66k and been very well cared for so should be ok for the time being. As a second car it will probably only see about 4k miles a year so will stay a low-mileage example.The original water pumps are crap on them and the impeller breaks off, easy to change in half a day and all the bit are less than £100, give the fan a wiggle to see if it's loose. Plastic inlet manifolds crack, cause a massive air leak and make the car run like a pig, also fairly easy to change and you can normally hear the leak when they go. Everything else that I broke were serviceable items or things like abs sensors, but it was on 200k miles by the time I sold it and had been in a rear end shunt
Edited by lufbramatt on Tuesday 17th June 09:55
Snowboy said:
In practice it's like this.
Never use neutral.
Keep it in drive with the foot brake on when stopped at junctions.
If the lights look like you'll be ages put it in park.
(Putting it in park is like putting a manual in neutral and resting the clutch really).
When you park, put it in park and don't bother with the handbrake - especially if it's a weird electric one or some sort of foot operated job that's a pain to use.
Never using neutral sounds fair, but...Never use neutral.
Keep it in drive with the foot brake on when stopped at junctions.
If the lights look like you'll be ages put it in park.
(Putting it in park is like putting a manual in neutral and resting the clutch really).
When you park, put it in park and don't bother with the handbrake - especially if it's a weird electric one or some sort of foot operated job that's a pain to use.
Never put it in park at the lights. Just leave it in D and use the handbrake/footbrake.
Never leave it in park without putting the handbrake on. There is no need to put strain on the gearbox to hold the car when the handbrake is there to do it. Think of Park as a back-up to the handbrake, not the other way around.
Typically, the torque converters lock up at maybe 3500-4500 revs, so if you manually hold the lower gears to keep the revs up, rather than relying on kick-down, the car will feel a lot more responsive when overtaking or in the twisties etc.
Snowboy said:
If the lights look like you'll be ages put it in park.
Personally I would/do knock it to neutral rather than put it into park - you dont even need to push the button to do this on the ones I have had. Unless you want to make the person behind wonder what you are doing flashing your reversing lights at them.Park is for 'parked' only hence the name
braddo said:
Never leave it in park without putting the handbrake on. There is no need to put strain on the gearbox to hold the car when the handbrake is there to do it. Think of Park as a back-up to the handbrake, not the other way around.
this is what I was taught with mine, put it into P with the brakes on, then flick on the Electronic Handbrake, then take foot off the brake. The reason given to me was if you don't (and the EH comes on automatically in my car), then the car and roll forwards onto the parking prawl and you can't get it out of P without pushing the car around. The added bonus that if you try and force it you can break stuff and that's expensive 
With modern cars I think that any wear and tear difference between Park or D with a handbrake or N are pretty much negligible when compared with the wear of driving a few k miles.
As for using the handbrake at lights, that's just going to depend on the location of the lever or button and how convenient it is compared to knocking it into P or just keeping a foot on the brake.
I don't really think there's a right or wrong answer.
Except perhaps to say, don't put it in N and take your foot off the brake without engaging the handbrake.
If there's a slope you'll roll.
And even without a slope of someone shunts you then you might end JP being pushed into traffic.
As for using the handbrake at lights, that's just going to depend on the location of the lever or button and how convenient it is compared to knocking it into P or just keeping a foot on the brake.
I don't really think there's a right or wrong answer.
Except perhaps to say, don't put it in N and take your foot off the brake without engaging the handbrake.
If there's a slope you'll roll.
And even without a slope of someone shunts you then you might end JP being pushed into traffic.
I only use N at level crossings; put in N and switch off the engine, this saves (especially if you are at the front of the queue) cycling through the PRND to get going again and thus doesn't hold people up.
Otherwise its either in one of the gear settings or Park.
I always use the handbrake at lights to prevent dazzling cars behind and use the handbrake when parked and the car is in P, to prevent wear on the parking pawl. You can't leave my car parked in N either, because unless my gearbox is in P you can't remove the keys from the ignition.
Otherwise its either in one of the gear settings or Park.
I always use the handbrake at lights to prevent dazzling cars behind and use the handbrake when parked and the car is in P, to prevent wear on the parking pawl. You can't leave my car parked in N either, because unless my gearbox is in P you can't remove the keys from the ignition.
I think that the 530i's all had the ZF 5HP auto box which is very good.
Wiki suggests that some had a 4 speed unit. If this is the same ZF unit that was in the earlier 540 then it is prone to shutting down into limp mode in very heavy traffic due to over heating. So, knocking it into Park in these situations would be a sensible precaution.
Wiki suggests that some had a 4 speed unit. If this is the same ZF unit that was in the earlier 540 then it is prone to shutting down into limp mode in very heavy traffic due to over heating. So, knocking it into Park in these situations would be a sensible precaution.
While we're on the subject - does anyone have any well-informed opinons on auto 'box servicing? I contacted BMW who categorically stated that they don't recommend any servicing what-so-ever at any time, but did mention that some owners like to change the oil and filters at 100,000 miles despite no service schedule and recommendations made...
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