Stay in Drive or slip in Neutral?

[BigNige]

Is it better for an auto box to keep it in Drive or put it in Neutral at the lights?

(X308 if it matters)

ta

[Markymark69]

I'v always left them in drive.

[Simpo Two]

I usually put it in neutral - I don't like the idea of those bits going round but going nowhere, and the handbrake fighting it, or the footbrake blinding the folk behind...

[jagdude]

Hi
I read quite a few posts about this on various forums (including this one) and the majority (including myself) leave the box in drive.
From memory - it was claimed that more wear and tear occurs due to switching between D and N - as this involves solenoids, valves and clutches, than holding the car in drive, which is achieved by the torque convertor 'slipping'. The slipping may cause some increase in oil temp but I doubt this is harmful ?
As I said this is from memory and I stand to be corrected - lol !

My Rangie has a ZF box (4 speed though, not 5) and I have always remained in drive at the lights etc - and it has reached 127k and is still as smooth as a cashmere cod piece....
My XJ8 will be staying in drive too ...

HTH
Regards
jagdude

[Cecil]

I go into N so that I can come off the brakes, dont want to be sitting there holding hot brakes.

[macp]

I always used to leave my T5 in D at traffic lights or in traffic.The only time I would go into N is if it looked like I would be there a while.

[Tame Technician]

Going into N is better in the long run for gearbox wear, but very few people do it.

The point about the hot brakes is spot on, if you have just got your brakes hot, say pulling up from "Motorway speed" and then sit with your foot on the brake waiting at the lights etc, this can warp the discs quicker than lending it to me for the weekend, and I'm pretty good at destroying brakes I can tell you.

[BigNige]

Tame Technician said:

Going into N is better in the long run for gearbox wear, but very few people do it.

I do as it goes.

So it's better to go into N despite the (relative) jolt of re-selecting Drive etc?

[Simpo Two]

Tame Technician said:

this can warp the discs quicker than lending it to me for the weekend, and I'm pretty good at destroying brakes I can tell you.

You must come and do one of our Marham trackdays and meet 'Steve-o' in his Sunbeam Lotus

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

- although I think it may be too late to join in now.

Edited by Simpo Two on Sunday 4th April 22:30

[GavinPearson]

Leave in Drive. It minimises the number of A clutch engagements - failure of the A clutch drum is the number one issue in the 5HP24.

[Funk]

I hate people leaving autos in 'D' blinding the driver behind. Not so bad if it's a car, but there's something really unpleasant about the LEDs of a 4x4 such as the RR dazzling you for any length of time.

Please stick it in 'N' if it's for more than 5 seconds..

[Jaguar steve]

Mmmm.. Toughie this.

Both very valid points about choosing between potentially warping the discs or accelerating the failure of the clutch pack for those of us with the 5 speed ZF 'box. As for blinding the driver behind with brake lights.. well, surely the right answer is just don't sit there staring straight at them and then getting annoyed about it.

I always hold the brakes on regardless of what I'm driving until I'm absolutely sure the trafic approaching from behind seen me and stopped too. (Just in case they have not then my cunning plan is to take every opportunity to leave plenty of tyres and tarmac space between me and the car in front so I can chose between either slowly pulling forwards when I see them comimg - still covering the brakes to keep the lights on - thereby giving them a bit more braking room or getting right out of thier way so's they can rear end the car in front and not me .

My choice? Once I'm out I always stay in drive. If you warp your discs 200 miles away from home, well so be it - at least you'll be able to get back and fit new discs reasonably cheaply and easily. If you get into the habit of coming to a rolling rather than an abrupt stop then you can mitigate heat soak into the discs quite a lot anyway. If on the other hand your gearbox chooses that presice moment in some remote area to completely loose drive if you slip into neutral for a moment then the only way you're going home is on the back of a very expensive towtruck.

[jagdude]

Funk said:

I hate people leaving autos in 'D' blinding the driver behind. Not so bad if it's a car, but there's something really unpleasant about the LEDs of a 4x4 such as the RR dazzling you for any length of time.

Please stick it in 'N' if it's for more than 5 seconds..

Point taken ! Although my RR is an 'oldie' without such modern appendages!

[a8hex]

Jaguar steve said:

As for blinding the driver behind with brake lights.. well, surely the right answer is just don't sit there staring straight at them and then getting annoyed about it.

Actually this can be difficult to avoid. It is particularly an issue on unlit roads. But while you are strapped into the front seat of your car it is quite difficult to avoid seeing the tail lights of the one in front. I remember years ago getting held up at some road works on a country lane where I eventually went and asked the woman in front if she'd mind not sitting there with her leg on the brake pedal.

[GingerWizard]

Cecil said:

I go into N so that I can come off the brakes, dont want to be sitting there holding hot brakes.

+1
warped discs are the most common problem from this.

[Funk]

a8hex said:

Jaguar steve said:

As for blinding the driver behind with brake lights.. well, surely the right answer is just don't sit there staring straight at them and then getting annoyed about it.

Actually this can be difficult to avoid. It is particularly an issue on unlit roads. But while you are strapped into the front seat of your car it is quite difficult to avoid seeing the tail lights of the one in front. I remember years ago getting held up at some road works on a country lane where I eventually went and asked the woman in front if she'd mind not sitting there with her leg on the brake pedal.

Very difficult - they're right at eye level and very, very bright.

[Jaguar steve]

a8hex said:

Jaguar steve said:

As for blinding the driver behind with brake lights.. well, surely the right answer is just don't sit there staring straight at them and then getting annoyed about it.

Actually this can be difficult to avoid. It is particularly an issue on unlit roads. But while you are strapped into the front seat of your car it is quite difficult to avoid seeing the tail lights of the one in front. I remember years ago getting held up at some road works on a country lane where I eventually went and asked the woman in front if she'd mind not sitting there with her leg on the brake pedal.

Well TBH I don't like it much either, but find it's easy enough to deal with by a combination of not getting too close when you approach, and looking away once you've stopped. In the dark putting some sunglasses on - once you've stopped obviously - helps to preserve your night vision too.

I've been rear-ended while stationary twice in the last 10 years, once with nothing more than a mangled bumper and some broken lights and a quite unbelievable amount of insurance company-type grief and the other time involved ambulances, police, road closure, two written off vehicles, 3 weeks off work, physotherapy and lifetime health consequences for me, hospitilisation of the rammer - a insulin dependent diabetic who'd neglected to eat breakfast or medicate and lapsed into a coma - silly cow - as well as a mention in the local paper and a justifiable paranoia of cars coming up fast behind.

Brake lights staying on - mine or anybody else's for that matter - are a lesser of the two evils I recon

Edited by Jaguar steve on Monday 5th April 12:04

[Funk]

I'd call it inconsiderate, put it in 'N' once the car behind you has successfully stopped without hitting you.

[steve-p]

If I'm stopping at lights I know won't change for a minute or two I put it in neutral. It seems to me that in Drive it's wasting fuel fighting against the brakes etc while the engine prevents itself from stalling.

[tr7v8]

It is simple enough I leave it in drive unless I'm stopped for minutes (level crossings etc.) but I then pull the bloody handbrake on & take my foot off the brake pedal! In the take it means twitching my finger & pulling the electronic handbrake on. It isn't difficult & modern cars with 3 brake lights seriously dazzle.