September 19, 2011
do you mess up auto transmission by putting it in neutral at red lights then back to 3-D to drive off?
Is it bad for your transmission to put it into Neutral when going to stop at red lights and then shifting it back onto 3-D and going when green comes up?
Just wondering, cause i’ve realized i’ve been doing it almost subconsciously as a way to ‘conserve’ gas.
I’ll stop doing so immediately If I find it’s not good for the tranny.
NOTE: I am aware that by going to neutral and braking it eats up your brakes more, because there is no engine deceleration while in neutral, when you brake. (dunno if that made sense.)
I drive a 2008 Scion tC, it’s a 4cyl, 4-speed Automatic transmission.
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Filed under Gas Conservation FAQ by on Sep 19th, 2011. Comment. 
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Comments on do you mess up auto transmission by putting it in neutral at red lights then back to 3-D to drive off?
If would think that if you had your foot on the brake during the shifts, it wouldn’t hurt anything. You’re just going to wear out your shift linkage sooner. I don’t think you’re going to save any gas doing that. Just sounds like you’re trying to drive the auto like a stick.
No need to do that. You are most likely using more fuel than saving.
You’re causing unnecessary wear on the low/reverse clutch pack and planetary gearsets….causing it to disengage and re-engage…….then, there is the shock to the u-joints or CV joints in the driveline with the aforementioned drivetrain shock loading…. It’ll take a while, bvut eventually, you’ll notice a pronounced “Clunk” as the car drops into gear……. Leave the gear selector in Drive and let the torque converter do it’s job.
I used to do that on a friend’s advice but when I lost a car due to auto-tranny issues I rather pay off a little bit more on gas that to pay to fix that sensitive piece of gear, is so not worth it the so called $ave. Besides the such cars don’t go neutral between shifts that person who said that just got one thing right that s/he ain’t no expert on the subject, period.
You dont need to disengage your transmission at lights the torque converter does that.. no it doesnt save gas.. and shifting into neural during braking is pointless its the inertia of the car that is effecting the wear on the brakes. If you wanna save gas dont hotrod it between lights nice and easy and smooth with the brake peddle. No harsh stops
Most likely when you apply the breaks the converter disengages, effectively uncoupling the transmission. Add to that the fact that most manufacturers don’t recommend coasting with the transmission in neutral and you have an answer. I also would imagine that there is no real noticeable benefit to your current system.
YOU apparently have no idea how a transmission works because it DOES NOT shift into neutral between gears. There is a synchroniztion of one clutch pack being released and the next being applied, if an automatic transmission shifted into neutral between gears the engine would rev very high!!! This is one of the reasons why you MUST run the manufacturer specified transmission fluid.
EDIT: A torque converter does not “uncouple” from the transmission, it is just not spinning fast enough to throw enough fluid to create the torque necessary to overcome the brakes. Hence your car rolls forward if you just let off the brakes.
EDIT: This reply was directed towards someone who’s comment was deleted.