November 24, 2010
Is it bad for my transmission if I shift into a high gear while habing the speed and RPMs low to save gas?
I ask because my friend who was in the passenger seat saw me shift into 4th gear while I was only going 40 kilometers(dont know what it is is in miles, maybe 28 or so?). He made the comment that I’m going to ruin my transmission going to such a high gear with the speed that low. I do this normally just to watch my speed and to save gas, is this bad? Should I indeed shift when the RPMs hit around 3? Thanks in advance for everyones input.
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Filed under Gas Conservation FAQ by on Nov 24th, 2010. Comment. 
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Comments on Is it bad for my transmission if I shift into a high gear while habing the speed and RPMs low to save gas?
i do it all the time in my cav as long as the acceleration is moderate it wont hurt the transmission. just dont be flooring it or going up hills in 4th gear at low speed and stuff like that.
It’s a little harder on the engine, but shouldn’t hurt the transmission.
No. The transmission doesn’t care. The engine might though. If the RPMs are too low then when accelerating you may need to push the gas pedal harder and ‘labour’ the engine. The force exerted on the bearings to turn them in the engine is very high at this point and may cause excessive wear on the bearings and use alot of fuel. So as long as you are cruising it is not bad. if you are accelerating whilst in a very high gear then it might be an issue.
As long as the car will move with out lurching or making rude noises(like spark knock) , drive in the highest gear you can…
Your friend is wrong. Your tranny and your engine will be fine. Operating it at lower RPM isn’t going to hurt the engine or the transmission. Obviously you will want to shift into a higher gear when you are putting more load on the engine, such as a hill, so it doesn’t stall out. It will help improve your MPG. Hope this helps. Good luck.
Every car is different. Running too low RPM can hurt fuel milage. Running too high can hurt fuel milage. My 88 Mustang GT gets better gas milage running 2200 RPM at 80 MPH than it does at 2000 RPM running 70 MPH. The only thing I would be concerned about is running too rich and plugging up the catylitic converter.
Gas or Diesel? It sounds like you may have a tachometer right? 4th. gear and 40K not good!
1; When driving you need to maintain “At Least” 3 times the idle speed to keep from over stressing the Engine and Transmission.
2; Keeping the RPMs up (Within Reason) maintains oil pressure, lessens stress on the Engine and Transmission.
3; On gas engines the damage over time is not so obvious except after a time that “No matter the RPMs you are unable to maintain speed on the slightest hill “Bridge”.
4; Diesels are even more critical and with a Turbo, with low oil pressure you could lose the turbo! Black smoke from a Diesel is “Fuel”
Depending on your engine and max RPMs (Red-line) 2,200 to 2,500 RPM is a good spot. Does Save fuel and helps everything to last longer.
Last Question; “what cost more, Fuel or a New Engine?”