Does downshifting 2 slow down w/ your Sportronic automatic wear out the transmission?

[not_a_virus.exe]

I downshift a lot to save breaks, but is that excessively wearing out my automatic transmission too? I'd rather wear out my brakes than my transmission.

 

[AeroCleanse]

No. If you goof up to much the computers over ride it.

 

[08xB]

Errr.... It will place excessive wear on the clutch packs. The computer override will only prevent over-reving.

 

[Danilo]

of course it puts added unnecessary stress on your transmission... Cars come with brakes, use em... they are designed to take the abuse, and stop your car... your auto trans is not.

 

[sparklescarwash]

brakes are way cheaper than a trans

 

[Dan]

brakes are way cheaper than a trans

This. Brake pads are dirt cheap compared to tearing open a transmission.

 

[Concourswanna b]

Was always told that any time you are decelerating with any four-stroke engine, you are putting some (undue?) strain on the piston rings.

 

[lbcsublime9]

i do it, but not to the point where im downshifting through every gear.



if im accelerating and ready to upshift and suddenly need to stop at a light, i wont throw it in neutral and let it roll, ill let the engine slow me down.

 

[Street5927]

I live on a mountain and drive it at least 2-4 times a day. The elevation goes from around 300' to 1400' and is a constant grade and has many curves. I have paddle shifters on my AcuraTL and right before I start the descend, I downshift out of overdrive into 3rd and ride third all the way down...no need for gas or brakes, and it keeps me at a constant 40 mph at about 3000 rpm. If I forget to downshift before the descent, I will just periodically brake on the way down instead of slamming it into a lower gear.

 

[Dan]

I think downshifting when descending a long grade is fine, but the title of this thread is to slow down. Big difference.

 

[Don]

I read a book by Bob Bondourant (former race driver) and one of the points he touches on is that downshifting to slow down was an old racer's trick because the brakes of the car weren't always up to the task of slowing the car down. He also stated that modern brakes are much better than the brakes from the old days and downshifting the trans to slow down is not neccessary.

 

[lostdaytomorrow]

Just use the brakes, man. Everyone in a while ticking through the gears is no problem, but I wouldn't make a habit of it.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

I read a book by Bob Bondourant (former race driver) and one of the points he touches on is that downshifting to slow down was an old racer's trick because the brakes of the car weren't always up to the task of slowing the car down. He also stated that modern brakes are much better than the brakes from the old days and downshifting the trans to slow down is not neccessary.

There's also a BIG difference between doing this in a race car on a track and doing it in a street car on the road.