What is your opinion on downshifting your 6th gen accord by taking it from D4..D3..2..1 etc. when you are coming to a stop? I do it on rare occasions when my braking distance is suddenly shortened due to other circumstances. Is this bad for the tranny?

 

Well I know in the actual owners manual it says you can shift through gears and gives you shift points to go with. But as for down shifting I do not see the harm as long as its not like putting the car into a ridiculously high RPM like 6,000 when you do it. I do the same thing on quick stops like a light changes when I need to stop quickly or if it is raining hard. I just make sure it does not throw the RPM's too high up.

 

Yeah the manual does mention that. The TCU keeps track of the RPM's and gear and won't let you downshift into too low of a gear. (going 50 or so and dropping to first, it will only go to 2nd untill you slow down enough for 1st.)
A correctly timed blip of the gas right when it begins to downshift or after you move the selector will decrease drive-train shock and wear on the transmission (Similar to a "rev-match" in a manual car. If you understand engine RPM and gearing and are reasonable when you choose the gear and when you shift it you should be totally fine.

 

I've also seen that in the Manual. I can't even count how many times i've done this , but yea it doesn't do much harm at all , Just make sure you keep the fluid red , and don't beat it up too hard with high R's

 

I avoid doing anything that might aggravate my 6-gen transmission. Brake pads are much cheaper and easier to replace than a transmission. It's automatic so I drive mine like an automatic.

 

I would avoid doing it. 6th generation are known for having faulty trannys so if i was you i would be more careful with it by avoiding that. It puts too much pressure on it. I would do it only in case of an emergensy otherwise just use the brakes. And if you need a lil extra just use the e-brake a little.

 

um just keep it in D, it'll downshift by itself "automatically"

now, if you're in a rush hour crawl, that's when you put it in D3, D2, D1 accordingly

 

Believe it or not, even Honda automatic transmissions know what to do without your help. Consider that line pressure is a result of throttle position. Higher pressure, which equates to higher acceleration, raises shift points and line pressure. The higher pressure applies the clutch packs harder to prevent slippage due to higher torque input. Manually downshifting raises drag on the drivetrain which is not matched with higher pressure on the clutches. The result can be slippage between the fiber discs and steel plates causing premature wear. This might not cause any noticeable symptoms until the transmission needs to be rebuilt due to excessive slippage. That could occur now at 200,000 miles instead of 250,000 miles. It perhaps didn't CAUSE the eventual failure, but it will likely hurry it along.

I pull a huge enclosed trailer that's bigger than the '88 Grand Caravan I pull it with. 210,000 miles, one transmission filter change in its life, and never a single problem. Never use the trailer brakes, and the front pads last about 60,000 miles. I would have to assume forcing downshifts would increase clutch pack wear, increase side thrust against the intermediate shaft bushings, and stress the non-wearing surfaces of the cv joints. Even the engine mounts are not meant to absorb excessive reverse flexing. The rocking engine means the exhaust pipe connection has to flex more than normal. Downshifting is particularly hard on the large steel pin that goes through the differential assembly. Once the holes in the housing start to hammer out, the shifting pin breaks off the lock bolt. This was extremely common on old '70s muscle cars with manual transmissions. Eventually the pin walks out and catches on the axle housing. If the housing cracks, there's no economical fix other than a new transmission.

My recommendation is if you want to drive a car like it's a semi truck, get a manual transmission car. Either that, or learn to plan ahead for stop signs like most normal drivers do.

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