is it really safe to treat my auto like a manual by going up and down through 1, 2, d3, d4?

 

<U>Technically</U>, yes, as long as you don't overdo it. An automatic transimssion is basically a manual transimssion with 4 gears controlled by a computer. The shifting is usually factory set to optimize certain parameters, i.e. fuel efficiency.

For example, when you're in D4, your car is free to shift from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4, whereas when you're in D3, your transmission is capped at the 3rd gear. This means that it can shift freely from 1 to 2 to 3, but it'll never hit 4th gear.

To my knowledge, 1 keeps your car in the first gear, whlie 2 keeps your car in the 2nd gear. Keep in mind that when you're in 2, your car is in its 2nd gear. This means that if you start from rest, your car is starting from 2nd gear.

If you've ever ridden a mountain bike, its the difference of starting at a lower gear and starting at a higher gear; try accelerating from rest while you're on the lowest gear then again while you're at the highest gear. With a car, there's no pain involved but it puts additional stress on your drivetrain. Over time, this could become harmful.

While doing this, it's very important to remember that your car will not go any higher than the where it's capped. If you're in D4 while doing 80 it's perfectly fine, however if you're in D3, your engine will be running at a much higher RPM and if you're in 2, you'll be redlining your car like crazy and you'll most likely blow your engine.

Just make sure you don't start from 2 and watch your redline.

<U>Ideally</U>, however, I see no reason to have to "powershift" an automatic transmission from 1 to 2 to D3 to D4. Factory sets optimize shifting between gears at certain RPMs and in order to powershift for performance, you'll have to hit the spots on the presets. In this case, however, you'll only be doing the same thing as if you were in D4 and flooring it.

If you really wanted to get the most out of your auto, take it to a shop and upgrade your ECU with more optimized presets. The only real use I have for "shifting" an automatic is downshifting while slowing down and jumping from D4 to D3 around 50 or 60 for a bit more power accelerating.

Keep in mind that the gear ratios in an automatic are different from that of a manual and there is a larger gap between 2 and 3.

 

Damn, that about sums it up

 

i would say that about wraps this thread up....i use the auto 1st and 2nd gears in autocross to make it more fun rather than floggin around in d4.