Rep Power: 0

Yes, I know this title sounds dumb. But I guess I am not that a smart people anyways.

I have a 2K2 Civic LX AT for over one month now and this is my first new car. It performs ok besides a couple of rattles now and then. Since I have only droven for three years, I would like to know more on how to drive with an automatic transmission such as civic's. Here are my questions:

1. D is supposed for the normal driving as the manual says. But someone told me that it is better to use D3 under 40 mph in the stop-and-go situation, e.g. local driving. Is it true? He said this would avoid the gear being shifted from the lowest to the highest too often and would make a better use of the engine.

2. When I wait for traffic lights, I would like to use N and shift back to D without applying the brake as the lights turing green. As I re-read the owner's manual, it says that brake padel has to be pressed when shifting to D. Is this necessary? I have not noticed any problems so far with the way I did. But I would start using the manual's way from now on unless anyone could let me know which is better for the transimission.

Thanks and please let me know your opinions.[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/IMG]

 
Rep Power: 0

stick to D you might break your brain if you try anything else.

 
Rep Power: 0

d3 basically means "drive, 3 gears" - in that position, you have a 3-speed automatic, and it will usually give you more torque in those stop-and-go situations. D is sometimes marked as D4, which would be the 4 speed auto.

if it lets you shift with the brake up, I don't really see why you need to press the brake before shifting to drive. it's probably just a safety issue. now, shifting from N to D while the car is rolling backwards is definitely bad for the tranny

 
Rep Power: 0

i think u only need to press the brake when u shift from P to R. Once u shift from R to N or any of the other D gears, u can move from 1 all the way back to N without the brake. Unless u want to shift back to R, then u would have to stop and press the brake to shift. It's just a safety feature(i think) so that u won't damage ur R gear.

 
Rep Power: 584

im not flamin, but if you want to shift so much why the hell didnt you get a manual??? [IMG]i/expressions/laugh2.gif[/IMG] [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/IMG]

 
Rep Power: 0

well I am curious why would you put the car in neutral at a stop with an auto????. just to let you now thats unnecessary .but hey its your trans. and the only time you ned your foot on the brake is hen your pulling it out of park its a saftety issue or some garbage like that [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks for your input. They are really helpful.

Here are my two cents:

1. AT can ease a driver's mind, that's for sure. But IMO, he/she should not simply rely on D all the time. Otherwise, all the AT should only have three positions-- P, R, and D.

2 AT can be used with more fun and by choosing an appropriate gear it will make a better use of the engine. I am not sure if it is good for the engine when cruising at 35 mph, or slower, with 4th gear on. Does it creat more soot?

3 The reason I relax on N when waiting for the green light is simply to save my brake. Will it be hotter on the brake pad if you use D and put your foot on the brake for longer than one minute?

Any opinions are welcome. I am still learning from you guys.

Thanks.[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

 
Rep Power: 0

i dont think that your tranny would shift into 4th gear at 35 mile/hours. the tranny in your car is computer controlled and it shouldnt let that be done.

just because your in "d" on the shifter does not mean that you are in 4th gear, all it means is that you can use all 4 gears while driving. for example if you start off from a light, you start in first, you might hit say 15 mph then the tranny shifts into second, then you hit 35 and it shifts into 3rd, then you hit 45-50 and it shifts into 4th. where it shifts is also dependant on how far down you have the accelerator pedal pressed and how much the engine is being loaded, for example if you were climbing a hill.

now if you had it in d3 when you left the light it would start off in 1st, then go to 2nd, then to 3rd but it would not go into 4th gear because you have the gear selector set for a max of 3rd gear. some people say its is good to leave it in d3 when driving in tight traffic areas but myself i just let the car shift when it feels the need.

hope this helps.

 
Rep Power: 0

In general just put it on D, don´t need to do anything else. If you drive in a high traffic area with multiple stop and go´s then its better to use d3 because it will disconnect the overdrive (4th gear) and the trans will hold each speed longer. This prevents transmission damage, but the civic´s auto trans is so good you probably dont need to worry.

As for d2 and d1 (which we don´t have and should) they are used when going up steep hills, and believe me this is when you will notice you have a tiny 1.7 liter engine.

 
Rep Power: 0

For me I have several reasons why I chose an AUTO. I personally, can drive both but chose Auto because I sit in major amounts of traffic in my daily commute to work. Besides, the CIVIC auto tranny really runs sweet. I test drove the manual and had found the shifter gate for second gear to be a bit vague. Also, I had already heard people complaining about the manual tranny causing stalling problems.

 
Rep Power: 0

hondamexicano--i have the same thinking as yours, but i couldnt be sure about it. thanks for the info. good luck

lemoncivic--i did want to learn manual, but never had a chance. same as you, i didnt think the driver should sacrifice the fun of shifting gears only because of choosing an auto over a manual

lococoin--hi, the info is helpful. i assumed the same thing before. but realized that if the D gear is so smart in choosing a right gear for you, why are there still D3 and 2 in the transmission box? wouldnt one "D" be doing everything for you?

one way or the other, i guess the auto tranny we are using is not that smart afterall. by choosing the right gears at right time, it will not only make the best use of the little engine but prolong the trany's life as well. any better ideas?[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/IMG]

 
Rep Power: 0

I had the habit of playing downshift with my old old 89 Civ. Feels great to feel that woof from D to D3 when going 60mph.

But I stopped, and never did it on my new 01, ever since the guy at the shop explained to me that playing mind games with the auto tranny isn't a good idea. The box knows to downshift when it reaches a certain speed, and forcing it with doing it manually will probably cause problems. For example, how do you know how fast is safe to downshift to 3rd gear on D3??

2 is used for uphill, and I find will move the car better over heavy snow.

I'm no mechanic, but from 8 years of driving a Civ I trust Honda. No point pretending to use a car designed for everyday driving (i.e., Civic), and auto tranny designed for everyday driving, to drive like it's a race car! If you want to feel like you're driving a racer, get a manual, don't boggle your mind over which microwave setting will cook your food better. If you want good food, cook with a stove.

 
Rep Power: 0

yeah, that does make sense.

one more question, isnt it better to use D3 when going downhill (even not that steep)? i have felt that engine braking does some difference in this case.[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG]

 
Rep Power: 0

it will help save your brakes, thats about all....

 
Rep Power: 0

You can use D3 to regulate your speed on a long downslope, but my point was not to downshift to D3 from D at a high speed. As for the stop and go 40mph situation, you have to figure how often you'd drive at 3rd gear only, and want to avoid the slight upshift to 4th. If you're ever cruising at borderline auto 3rd gear to 4th, then yeah, use D3. I usually drive well into 4th gear on suburb streets, and way way below at 10~20mph in the city, so I don't encounter that gray area.

 
Rep Power: 0

jus leave it in D, the auto tranny takes care of the rest[IMG]i/expressions/beer_yum.gif[/IMG]

 
Rep Power: 0

i dont use d3, but i do use d2 a lot when going down hills, let the engine do the work. if you shift from d4 to d3 then d2 at 35mph your rpm will shoot up to about 4k then slow you down. that's what d2 is for, going down hills, locks the tranny into 2nd gear and thats it.

 
Rep Power: 0

Yeah, I will do that if there is no other options.

There must be reasons for things to exist and thats what I want to find out about Civic's tranny. I learned a lot from you guys, thanks[IMG]i/expressions/laugh2.gif[/IMG]

 
Rep Power: 0

Dude, don't be changing gears so much. There is a reason it is called an automatic, it does everything automatically. All it can do is hurt the thing to change it manually.

Second, your brakes aren't doing that much work when you are sitting completely still. They are sitting still. Also, the only times your brakes are really working is when you are slowing down. Other than that, they again are sitting still.

Also, man, drive in D (drive) because in D3 you'll end up getting worse gas mileage because your engine is running at a higher speed.

And the reason automatics have the function to switch to D1 and D2 and D3 is so that if you happen to get stuck in the mud, ice, whatever, you'll have more torque when you need it, or if you are going down a very steep hill, you can use your engine to help you stay in control going down hill, or other such things as that.

 
Rep Power: 0

Driving an AUTO is pretty much a harsh reality for you if you have a rush-hour commute. I just found personally, that it really bothered me not knowing how to drive a manual. I wanted to learn it just to have the comfort of knowing that I do. But, even after learning to drive a stick I am not comfortable driving someone else's car that is a stick. Driving a stick is something you need to be doing continuously in order for it to become second nature.

You should learn to drive one...wait'll you try going from a stop on a steep hill for your first time! Once you get past that, it's smooth sailing.

 
Rep Power: 302

D3 is safe to use in traffic...
the car tends to shift to 4th at around 35mph-40mph...
if you don't have a tachometer i wouldn't recommend sport shifting with your automatic.

 
Rep Power: 0

brakes are cheaper to replace/repair

 
Rep Power: 0

D,3,and 2 are the only options on an automatic. and in case you havent noticed, the car "prefers" to be shifted in 3! put the car in neutral, and pull the lever back, without pressing the button, and it will land in 3. Cars used to have an OVERDRIVE OFF and OVERDRIVE ON buttons, and some still do, but to make it simpler, now, D have overdrive ON, and 3 is overdrive OF. so in D you go form 1st to 2nd to 3rd to 4th. and in 3 you go from 1st to 2nd to 3rd. and in 2 you start from 2nd, then goto 3rd, and then 4th. so use 2 when going uphill or downhill, and im not talking about little changes in grade, but rather steep hills. plus i belive that 3rd gear goes up to around 70 mph or so. so while on the freeway, do NOT SHIFT INTO 2!. Anyways, the transmission will AUTOMATICALLY!!!! downshift FOR YOU. so if you're doing 15mph and are already in 3rd gear or so, FLOORING the pedal will take your car into 1st and then work its way up for you. So all in all, use D for freeway driving, 3 for vity driving(Stop and GO) and 2 for hills. Hope that helps you out a little.

 
Rep Power: 0

so would using 3 in city save more gas than the D??

 
Rep Power: 0

sorry to burst your bubble but if you read the owners manual you would have noticed that d2 locks the tranny into 2nd gear.

 
Rep Power: 0

well ,i posted it at freaking 1 am!, so instead of bursting bubbles, why not just make simple corrections. And as for keeping the car in 3 to save gas, im not soo sure, but my frined who was BIG on cars told me that a car uses most "GAS" when its shifting. so if what he says is true, then you should save some gas.

 
Rep Power: 290

I am a new driver and an owner of a new 2k2 civic (well not a driver yet still got 3 months to wait on my permit before i can take the test). I was just wondering if putting the car in D3 wouldnt give you better acceleration. Would upshifts occur at the same time up until the point where 3rd>4th would happen?

 
Rep Power: 0

it's an auto...it's got automatic overdrive...so it'll shift when it needs to

 
Rep Power: 0

Leave the car in Drive (D)

You won't hurt your brakes sitting at a light

Only use the lower gears D1 , D2 if your taveling down a steep grade
because if you just use your brakes they'll over heat and then you have real trouble because they won't stop.

Gas milage isn't effected by a Auto Trans shifting, just drive normally.

Read the manual.

Your car isn't a performance vehicle, its a high milage, low emmision vechicle, so don't expect whip neck acceleration.

 
Rep Power: 0

Just to let you know if you leave your car in neutral and someone rear ends you and you go flying into the car infront, you will be responsible for part of the damage.