Iāve been driving mainly Automatics for a few years now and Iāve been in the habit of changing from Drive to Neutral (with handbrake applied) when waiting at lights, junctions etc. and expecting to be stationary for more than 10 seconds or so. Iāve always thought that doing so would remove any āstrainā from the transmission (but could well be wrong there).
Watching āOne Hundred Year Old Driving Schoolā last night, I noticed that one of the RoSPA Assessors advised his student to leave his car in Drive when stopped.
So, have I been making unnecessary changes all this time??Ā Ā
Concludes that leaving it in drive causes less wear. I suspect that the wear caused by using neutral is minimal but as the idea is to look after the gearbox, it would seem a shame to use the wrong procedure whilst attempting with the best will in mind to do the right thing.Ā Ā
Have nothing technical to back anything up, but I have always been led to believe that staying in drive is the preferred choice,the gearbox should look after itself. However I also understand that highway code/advanced driving advocated neutral with handbrake on. This is to prevent inadvertent movement in the event of foot coming off the brake (especially in older autoās that have a tendency to creep). Would certainly like to know if there is a definitive answer. Always leave mine in drive
Guidance from from RoSPA on their advanced driving training and test:
Ā
"When stationary in traffic, even for many minutes, it is not necessary to move the gear lever into neutral because the torque converter absorbs the engineās propulsion force but does not transmit it all to the gearbox. No wear is taking place. Some people believe that more wear will take place if you engage neutral then re-engage a drive gear when it is possible to move off. This is not the case as the clutches that engage the gears are so well designed, built and accurately controlled that any wear that could take place is minimal. Most gearboxes will automatically select first gear when the vehicle becomes stationary.
While guidance may be given regarding the correct actions in certain circumstances, not all eventualities can be covered. The following is intended as general guidance in some common sets of circumstances. You should apply the footbrake when moving the gear lever from P when the vehicle is stationary. You may wish to set the parking brake as many vehicles will ācreepā and some vehicles may have a tendency to lurch, particularly if fitted with an automatic choke.
Stops in traffic, at junctions and at traffic lights leave the selector in D. There is no need to move into neutral, as no damage will result. You may wish to set the parking brake if the pause becomes a wait but your decision will depend on the circumstances. In wet weather at night you may want to set the handbrake and select N to prevent excess glare to any vehicles behind you".
(my emboldening)
So - leave in Drive, but use the handbrake, it would seem.Ā
Good to see the final sentence acknowledging the annoyance of brake light glareĀ on stationary cars in front of you at night - one of my bugbears.
I have always used the exact same method as you, probably because in āthe olden daysā there was always massive creep in drive while stationary ('70s Jaguars etc).
I now have a DSG auto box which has no torque converter but I still have the neutral habit.
maybe I should try to get up to date but old habits die hard
Iāve been driving automatics for the last 13 years and more often than not put into neutral if I think Iām going to be stationary for any length of time. Sometimes I will put the handbrake onĀ and other times I just keep my foot on the footbrake. Iāve never thought of it in terms of wear on the gearbox, itās simply good safe practice. After all if you are in a manual car you would be told to put it in neutral althoughĀ I know there are good reasons for that (burning the clutch etc). I guess that having driven manual cars most of my life I unconsciously adopted the same practice in an automatic. Iām not about to change just because RoSPA says it wonāt wear out the gearbox. For me thatās not the issue.
Interesting comment in the guidance about putting your foot on the brake before moving from P to D. Iāll have to check but pretty sure in my Merc you canāt change from P without putting your foot on the brake. You certainly canāt put the car in reverse without doing so. In my old BMW to go from P to D not only did you have to put your foot on the brake you also had to squeeze a trigger on the gear selector!
Many years ago, mid 1980s I used to commute on a regular time slot, and when waiting in the queue at the lights to turn right for home I was shunted twice in the course of a year by the same SAAB 9000 automatic. Each time it was because the engine idle was erratic and the engine surged kicking the car forward against the foot brake.Ā Ā
The first time he tapped my car three (!) times very lightly in very quick succession but with no apparent damage, however my eighteen stone 6ā3" passenger got out and threatened to thump the driver and his mate and trash his nice new car if he didnāt mend his ways and keep back a safe distance.Ā The second time there was damage and I had a camera with me and reported him to the police with lots of photos as well as claiming a small fortune off his insurance.
Hence my paranoia about tailgaters.Ā Also it is one of several reasons Iām sufficiently prejudiced that Iāll never own an automatic.
So as far as Iām concerned, for the sake of other road users,Ā please put it in neutral or park and apply the handbrake.
And how is that brake released? By the car or by the driver?
If the car does it for you, then it does not prevent the scenario I suffered with the stupid Saab driver.
Having driven several rental cars cursed with electric or automatic parking brakes, I now only have confidence in a proper manual handbrake. I hate to sound like an old fashioned stick in the mud, but I think some of these new do-it-for-you ideas are a step backward.
Thank you all for your replies, and particularly to Steve for copying out all those words of advice from RoSPA.
Very interesting to know that the torque converter box isnāt troubled by being ārestrainedā for several minutes - just hope that still applies to one thatās 27 years old ! I agree that itās not just a matter of box preservation though, as I feel that thereās an advantage to being in Neutral as it removes the chance of an involuntary lurch forward if your foot slips, or the handbrake fails - and then thereās the brake light glare factor as well.Ā
I think what Iāll do is increase the time that Iāll leave it in Drive to a minute or so.Ā