02SEinStL

I tend to drive in "3" in most any auto when I'm in stop & go - I figure no reason to even allow it to hunt up to OD for just a short time...but I'm just wondering if leaving it in 3rd in the Max activates some sort of "sport mode" or something? Other threads have lead me to believe the tranny "acts sportier" when left out of OD...any truth to this?

Craig2kGLE

Leaving it in "3" does not activate a sport mode, it just eliminates the possibility of the transmission using overdrive (4th gear). In my opinion, the car is designed to be left in "D" to give it the option of overdrive whenever feasible. It won't kill your car in city driving to keep it on "3", but you might realize lower gas mileage because your RPMs are going to be higher.

"3" is best used when you want to use engine braking (as is "2"), like for driving in the mountains.

YMMV.

Craig
2kGLE

IceY2K1

iTrader: (3)

I leave my Sentra in "3" around town to keep it from going into OD all the time and then downshifting two gears every time I accelerate. This tactic seems to keep the tranny from doing a lot of work shifting 1-2-3-4, 4-3-2-3-4, 4-3-2-1, just stop light to stop light. However, if I get up to 50+mph, I'll reach over and turn on the OD to engage 4th gear. I've got 150K miles on that tranny as hard as I am on it(), so apparently it doesn't hurt it.

If your tranny is in 3rd gear it's going to feel peppy compared to 4th just because it's more responsive and doesn't need to downshift all the time.

dobiegillis

I've been switching off the OD a lot when I'm cruising around 30-40 mph. Otherwise the car seems to constantly be shifting from 4th to 3rd and back as I just slightly accel or decel with street traffic. Sometimes at around 35 mph constant speed it will be in 4th with the tach showing around 1k rpm and the engine sounds really low and rough. Honestely, it has been driving me crazy. I've never had an auto that was so sensitive with its shifts--I barely touch the pedal and it downshifts. And I've been getting really crappy gas mileage--around 18-19mpg with mixed driving. The thing also sometimes shifts kind of rough (sort of slamming in gear but not really bad), but not all the time. I'm going to ask the dealer about it at the next service but my vin isn't covered by the tranny tsb. My Volvo auto was smooth as silk and I drove it hard plenty so I don't know if I'm just not used to this or what. Opinions?