Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Why do you drive an automatic (unless you don't)?

MN Driver · 12-28-2010, 09:13 AM

My first car was an automatic mainly because at that age and less experience, it was less to deal with and it made the rest of the family more comfortable since everyone could drive it if one of the other cars broke down. I always wanted a manual for the reliability involved with a manual transmission car versus an automatic. I had issues with the torque converter clutch staying engaged on the highway, it would release and then after a second try to engage, it would release again and reengage. At that point I sold the car to someone with close ties to a mechanic who could fix the air conditioning and LIM gasket for a price higher than I figured I would have been able to get for it and I've driven a manual ever since.

I've driven my 95 Prizm up and down the hills of San Francisco, including in traffic where I stopped on the steepest hills there. I didn't use the handbrake and didn't really need to spend much time on the clutch or rev the engine very high either. I don't think that I would be running through too many clutches there since most stop signs and intersections are on the flat and then the hill starts right after you cross the intersection. I've also driven that car 24k miles each year for two years on a college commute where stop and go was my daily commute to class for an hour a day. Clutch technique is paramount to getting long life from the clutch. I have nearly 225k miles on that car now. The only reason I'm looking to get rid of it is excessive blowby pressure beyond what the PCV can handle that manages to push out some of the looser oil seals on long highway drives. Yet I manage to somehow have 180psi or higher dry compression on all four cylinders.

I'll drive a manual as long as my car is running off of gasoline. With an electric, I could live with direct drive.

I drive one of three hybrids that I know of, all Honda (1st gen Insight, 1st Gen Civic Hybrid, and CRZ) that have a manual transmission option and I'm loving both overdrive gears, super overdrive is amazing at providing a constant high load for better BSFC crossing the country.

12-28-2010, 09:13 AM	#105 (permalink)
MN Driver 2000 Honda Insight Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 57 Thanks: 5 Thanked 13 Times in 11 Posts	My first car was an automatic mainly because at that age and less experience, it was less to deal with and it made the rest of the family more comfortable since everyone could drive it if one of the other cars broke down. I always wanted a manual for the reliability involved with a manual transmission car versus an automatic. I had issues with the torque converter clutch staying engaged on the highway, it would release and then after a second try to engage, it would release again and reengage. At that point I sold the car to someone with close ties to a mechanic who could fix the air conditioning and LIM gasket for a price higher than I figured I would have been able to get for it and I've driven a manual ever since. I've driven my 95 Prizm up and down the hills of San Francisco, including in traffic where I stopped on the steepest hills there. I didn't use the handbrake and didn't really need to spend much time on the clutch or rev the engine very high either. I don't think that I would be running through too many clutches there since most stop signs and intersections are on the flat and then the hill starts right after you cross the intersection. I've also driven that car 24k miles each year for two years on a college commute where stop and go was my daily commute to class for an hour a day. Clutch technique is paramount to getting long life from the clutch. I have nearly 225k miles on that car now. The only reason I'm looking to get rid of it is excessive blowby pressure beyond what the PCV can handle that manages to push out some of the looser oil seals on long highway drives. Yet I manage to somehow have 180psi or higher dry compression on all four cylinders. I'll drive a manual as long as my car is running off of gasoline. With an electric, I could live with direct drive. I drive one of three hybrids that I know of, all Honda (1st gen Insight, 1st Gen Civic Hybrid, and CRZ) that have a manual transmission option and I'm loving both overdrive gears, super overdrive is amazing at providing a constant high load for better BSFC crossing the country.