Does going into neutral wear down tranny?

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by ShadeTreeMech

I can't figure out what ya'll are talking about. I've towed cars miles and miles just by putting them into neutral, no problems. I neutral coast constantly in all my vehicles, sometimes even switching off the engine. So long as I start the engine before reengaging drive, I've never had a problem.

What I'm talking about (and I'm hoping I'm understanding and stating the intended scenario correctly) would be taking an A/T out of drive and shifting it into neutral at a relatively high speed (let's say 60); then coasting until (for example) 40 MPH, and putting it back into drive while still moving at the new lower speed (40, or whatever).

Back in the old days doing this would fry the clutches on an automatic transmission. (I found that out the hard way.)

[ShadeTreeMech]

Every AT car I've ever driven had an idiot latch system that allows you to shift freely between N and D without having to engage the shift lock, whether it be by pulling back on the lever on a sterring column mounted shifter, or pushing in the button. The nice thing about this is you can blindly shift between the two without accidentally engaging R or 2 (or whatever your car has.)

I've recently coasted from 75 to 65, then pulled it back into drive, then after a couple seconds to allow the transmission to get into gear, go on about my business. Now mind you this is an electronic controlled trans in a 98 maxima. But I've done the same in a 91 LeSabre and a 91 Ford Explorer and a 90 ford tempo and a 85 Nissan Maxima and a 95 Pontiac minivan and a 89 Oldsmobile minivan and a 85 Ford F-150 and a 92 Isuzu Pickup and they ALL acted the same and none of them burned up the transmissions. Only time i burned up a transmission was when I engaged D on a nonrunning engine, and even then it still worked, just overdrive engaged weirdly.

[Baltothewolf]

Maybe my car is different, but the Green goblin doesn't act weird if I shift into D from N while coasting at any speed, I think maybe the modern cars are designed to drop into a gear for the appropriate RPM, but idk. My friends 1992 Crown Vic on the other hand, would go WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM if you took it from N into D while moving at any speed period that was to high for first gear.

[markweatherill]

Originally Posted by DifferentPointofView

People always remember the 3000 mile oil "rule", but not the tranny one. you need your tranny fluid changed every 12000 miles or so, depending on the vehicle and the type of driving you do,

No! not the 3000 mile oil change interval again! And the shortest transmission fluid change I know is 20,000 miles for certain Honda CVTs.
Next thing we'll be idling the engine for half an hour after starting it because a warmed up engine runs better, uses less fuel and lasts longer. Is that still in the rule book?

[elhigh]

I have a '92 Colt Vista (known to other parts of the world as a Mitsubishi Chariot) and it DID NOT like being shifted from N to D at speed. It is a pretty unsophisticated tranny.

For comparison, my '98 Subaru is completely at home dropping into D at any speed, no worries. It's happier if you goose the throttle a bit to ease shift shock, but it automatically selects the right gear ratio for the road speed.

[davelobi]

A few thoughts popped in my head while reading (most) of this thread.

I think the word you guys wanted for the shifter stops is "detents".

Towing a vehicle in neutral isn't bad for the trans, the trans fluid getting hot is. Tow the vehicle in neutral with the engine running, circulating & cooling trans fluid, all you want.

To the OP, I wouldn't personally do anything but drive easy (no neutral stuff) on the Chrysler a604 trans in that minivan (assuming v6 as most were). They were a marginal trans at best and there is lots and lots of dead ones in the bone yards. Just treat it nice.

The benefit of coasting while leaving it in gear is DFCO. It is a good way to save some gas and up your mpg. Deceleration fuel cut off, ie injectors off as in zero fuel. Neutral coasting is still using fuel. Search on it here. Often better than neutral (auto or stick shift) coasting for gas mileage.