Hypermiling an automatic transmission

[endi2000]

I have read several of the posts and am not sure this question has been asked or answered.

My husband has been hypermiling with 2 different cars for a couple of years. He does it over longer distances - sometimes up to 8 km. We have many hills here.

He was doing the process with a '04 Toyota Echo, automatic and has now switched to a '00 Volks Jetta TDI. The Echo, according to him, now has issues going into overdrive when the weather is cold - it takes quite a while.

I drove the Volks the other day, on a cold day, and tried to gear down to 1st gear going down a steep hill. The vehicle did not change into 1st until we were almost at the bottom of the hill.

Is it possible - the hypermiling has affected both of these vehicles?

Since I am a female, he really has no respect for my opinion - it seems odd to me that he has driven both these vehicles in this manner - and BOTH are having transmission problems. I think both of us would benefit from 3rd party input.

Thank you for any light you can shed on this.

[mcrews]

1. I am not a marriage counselor or a divorce attorney.
2. to loving husband: you have a great partner who would jump on a Macho site like this and ask for advise. (not gonna see me on housecleaning.com to ask about which vaccuum is the best!!!!)

lol


Very few automatic will shift all the way down into 1st gear because THAT will ruin the transmission.

If you try to it will only go down to the next gear. You shouldn't try to down shift to first to slow the car unless it is an emergency and your already standing on the brakes.

That method is know as engine braking because your asking the friction of the engine and the transmission to slow the car. not healthy.


How many miles are on the cars?
how cold is 'cold'? in Sacramento Ca cold is abouit 40 degrees! lol
Have the transmission been serviced reularly (according to the owner's manual)

BSET of Luck!!!!!!!
(and I really do admire you for jumping on and asking)

[MadisonMPG]

Are you using the word "hypermiling" synonymously with "coasting"?

[endi2000]

Originally Posted by MadisonMPG

Are you using the work "hypermiling" synonymously with "coasting"?

Guess I am not really sure about the term.

What the process is - travel along - get to a down hill - gear down to neutral - coast/hypermile - until end of hill and shift back into 'drive'.

[endi2000]

Originally Posted by mcrews

How many miles are on the cars?
how cold is 'cold'? in Sacramento Ca cold is abouit 40 degrees! lol
Have the transmission been serviced reularly (according to the owner's manual)

BSET of Luck!!!!!!!
(and I really do admire you for jumping on and asking)

Both vehicles were purchased used. The Echo - we have had since it had 30,000KM on it and now has just over 100,000KM - it had a transmission flush just recently

Jetta was purchased this year with 249,000KM on it - and we have no idea what has been done on it (I figure it probably needs something in the near future)

Cold - ranges from minus 6 to + 6 C (10-50F)

(thank you for the kudos )

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by endi2000

Guess I am not really sure about the term.

What the process is - travel along - get to a down hill - gear down to neutral - coast/hypermile - until end of hill and shift back into 'drive'.

Okay, you are just coasting. A lot of people say that it is bad to do in an automatic transmission, you need to look and see what it says about towing your vehicle. (do you have to lift the wheels, etc) Is there a thump when you put it back in drive?

[bensenvill]

I'm not sure why you would use 1st gear, hypermilling and down hill in the same sentence... If the car (auto or manual, at least on a modern car) doesn't want you selecting a specific gear, its probably because you are at an inappropriate speed for that gear... are you sure this isn't case or am I misunderstanding your story?

[Tygen1]

I wouldn't be too worried about the Echo...as long as the transmission shifts into overdrive normally once it is fully warmed up, then it is just the cold weather that is causing the slow shifting.
I wouldn't be worried about the VW either, the transmission is electronically controled and will not allow down shifts, even forced ones, until certain speeds. This is normal.
I've been "Hypermilling/Coasting" my automatic transmission for more than a year now, if done correctly, there is no reason it would accelerate wear.

[mcrews]

Towing a car (implies it is not running) is completely different than coasting with the enigine ON!
Of course, you tow an automatic with the wheels up. Towing with the car off, wheels on the ground and the automatic in nutral is Bad for the auto transmission.
When you coast with the engine on and the car in neutral, the transmission fluid is still curculating bcause the engine and the electronics are on.

I have coasted with engine on and automatic transmission in neutral in every car I have had. my last two cars 1. Toyota Avalon (97) had 215,000 miles - never any problem with trans or engine. 2. current Infiniti Q45 (02) has 185,000 and again no trans or engine probelms and I coast Alot down any hill.

[Chalupa102]

Originally Posted by mcrews

Towing a car (implies it is not running) is completely different than coasting with the enigine ON!
Of course, you tow an automatic with the wheels up. Towing with the car off, wheels on the ground and the automatic in nutral is Bad for the auto transmission.
When you coast with the engine on and the car in neutral, the transmission fluid is still curculating bcause the engine and the electronics are on...

Just to add to what Mcrews said, if he coasts in neutral with the engines off, and the cars are not flat towable, damage can be done. U would have to look at the owners manual to find out it they are flat towable or not.

Does he coast with the engines running or off?

Like pretty much everyone has said, u can coast in neutral as long as the engine is still on with no issues, even if the car is not flat towable.