Transmission wear from P&G (pulse and glide)?

[freebeard]

I think part of the illegal aspect of shifting into neutral has more to do with vehicles from the era before transmissions had synchros than anything else.

Prior to single-speed electric drive as well.

In my Super Beetle I had fun....

When you were rolling in reverse did you shift R-2-1 to put it in first and start forward without touching the brake?

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Prior to single-speed electric drive as well.

Now that I have two hybrids, I question if there really exists a neutral in them because the motors and engine are always connected to the wheels. TBH I shift into "N" all the time. I let the engine shut its self off by holding the pedal at a neutral position and then shift into "N" and let it coast, engine off.

I've come to love hybrids. I can't believe I used to not like them.

Originally Posted by freebeard

When you were rolling in reverse did you shift R-2-1 to put it in first and start forward without touching the brake?

No, I never tried that. Why would you go into 2 then 1 and not just 1 to begin with?

[freebeard]

Reverse to first while you're rolling grinds the gears, does it not? R-2-1 tickles the syncros or something technical like that. Buy any Beetle and try it.

[redpoint5]

Even the Chevy Bolt EV has a motor and gears cooled and lubricated in an oil bath that shuts off when "shifting to neutral". I've not heard of anyone wearing anything out from coasting like this, but I suppose it's possible.

[funkhoss]

Originally Posted by EcoCivic

Anyways, I would like to continue to experiment with different coasting and P&G strategies, but only if doing so won't excessively wear my transmission. How concerned do I need to be about this? Have any of you had premature transmission failures as a result of frequent shifting? Thanks very much in advance as always!

I installed a kill switch in my Metro in early 2015, when the car had ~130,000 miles. Ever since then, I've used P&G with EOC 100% of the time. That's right: no "normal" driving for 6+ years. Even the shortest trips I make involve dozens of bump starts and dozens of shifts between fifth gear and neutral.

The car now has 276,000 miles, and the transmission still shifts perfectly into and out of every gear.

I wouldn't worry about it.

-Funkhoss

[EcoCivic]

Originally Posted by funkhoss

I installed a kill switch in my Metro in early 2015, when the car had ~130,000 miles. Ever since then, I've used P&G with EOC 100% of the time. That's right: no "normal" driving for 6+ years. Even the shortest trips I make involve dozens of bump starts and dozens of shifts between fifth gear and neutral.

The car now has 276,000 miles, and the transmission still shifts perfectly into and out of every gear.

I wouldn't worry about it.

-Funkhoss

Wow that's great to know, exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I guess it can't be that bad then. Thanks for sharing!

[funkhoss]

Originally Posted by EcoCivic

Thanks for sharing!

-Funkhoss

[Isaac Zachary]

Recalling back, in the 1985 VW Diesel I would some times also coast with engine off. But man! Pop-starting that thing must have hit some number on the Richter scale. It depended on the circumstances.

I also once lost the clutch cable at the beginning of about a 700 mile trip over several mountain passes and drove the whole way matching revs and starting in gear at stop lights and didn't have any transmission or starter problems afterwards.

The current owner didn't ever get it registered and I'm temped to just go pick it up since he no longer wants it...

[EcoCivic]

Another curious thing I meant to ask about is the effects of travelling with the engine off and the trans in neutral. I always thought manual transmissions were fine coasting or being towed engine on or off and autos should only coast or be towed with the engine running, but my car's owners manual recommends against flat towing and says if it must be done to keep speed low and distance as short as possible, not to exceed 35 MPH or 50 miles I believe. No distinction is made for auto or manual transmission, although that may be an oversight.

I understand why towing an automatic transmission with the engine off would be bad since without the engine running there's no oil being pumped around to lubricate and cool components, but I am almost certain my transmission is simply splash lubricated so I don't see why it would matter? Unless the input shaft needs to be spinning to splash the oil around.

This doesn't matter much to me since I leave the engine idling while coasting, I'm just curious.

[Vwbeamer]

maybe you could google and see if your car is flat towable behind a RV. If it is than shouldn't be a problem coasting engine on or off.