AU 4speed Auto Question ?

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Just wondering if those of you out there with automatics leave the car in 4th gear ( Drive ) while driving around local streets or city streets etc. (doing around 0 to 80 kmph )?
Recently i have found myself leaving the auto in 3rd while driving around under the speed of about 90kmph, otherwise it's constantlly changing between 3rd and 4th(D) while doing low speeds, not only does it change gears more often but also seems to use more fuel doing slow speeds in 4th(D) too.
On this topic - I had an old crapbox a few years back that had an economy meter in it, If you did low speeds in like 4th , even though the car was almost idling along , the economy meter would be up the creek, as the engine allthough reving low would be working its nuts off to push the car along at low revs/near idle . I allways seemed to find that keeping the engine around the 2500 rpm / right on the edge of responsiveness / cruising along / would use stuff all fuel and the engine would just purr along.
Imo i think they should of just left 4th(D) on a button on the t-bar as an overdrive button, as thats all it is really, doing like 60kmph in 4th (D) is as useless as titts on a bull - as the auto is forever changing gears and 4th has no usefull power or real gains at that speed anyway.

Does anyone else on here NOT use 4th(D) much on there Auto's unless on freeways or 100kmph stretches and stuff ?

[Casper]

With the histal I'll often manually change back to 3rd as it needs the rpm's to be a bit higher.
Before I had it I'd done a test to see what ws better, using 3rd or leaving it in 4th. Didnt seem to be a difference in fuel mileage at all but then again, I'm a lead foot.

[EA2BA]

You could easily add a button to lock out 4th if you want

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Originally Posted by EA2BA

You could easily add a button to lock out 4th if you want

Hey that aint a bad idea ! - it also has the area recessed out too for a button in the surround of the t-bar, would you know how to possibly go about adding the wiring for a button like this ( I could get the button from a wreckers that fits in the recessed area np), so if the button is clicked in it wont go any higher than 3rd even while in 4th(D) , or vise versa - so you click it in to enable overdrive (4th) while in 3rd in D . ??????? plz ????? ..lol ?? :

[Casper]

why not just leave it in 3rd and not bother with all the drama of adding a button that does exactly the same thing as selectng 3 insted of D?

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Originally Posted by Casper

why not just leave it in 3rd and not bother with all the drama of adding a button that does exactly the same thing as selectng 3 insted of D?

Yeah you right , it's the same thing, but like 90% of my driving needs no higher than 3rd gear, and it would be nice to be able to just have the car in D, as i like to rest my hand on the t-bar when driving usually too and like the position better when its in D and not 3rd ..lol. Also there is always that someone picky who is allways looking for something to pick at when in ya car , and say crap like "why's it in 3rd ? , u shouldnt have to leave it in 3rd ... bla bla bla " ... you know what i mean ;) . Besides all that - it would fill that recessed area up in the t-bar surround where a button usually originally sits in some models it was used in too anyway .

[EA2BA]

All you need to do is feed a voltage to the trans controller to tell the solenoids to lock into 3rd, the trans controller will still kick down and change down as per normal.

Its pretty much just a small piece of the SSS circuit, when I flick from D to SSS it drops instantly to 3rd and cant go to 4th.

[GK]

Originally Posted by XR6-VCT-2000

there is always that someone picky who is allways looking for something to pick at when in ya car , and say crap like "why's it in 3rd ? , u shouldnt have to leave it in 3rd ... bla bla bla " ... you know what i mean ;)

Tell them to get out and walk! :

But your discussion over the gear selector position and the obvious bug mod (button and wiring etc) perhaps shows who the picky one really is! LOL!

GK

[Mack 6]

I have no probs idling arouind in 4th in the city... but I'm in adelaide and traffic flows a lot better here.

I actually find that driving up the bottom of the south eastern freeway, doing 100-110 up the hill, the car is constantly swapping between 3 and 4, so I do what you do and whack it into 3rd for the hill. I did find it used less even if it was constantly at higher revs becasue it wasn't chopping and changing all the time.

EA2BA, I helped a friend set up a similar thing for his car for burnout comps (notice I said comps). By having switches to control the solenoids you can go up a gear or start in a higher gear and not have to worry about the thing changing at all. But for just around town, knock it back a gear and don't forget to put into 4th when on the freeway.

[HLC]

i might try that.... but i find that when i'm really low on fuel, like this morning. i tend to roll around in Neutral, i dont really know why. i doubt it's saving me any fuel.

[Lukeyson]

i remember with my old ED auto, in the user manual, it said if under 80kph to have it in 3, to stop the 3rd-4th hunting, and it claims would prolong transmittion life

[Noddy]

mine sits in third around suburbia and speed under 80kph.

[TCK-098]

Third gear most fo the time as Sydney people cant drive to save themselves and when im going in the CBD 2nd just to annoy the ricers what a N/A sounds like with a nice exhaust.

[GK]

Originally Posted by XR8fella

i remember with my old ED auto, in the user manual, it said if under 80kph to have it in 3, to stop the 3rd-4th hunting, and it claims would prolong transmittion life

I think I'll give my manuals a read. See if it says anything about the AU.

*Reading, reading*

Page 92, S1 manual,
"3=Third

This position should be selected for ascending or descending moderate grades or when you wish to lock out 4th gear (overdrive) for responsive acceleration or increased engine braking.

Do not exceed 160 in this gear."

Page 101 of the S2 manual says exactly the same thing.

GK

[AU2PWR]

so its perfectly fine to cruise around in 3rd up to about 120 - 130k ( You Shouldnt be Doing this anyway ) then after that 4th would be the go , its never worried me before , ill chuck mine in D and cruise around but when i plant it to overtake or rolling start , it would throw you back to 2 or 1 ,

But yeah Should be Safe
Daniel

[GK]

I'm sure it's safe to do it, probably just use a little more juice, due to the increased likelihood of giving it a little more boot to enjoy the better response!

GK