Downshifting w/ an automatic

markcelliott
Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:51:03 +0000
Maintenance/Repairs

I drive an automatic shift car and like to save use on my brakes by downshifting from D to 3 to slow the car down (for instance, when preparing to exit the highway). Typically I’ll shift to 3 at around 60 mph, at which point the tachometer shoots up to around 3,000 RPM and I get a nice, gradual deceleration on the off-ramp. I use the brakes to complete my stop, and then move back into D before accelerating again. Here are my questions: Am I risking damage to my transmission? Is the wear I am saving on my brakes worth the cost of whatever repair my transmission might eventually require because of this?

13 posts - 7 participants