Automatic Gear Shift

I just bought a C220 CDI with an Automatic TRansmission (Automatic Gear Shift), and I would like to receive your opinion on the usage of such transmission.

A dear friend suggested me to keep the brake pedal while standing at traffic light and to move to the "P"ark position just for long waiting (train crossroads).

Can somebody explain me, why that's the best usage with the least component consumption ?

Thanks! Fab

Reply to
Fab
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No... just keep it in drive unless you are sitting in major traffic jam where car won't move for 4 minutes or so.

Reply to
Tiger

Thank you! That's the kind of answer I was waiting for. I was confused on the term "when you have to stop FOR A WHILE, mobe to the Park position"...

Now the second question: why ?

Fab.

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Reply to
Fab

First, consider everything your car manual says right. Friends may be of help where the manual does not put priority to one or the other option.

I'd second Tiger on your question, I would say gas consumption being the real answer to your question "why". I assume your friends are afraid of the auto tranny fluid heating up when the torque converter slips, but this isn't an issue as your tranny has an oil cooler that takes care of the correct oil temperature.

Reply to
Me

"A dear friend suggested me to keep the brake pedal while standing at traffic light and to move to the "P"ark position just for long waiting (train crossroads)."

Or, better yet, shut off the engine when you know there will be a long wait.

For long traffic lights I leave the car's transmission in gear and apply the parking brake until the light turns green for my lane. The torque converter is there to allow for idling in gear specifically so the clutches inside the transmission don't needlessly wear; I don't idle in P or N but rather shut down the motor.

Reply to
-->> T.G. Lambach

Believe it or not.. the shifting from park to reverse or drive is more wear to tranny than leaving it in gear... The shocks of changing gear stresses the parts.

For example... those long range cruisers... people who drives highways all the time has their tranny last 250,000 miles on original tranny... whereas city drivers rarely see tranny last 125,000 miles. Why is that? All the shiftings.

The above statement is too generic assumption but I just want to say... don't worry and just drive it! Do schedule maintenance on your tranny and it would give you good service lifespan.

Reply to
Tiger

Thanks to everybody for the clarifications!

Fabrizio

"Fab" ha scritto nel messaggio news:wDd6i.20363$ snipped-for-privacy@twister1.libero.it...

Reply to
Fab

That was the first thing I did. The manual is quite rich, but I was not able to find any suggestions for the driving style. Just how to handle the gear level, all basic informations.

Fab

Reply to
Fab

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