[ppdiaporama]

This is the first automatic car I have !

Last week I discovered the 'L' on the transmission and I like it quite a bit because I can engine brake with it.

Question ... can I do harm to my transmission by using it a lot (like at every light or stop) ?

Thanks,

Pat

 

[swoop1156]

I thought that's why someone invented brakes.

 

[ppdiaporama]

[quote author=swoop1156 link=topic=43554.msg646095#msg646095 date=1144073454]
I thought that's why someone invented brakes.
[/quote]
I've never been a big fan of braking. I've also noticed I get better fuel economy with enging braking vs. braking.

 

[ILikeFordsToo]

i use it alot also wondering the same thing

 

[swoop1156]

[quote author=ppdiaporama link=topic=43554.msg646115#msg646115 date=1144074872]
[quote author=swoop1156 link=topic=43554.msg646095#msg646095 date=1144073454]
I thought that's why someone invented brakes.
[/quote]
I've never been a big fan of braking. I've also noticed I get better fuel economy with enging braking vs. braking.
[/quote]I can not reason that in my mind at all. Regular braking keeps the RPM's lower,a nd lets the computer figure it out. Using the engine to brake keeps the RPM's higher, thus using more fuel.

I do it in a manual transmission car, but never in an auto. The only think I normally do its go into Neutral at long lights, or in a drive thru or something to keep the torque strain off the transmission.

 

[UtOhCop]

[quote author=ppdiaporama link=topic=43554.msg646005#msg646005 date=1144066688]
This is the first automatic car I have !

Last week I discovered the 'L' on the transmission and I like it quite a bit because I can engine brake with it.

Question ... can I do harm to my transmission by using it a lot (like at every light or stop) ?

Thanks,

Pat
[/quote]

Does it hurt the engine? No
Will you lose fuel economy? Yes

 

[mz6zoomzoom]

Yeah fuel economy will be lower (marginally), but you save your breaks... in an mtx, engine breaking is god. Not sure it's really worth it in an atx, kinda an unnecessary pain.

 

[swoop1156]

Save the cheap-to-replace-breaks with a very expensive transmission. Like I said, I won't do it. :klavergreg:

 

[ppdiaporama]

It might just be that I'm not over my manual tranny yet and need the extra revs .... Good point on the brakes vs. the tranny

 

[swoop1156]

[quote author=swoop1156 link=topic=43554.msg646236#msg646236 date=1144080766]
Save the cheap-to-replace-breaks with a very expensive transmission. Like I said, I won't do it. :klavergreg:
[/quote]Jesus, I am losing my mind. I spelled brakes wrong! AAHH!!!! :shock:

 

[Bob Jusnes]

i know this post is old, but i figured i would give some input

on a manual transmission, there arent that many parts in the transmission that are affected by wear and tear.

in an automatic, downshifting to slow down creates wear and tear on many components, as well as greatly increased amounts of HEAT!! a deadly poison to an automatic. engine braking in an automatic will MOST certainly speed the death of the transmission, and not just by a small amount.

the brake pads on your car are much cheaper to replace than an automatic transmission, just use the brakes

 

[krazykyle83]

the l in the v6 fusion is really there only for ppl who drive in the mountains because as we all know you never use your brakes going down a mountain, you always downshift as to not heat up the breaks and have them go away when a couple thousand feet up heading down

 

[SHOguyV8]

The reason you are seeing better fuel mileage using engine braking is becasuse the tranny is "connected" with the engine while using engine braking. When the tranny is put into the "L" position, the engine is being turned only by the forward momentum of the car. The car will shut off the fuel during this time as the forward movement is turning the engine. Go get an Air/Fuel gauge and you will see this in Ford automatics. When you leave it in drive, fuel will be continuously supplied to the motor.

Is it good for the tranny to keep doing it? Well, from my expierience with Fords, their automatic trannys are the weak point in all their cars. I wouldn't recommend doing this all the time....unless you really need to say on an extended downhill road.

 

[swoop1156]

[quote author=SHOguyV8 link=topic=43554.msg706563#msg706563 date=1147009874]
The car will shut off the fuel during this time as the forward movement is turning the engine. Go get an Air/Fuel gauge and you will see this in Ford automatics.[/quote]
Really? Never heard of an engine that ran on...no fuel. No matter what, if the engine is running, it's getting fuel. 2,000rpm or 4,000rpm, you are still consuming fuel to turn the engine, create the spark to send the piston back down the cylinder, etc etc.

 

[Metallicat]

I always manual-shifted my Thurnderbird 4.6 and after 60k miles the trans started to disengage at times. I don't think it hurts to manually shift an auto while slowing down (I have done that in my F150 for the past 205,000 miles without a single issue) but trying to upshift with a manual can potentially lead to problems if the auto is not designed for that purpose, as I found out in my Bird.

 

[SHOguyV8]

[quote author=swoop1156 link=topic=43554.msg708680#msg708680 date=1147106361]
[quote author=SHOguyV8 link=topic=43554.msg706563#msg706563 date=1147009874]
The car will shut off the fuel during this time as the forward movement is turning the engine. Go get an Air/Fuel gauge and you will see this in Ford automatics.[/quote]
Really?  Never heard of an engine that ran on...no fuel.  No matter what, if the engine is running, it's getting fuel.  2,000rpm or 4,000rpm, you are still consuming fuel to turn the engine, create the spark to send the piston back down the cylinder, etc etc.
[/quote]

Ahh....you would think that. Re-read my post. To simplify, the manual tranny fusion is physically connected to the wheels through the transmission when in gear.  When you let off the gas pedal in the manual when coasting, the injectors stop the fuel flow. Why?, because the forward momentum is turning the wheels which is turning the engine! In fact, in a manual tranny car, you can turn the key off and the motor will still turn with no difference. (Note: do not turn off your key while driving as the steering wheel can lock with the ignition off) This will not be the case in carb. engines, but with these electronic fuel injected engines, it is. Again, it all can be seen on an Air/Fuel gauge....its pretty cool!!!

 

[SHOguyV8]

And to reply to your reference to creating the spark....The 3.0L does not have a distributor. It doesn't need the motor to turn to create the spark. It just needs the battery. These are newer engines, they don't have magnetos or distributors that are physically turned by the engine. On the 3.0, they should be coil packs.

 

[pegair]

The auto does weird things when slowing down .. sometimes it may reduce fuel, other times it doesn't.

Here is a post I made about that: http://www.fordfusionclub.com/index.php?topic=40109.msg582773

 

[desertman]

Would like to be able to shift manually to 4th and 3rd in my I4 AUTO. The tranny isnt all that responsive unless its on cruise.
Love everything else though. For under 14K this car more than I expected. Suprised to see it discounted so!

late

 

[BlackdOutFusion]

If you shift in automatic from a high RPM to "L" wich is a low gear, in other words first gear. Yes it will do damage, Now as i do sometimes, you can drop it into "N" ? and then once ur rpm's are down drop it into "L" and once u about to redline drop it back into "D", I toyed with it some and i think u do save gas if you shift into "N" when you are geting up to a long light since the car is not realy feeding its self as much gas as if you was in drive just holdin the break down? mabie iam rong but i beleave iam right. Also i have down i can get a better take off when starting in "L" and quick shifting to "D" right at redline.
Just wanted to add what i "think" i know. If iam rong plz correct me. :csweeney: