City driving question

[Mtneer001]

A friend of mine has a 2003 Toyota 4 Runner. When he is in the city, he drives in 4th gear (not D). Then, when he gets to the suburbs, he shifts back into D gear.

He will shift back and forth between gears while driving to and from work every day.

I think it would tear up your transmission eventually, but he thinks its ok.

What do y'all think about this?

 

[toto]

The difference between "4" and "D" is whether or not you allow the trans to shift into overdrive. There is no more "O/D Off" button as in previous generations; the "4" is equivalent to that state.

There is no wear on the trans at all by switching it, unless he does it at a time when the trans needs to downshift out of overdrive.

 

[jeober]

No harm with the 4th top gear - maybe a bit less mpg.

No harm with the shifting - the throttle plate is electronically controlled so the shifts actually happen in a coordinated manner with the engine load.

 

[Northof49]

Why have different positions on the shifter if you can only use D?

 

[SciRunner]

Why have different positions on the shifter if you can only use D?

I think the manual states to use "4" for better performance while towing.

 

[TheBlueWave]

I use 4th in the city to keep the tranny from up and down shifting at 35 mph. Once I get to about 40+ cruising speeds, I use OD.

 

[Mark86]

I use 4 only when I need better acceleration. You get around 1-2 mpg less becuase the engine is running at a higher RPM. Around 98% of the time I use D to save gas. I must say that the acceleration is amazing when you shift into 4! :

 

[Northof49]

I think the manual states to use "4" for better performance while towing.

I used 2 to come down the hill from my house at ~40km/h, 3 to drive around town where the limit is 50km/h, 4 to cruise on secondary roads and go up/down highway passes, etc, etc. The shifter has 5 positions so you can use the best one for the driving conditions. I've never understood the paranoia of using the different gears....it has no logic if you know how to drive.

 

[lawwailok]

.... I must say that the acceleration is amazing when you shift into 4! :

i totally agree with ya!!!!:rocker: especially within the range of 3k - 4k rpm range, the V8 just FLY!

 

[Mark86]

i totally agree with ya!!!!:rocker: especially within the range of 3k - 4k rpm range, the V8 just FLY!

Oh yeah!!! In that range, you will be thrown back in your seat.

 

[JB.]

A friend of mine has a 2003 Toyota 4 Runner. When he is in the city, he drives in 4th gear (not D). Then, when he gets to the suburbs, he shifts back into D gear.

He will shift back and forth between gears while driving to and from work every day.

I think it would tear up your transmission eventually, but he thinks its ok.

What do y'all think about this?

If you can wait a couple of years I may have an answer. I have 34k miles on my truck and I use the shifter a lot for both acceleration and deceleration. This is my first automatic and while I do like it, I often desire a little more control and get annoyed sometimes when I want instant acceleration and get an unwanted shift. It's not unusual for me to be in 2nd or 3rd for short periods around town. The manual warns against what I interpret as pedal motion while shifting; "never put your foot on the pedal while shifting" so I always keep a steady pedal until the shift is complete. Just once, a couple of years back, I had a large, unexpected clunk on a manual shift. That's when I scrutinized the manual and found the warning. Better late than never. The electronic logic protects against most situations but I don't think it's infallible.