Automatic Transmission: Shifting with Power Gears?

[King Justice]

Hello!

[Obviously I have a Pontiac Grand AM, year is 2005 SE.]

My car has automatic transmission. I was wondering if it was "OK", or "healthy" to shift into gears from the power gears (like going from 1, 2, 3, into D).

I've heard the Grand Am transmission isn't too good, and if you do this a lot it'll ruin the transmission or something. Just wondering if shifting with power gears is healthy for the car, or actually damages the car.

Also wondering if shifting with power gears is like regular-shifting, like the same gears.

Well, thanks everyone for your answers. :)
I am asking because I tried this the other day from 0-50, and my first gear went pretty high in mph...I think the car accelerated faster than it normally does.

[carlover626]

I wouldn't advise trying to shift it like a manual, it is not a fast change like a 5 speed is.

I had this come up when I was traveling on a gravel road that kept changing from steep to flat and back to steep again. I wanted to stay in 2 when it was steep, but wanted 3rd to kick in when it was flat. So I continued to move the stick from 3 to 2 and back again.

I hope THAT type of usage isn't bad, cause I was changing the gears quite a bit??!!

But for speed, I would not keep changing the gears.

[JeremiahCoffel]

I had a Mitsubishi Galant that my mom gave me (peice of shit car, she only gave it to me, 'cause I drove it into the lake, bad thing is I wasn't even intoxicated. :lol: ) Anyway, it had a great motor and transmission, but we moved down to the lake area and it's quite 'hilly' and has a lot of turns, so I would shift gears back and forth like that, and it screwed the transmission up after about 3 months of it. I would say it's not good. Then on the other hand, I know a guy who shifts like that with a '89 GMC pick'em'up truck, and it still drives great to this day. Maybe it was just the imported transmission? I don't know, but he has also done quite a bit of work on his truck in the recent years, so I wouldn't say it's good in the long run.

[Nighthawk243]

Some transmissions can handle it, but most cannot. The GA's transmission is not one of them. You can get away with doing so if conditions strictly call for it for different power requirements (I know in bad snow conditions, I would need to shift between 1 and 2 in order to keep wheel spin down), but you shouldn't do it for a long period of time unless you want to buy a new transmission. If you want to shift it like a manual, then go convert the car into a manual.

The numbered gears are there for conditions where max power to the front wheels are needed, such as steep grades, or bad conditions such as mud.

[King Justice]

Thanks for your answers guys. :) Do keep them coming if there's any part of it I have missed. :P

[King Justice]

Just wondering...if I'm at a roll in D going 40 or 50 mph and pop it into 3rd, will it accelerate faster then if I were to just keep the gears going automatically?

[GatorGA]

I agree with the above replies. Shifting your transmission into different gears (automatic only, of course) while driving will KILL your transmission. No question about it. This goes for almost any transmission that is not specifically designed to be shifted while driving. Trust me, I know it's fun but I killed two transmissions in my Z28 and one in my mom's Benz by doing this and I've learned my lesson the hard way. Let the computer do the shifting and you and your transmission will arrive alive.

[Nighthawk243]

Originally posted by King Justice
Just wondering...if I'm at a roll in D going 40 or 50 mph and pop it into 3rd, will it accelerate faster then if I were to just keep the gears going automatically?

I wouldn't do it. You shouldn't be in the numbered gears and going over 55mph.

You'd redline it.

[GatorGA]

Just keep it in D. The car will pick what gear is best. I've found that under full acceleration D is better anyways because the transmission is able to downshift more gears and put you into an optimal RPM range to produce peak HP. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by GatorGA
Just keep it in D.
The car will pick what gear is best.
I've found that under full acceleration D is better anyways because the transmission is able to downshift more gears and put you into an optimal RPM range to produce peak HP.
Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here.
Auto trannies have 'manual selection' so you can USE it.
Read your owner's manuals: NOTHING in there about 'Do Not Manually Downshift'.

Geez, guys, autos have been this way since my dad's '55 Lincoln :roll:
Just don't abuse it by pretending you're a sportscar with a manual tranny downshifting as you ENTER a corner.
Actually, sportscars with manuals should not be driven that way, either.
Brakes are for slowing; trannies are for accelerating, including pulling OUT of corners.

If you NEED more acceleration than the 'automatically-selected' gear is providing, downshift to the appropriate gear.
Wait for the tranny to autoamatically respond to your gas pedal, or do it yourself with the shifter.

Originally posted by King Justice
if I'm at a roll in D going 40 or 50 mph, and pop it into 3rd, will it accelerate faster.... Absolutely.

Go ahead and do it, it will not harm a thing as long as you're not too hard on the gas pedal AT THE SAME TIME.

Look at it this way:
If you were in D/4th at 60, and you FLOORED it for an emergency pass of some lumbering jerk, your tranny would AUTOMATICALLY downshift to 3rd and about 3800 rpm to give you more passing 'torque' (pulling power) at the tires.
So doing it 1/2 second quicker with your hand (instead of waiting for the machinery to do it) is actually OK for the tranny.

If you're doing 40 in D/4th and you REALLY tromp on the gas, the tranny will automotically downshift to SECOND!!
You *could* do so yourself, but you run the risk of accidently going all the way to 1st (which is not good).

Your 2005 has a 4T65E tranny; it's pretty stout, especially compared to some of the earlier 4T45E's that were meant for lighterweight (4500 lb) GM cars.
It's very well-suited to your GA.

Gator's Z28's and his mom's Benz were MUCH heavier cars, and who knows what OTHER abuse he bestowed upon them.
* * *

But King, I am totally confused by "Also wondering if shifting with power gears is like regular-shifting, like the same gears."

Wot do you mean by "shifting with power gears"???
ALL gears have 'power', or rather, they transmit power in terms of torque.

Are you speaking about a so-called "power-shift"?
Where, with a manual-tranny, you upshift with the clutch and the shifter, but you keep your right foot down on the gas pedal?
If so, this is a pretty stoopid practice in a manual-tranny car, and definitely not to be done in an autotranny.

Hope this helps,
-Rick

[Matt95GT]

http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=72259
Leave it in 'D". The auto trans in my first car met its demise shifting the auto manually.

[GatorGA]

I usually agree with you 100% Rick, but we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. The kid is 16, of course he's going to drive it like a sportscar, including downshifting while stomping on the gas. I never said there was anything wrong with using the other gears. I use them quite frequently, but I do not change gears while moving. MyZ28 weighed 300 pounds more than the GA, and had a better transmission. Doesn't seem MUCH heavier to me.

Justice, it's your car and you can do anything with it, including shifting when and how you want, but please heed advice from people that have been there and done that. Those clutches and bands cannot take extreme abuse. Unless you have the money to rebuilt your transmission I seriously suggest that you reconsider shifting your auto like a manual.

[King Justice]

Originally posted by rixGAphx
Auto trannies have 'manual selection' so you can USE it.
Read your owner's manuals: NOTHING in there about 'Do Not Manually Downshift'.

Geez, guys, autos have been this way since my dad's '55 Lincoln :roll:
Just don't abuse it by pretending you're a sportscar with a manual tranny downshifting as you ENTER a corner.
Actually, sportscars with manuals should not be driven that way, either.
Brakes are for slowing; trannies are for accelerating, including pulling OUT of corners.

If you NEED more acceleration than the 'automatically-selected' gear is providing, downshift to the appropriate gear.
Wait for the tranny to autoamatically respond to your gas pedal, or do it yourself with the shifter.

Absolutely.

Go ahead and do it, it will not harm a thing as long as you're not too hard on the gas pedal AT THE SAME TIME.

Look at it this way:
If you were in D/4th at 60, and you FLOORED it for an emergency pass of some lumbering jerk, your tranny would AUTOMATICALLY downshift to 3rd and about 3800 rpm to give you more passing 'torque' (pulling power) at the tires.
So doing it 1/2 second quicker with your hand (instead of waiting for the machinery to do it) is actually OK for the tranny.

If you're doing 40 in D/4th and you REALLY tromp on the gas, the tranny will automotically downshift to SECOND!!
You *could* do so yourself, but you run the risk of accidently going all the way to 1st (which is not good).

Your 2005 has a 4T65E tranny; it's pretty stout, especially compared to some of the earlier 4T45E's that were meant for lighterweight (4500 lb) GM cars.
It's very well-suited to your GA.

Gator's Z28's and his mom's Benz were MUCH heavier cars, and who knows what OTHER abuse he bestowed upon them.
* * *

But King, I am totally confused by "Also wondering if shifting with power gears is like regular-shifting, like the same gears."

Wot do you mean by "shifting with power gears"???
ALL gears have 'power', or rather, they transmit power in terms of torque.

Are you speaking about a so-called "power-shift"?
Where, with a manual-tranny, you upshift with the clutch and the shifter, but you keep your right foot down on the gas pedal?
If so, this is a pretty stoopid practice in a manual-tranny car, and definitely not to be done in an autotranny.

Hope this helps,
-Rick

Wow, thank you, very resourceful article. I was not planning on being stupid with shifting my automatic, such as down shifting on fast turns, etc. I was planning on just shifting it as I would a manual...shifting before the RPM hits the red lines, etc.

I just did not want to damage my transmission, but you are saying it won't damage it unless I act stupid, which I won't.

What I've realized so far is that the car can go much faster in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd+ if I manually shift it rather than keep it on D.

Of course, ideally I'd like to swap for a manual transmission, but that's not going to happen for a good 3 years. :)

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by King Justice
Of course, ideally I'd like to swap for a manual transmission, but that's not going to happen for a good 3 years. :) Not gonna happen ever, in a V6 GA.

Unless you're saying 3 years until you trade this V6-auto GA for some other car with a manual.

Does ANYBODY know why GM wouldn't make a 5- (or 6-!!) spd manual for this car/engine??

[bewd03]

ok i have a 04 gt ive used the auto trans as a manual trans the entire time ive had it i race it and all ive had now probs with it since i bought it with 6 miles on the damn thing

[iceman]

Originally posted by King Justice
Wow, thank you, very resourceful article. I was not planning on being stupid with shifting my automatic, such as down shifting on fast turns, etc. I was planning on just shifting it as I would a manual...shifting before the RPM hits the red lines, etc.

I just did not want to damage my transmission, but you are saying it won't damage it unless I act stupid, which I won't.

What I've realized so far is that the car can go much faster in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd+ if I manually shift it rather than keep it on D.

Of course, ideally I'd like to swap for a manual transmission, but that's not going to happen for a good 3 years. :)

"Being stupid" or not you are guaranteed to shorten the life of your transmission by doing this. You aren't going any faster, you just think you are. Until you have some track times, good luck proving it. Manual trans :lol:

Originally posted by rixGAphx
Not gonna happen ever, in a V6 GA.

Unless you're saying 3 years until you trade this V6-auto GA for some other car with a manual.

Does ANYBODY know why GM wouldn't make a 5- (or 6-!!) spd manual for this car/engine??

When I talked to Spoon about the 5 speed red mule he brought out before it got crushed.. he mentioned something along the lines of GM didn't think there was a market fora v6 w/ manual trans in 98