I've never had an auto before. My mate just bought one too (but his is a Mitsubishi Sigma :rofl: ).

 

When you're at traffic lights, stopped, is it ok to just hold it on the brake or should you put it in neutral or park?

 

I don't want to burn the clutch out or anything.

 

Thanks chaps.

 

:hyper: :hyper:

Depends on how long you expect to be stopped there - if its just a short time then its fine but longer than a few minutes consider sticking into 'N' and use the handbrake.

Have wondered about this myself actually. But I think it's just like a manwell really and just use common sense.

 

 

Cheers.

Surely if you sit there stationary with the brake pedal pressed, a clutch or something must be grinding itself away somewhere. Or are they designed to do that with no damage and lock up solid at higher revs or something?

I usually put it into ''N'' after about 5secs.

Surely if you sit there stationary with the brake pedal pressed, a clutch or something must be grinding itself away somewhere. Or are they designed to do that with no damage and lock up solid at higher revs or something?[/QUOTE] by Craig David

 

Only the torque converter is spinning away. Its like a big fan stirring a liquid. Imagine stirring a bowl of porage with a big spoon. If the spoon is big enough or the porage thick enough the bowl will spin around too unless you hold onto it. Similarly the transmission. When you lift off the brake while in D the bowl gets to spin and off you go. While its spinning in D with the brake on a certain amount of energy is being absorbed by the transmission fluid as heat. So if you hold it on the brake and rev it hard for more than a few seconds you will transfer enormous amounts of energy and fry the box. Once you are on the move there are also wet multiplate clutches to control the selection of ratios and on top of that is a lock up clutch to bypass the torque converter when cruising.

Stick it in neutral and hold on the foot or handbrake is what ive always done and ive been running autos since the mid 90's without a problem

Something else interesting is that when in 1,2 or D the oil is circulated into the cooler, in N and P it isnt, so if its in these its not cooling.

 

(found that out when i had a cooler pipe split).

Nice one, thanks.

I reckon it's ok at most traffic lights then.

 

Thanks gents.

 

ps. wasted what seemed to be a tuned up Saphire Cossie tonight. He was quicker up to about 90 but my N/A (!) hammered him through roundabouts and especially on the brakes. His car was nine years older than mine and looked rough so probably every bearing and bush was shagged!