??C5 with A4 Trans??
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
??C5 with A4 Trans??
Hey guys,
Question.
Do you normally drive your auto transmission in third gear or overdrive (circle D)?
I have owned many a chevy truck and car and the owners manual has always said to run them in third gear position on hills, towing, stop & go traffic, etc. And to use overdrive on the freeway.
So is it better on the C5 transmission to run it in third gear position or the circle D position under normal twisty, hilly, stop and go traffic?
bp
Question.
Do you normally drive your auto transmission in third gear or overdrive (circle D)?
I have owned many a chevy truck and car and the owners manual has always said to run them in third gear position on hills, towing, stop & go traffic, etc. And to use overdrive on the freeway.
So is it better on the C5 transmission to run it in third gear position or the circle D position under normal twisty, hilly, stop and go traffic?
bp
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 227
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles I'm here for a good time, not a long time!
I have a 04 coupe A4 and I drive it in D not 3. I initially drove it in 3 but looked in the owners manual and it said D for normal driving. Well my version of normal driving is stop and go traffic since I live in S. Ca. so I don't know if its harming it in anyway, but I down shift to 3 when coming to a stop occasionally.
I don't think this helped but it gave another view.
I don't think this helped but it gave another view.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,484
Likes: 0
From: Morgan Hill Ca.
I do a little of everything. In the City I normally rumble around in third. Sometimes I shift it like an manual. In traffic is saves on the brakes. Then on open highway I just put her in-a "D".
Some days I get lazy and just put it in Drive.
You heard about the Italian guy driving an American Muscle care right!
First he put-a-her in L for leap. Then he put her in D for-a-drag, and then he threw her into R for-a-race and the car she go-a caput@!
Some days I get lazy and just put it in Drive.
You heard about the Italian guy driving an American Muscle care right!
First he put-a-her in L for leap. Then he put her in D for-a-drag, and then he threw her into R for-a-race and the car she go-a caput@!
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,649
Likes: 669
From: Pingree Grove IL
Leave the car in drive. The only time i ever downshift an automatic is to stop fast in harsh weather conditions, or start in 1 when racing. Although my vette doesnt see any weather at all so i just leave it in d. I believe you shouldnt mess with an auto to much, but thats just my opinion.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,251
Likes: 4
I keep mine in D unless I need controlled passing power. The D works well in-town because the C5 has enough torque that you'll only be at 1200rpm at 35 mph. I just let the car shift when driving normally. For AutoX, I start in 1, at 20mph I toss it into 2 and stay there as it seems to be good all the way to 80 mph.
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Race Director
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 17,901
Likes: 18
From: Elko, Nevada
I'm not sure if Better is a word I choose. 
When I was stock I never took it out of D. Now modded with
gears/tc/TransGo I leave it in 3rd almost exclusively while
cruising around town, but when on the interstate and right
at 55 or 60 I shift it up to D.
When I was stock I never took it out of D. Now modded with
gears/tc/TransGo I leave it in 3rd almost exclusively while
cruising around town, but when on the interstate and right
at 55 or 60 I shift it up to D.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,651
Likes: 9
From: HOW FAST WAS I GOING OFFICER? Los Angeles Hating GM Dealership Service Dept.'s Since Sept. 2004
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
I use 3 when doing a canyon run or something ... It's keeps my tranny cooler by 20 degrees or so. Anytime you don't want your tranny "seeking" 4th, when you are doing a lot of high rpm, low rpm driving.
I also use it in slow traffic, as long as I don't over 55 mph.
Jusy my .02
I also use it in slow traffic, as long as I don't over 55 mph.
Jusy my .02
Racer
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 271
Likes: 0
From: Stockton CA
For what it's worth
When doing some shopping around for beefing up the transmission, I was told by two different performance shops, that the weakest part of the 4L60-E is the shift between third and fourth.
I am trying to track it down, but I also remember an engineer at GM also saying this a couple of years ago. He suggested that you run in third in stop and go traffic and basically anything under 50 MPH. I remember him saying this is how he ran his C5 and his TransAm. If I find this, I will post it.
Just my $0.02
Sempi
I am trying to track it down, but I also remember an engineer at GM also saying this a couple of years ago. He suggested that you run in third in stop and go traffic and basically anything under 50 MPH. I remember him saying this is how he ran his C5 and his TransAm. If I find this, I will post it.
Just my $0.02
Sempi
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,374
Likes: 0
From: Jacksonville Florida
Originally Posted by drcoffee
I keep mine in D unless I need controlled passing power. The D works well in-town because the C5 has enough torque that you'll only be at 1200rpm at 35 mph. I just let the car shift when driving normally. For AutoX, I start in 1, at 20mph I toss it into 2 and stay there as it seems to be good all the way to 80 mph.
Same here.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 227
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles I'm here for a good time, not a long time!
Originally Posted by C5 4 ME
sounds familiar 
D is for D'freeway!!
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 24,129
Likes: 1,038
From: The Beautiful Pacific Northwest
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09, '14-'15-'16-'17-'18
Keep mine in 3rd around town...gives me better pick up when I need to scoot in a hurry ...use 2nd occasionally going down some of the steep hills around here. Definitely D once on the freeway...