Many automatic transmission do just that unles light load, to save on gas.
I assume you have a manual transmission. If so, the only drawback of starting in 2nd gear is faster clutch wear due to the increased slip you must provide to compensate for lack of torque.
okay, all i can say is that if you want to avoid a shift, why the hell did you buy an automatic. almost seems like your a newb thats just trying to get some posts on the board.
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YOU DONT DRIVE A PIECE OF JUNK SO DONT FIX IT LIKE ONE.
IF YOUR NOT GONNA DO THE JOB RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, YOU SHOULDNT BE DOING IT AT ALL
i do it when there's heavy snow but usually when the road is relatively flat...that helps me keep wheelspin down. other than that...i rarely start in second.
It shouldn't hurt the car any. Other than maybe a little extra clutch wear, which realistically, is negligible at best.
I start out in 2nd quite a bit, depending on the car and conditions.
If it's more of a 'rolling' stop, and you don't need the torque to get you moving (say in rush-hour traffic) most cars get moving along willingly.
Of the last few cars I've had:
The Sentra SeR Spec-V started out in 2nd effortlessly. Partially because 1st in the Getreg 6speed was almost too low for regular stop and go stuff.
The Miata could care less, 1st or 2nd, as long as you didn't need power right-F'n-now. Didn't even need to slip the clutch any more to start in 2nd.
The wife's Outback Sport, on the other hand, chugs, shudders, and jerks if you try to start out in 2nd. Needs lots of throttle and clutch, so I just use 1st.
Have only has the IS for a few days, so I can't really comment on it yet. But let the car tell you if it's OK or not. If it starts out willingly in 2nd, without complaint or drama, I see no harm. If it's herky-jerky, and requires all kind of pedal work, you not saving any gas mileage and are gonna put more wear on the clutch.
only thing i can think of would be underloading the engine starting with 2nd hurting the bearings. btw, theres a 1st gear for a reason. i dont think the engineers went "hey, lets throw in another higher ratio gear for shits and giggles!"
Many automatic transmission do just that unles light load, to save on gas.
I assume you have a manual transmission. If so, the only drawback of starting in 2nd gear is faster clutch wear due to the increased slip you must provide to compensate for lack of torque.
Yes manual so yea maybe a little longer on the clutch to start but Im not a clutch rider so Im not worried about that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaseman1
It shouldn't hurt the car any. Other than maybe a little extra clutch wear, which realistically, is negligible at best.
I start out in 2nd quite a bit, depending on the car and conditions.
If it's more of a 'rolling' stop, and you don't need the torque to get you moving (say in rush-hour traffic) most cars get moving along willingly.
Of the last few cars I've had:
The Sentra SeR Spec-V started out in 2nd effortlessly. Partially because 1st in the Getreg 6speed was almost too low for regular stop and go stuff.
The Miata could care less, 1st or 2nd, as long as you didn't need power right-F'n-now. Didn't even need to slip the clutch any more to start in 2nd.
The wife's Outback Sport, on the other hand, chugs, shudders, and jerks if you try to start out in 2nd. Needs lots of throttle and clutch, so I just use 1st.
Have only has the IS for a few days, so I can't really comment on it yet. But let the car tell you if it's OK or not. If it starts out willingly in 2nd, without complaint or drama, I see no harm. If it's herky-jerky, and requires all kind of pedal work, you not saving any gas mileage and are gonna put more wear on the clutch.
Yes this is what I assumed I think you will find the IS similar to the Miata in this aspect. The IS can start in 4th gear if with minimal stutters if you wanted it to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by keseki
only thing i can think of would be underloading the engine starting with 2nd hurting the bearings. btw, theres a 1st gear for a reason. i dont think the engineers went "hey, lets throw in another higher ratio gear for shits and giggles!"
Well of course acceleration in 2nd is not as good as acceleration in 1st but theres no point in blasting off from a stop in NY. I love it when I see drivers creep up to anticipate a green light and gas as hard as they can, 30 seconds later I pull up next to them at the next light.
okay, all i can say is that if you want to avoid a shift, why the hell did you buy an automatic. almost seems like your a newb thats just trying to get some posts on the board.
Why did I buy an automatic? If you meant manual I bought it because I enjoy driving manual...I just dont like shifting twice in 3 seconds...Im not racing fam.
Trying to get posts on the board? Do I get points for that? Trust me I am more concerned about the wellbeing of my car than having posts on this board.
I'm not sure starting in second from a complete stop is a great idea from a wear and tear standpoint. There is more load on the motor, and definitely the clutch. Whether you believe you're slipping the clutch any longer or not...you are definitely asking for it to transfer more torque. And hence, putting more load on it's wear surfaces.
Imagine stepping on on the brake lightly vs stepping on the brake hard, for the same duration. Which do you think would cause more wear?
IMO, a better strategy would be to start in first, and skip to third.
i never spoke of acceleration in my post. i stated that same as overloading an engine, theres a such thing as underloading an engine. and the stress from that is about the same, if not worse. if you want your motor to last, use what the engineers gave you to use the way it was meant to be used. and im not speaking of throw out bearing or pilot bearing stress, im talking about main bearings. which means tearing your motor apart and changing them (best case scenario). but go ahead, destroy your motor because your too lazy to change a gear.
again, i didnt say coasting either....you are essentially working the bajesus out of the motor, even if it doesnt feel like you are. overloading the motor would be 4 tubbies in the car scraping the road trying to move. underloading the motor is essentially the same amount of stress, but the engine is doing it to itself. is it good to rock the car by getting on the throttle then lifting off, over and over again? the same wear you cause by doing that, you do to the motor when taking off in 2nd gear. again, i say, why would there be a 1st gear, if it wasnt needed? im done explaining, if you dont believe me, go ahead, just please post here if/when the engine gets messed up. would put a definate 1st count response to be being right or wrong. (i guess we'd hafta wait a while if im wrong heh)
Note: I'm not a pro, still getting used to my IS.
Sometimes I start from a start or a stop in second gear, but mine usually doesn't like it (kinda jerks and doesn't sound good in most cases). But the problem I have is that to get in in first, I have to be 100% stopped for like 1-2 secs, else it won't go in. Not sure if it's normal or not. I've driven a lot of different recent manuals (Jetta 1.8t, Nissan Sentra, other recent vehicles) and most of them would go in first easier than my IS. But anyways, I love the IS just getting used to the shifting, I'm so scared to hurt it...
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2004 Lexus IS300
