Dumb Driver Alert

[donjuanmiguel]

Hello all. Driving along today a thought accured to me while reflecting upon a thread I had read last night. Someone was commenting on preventing the transmission from shifting into overdrive by shifting into 4. I thought to myself "How do you do that when you can only drive in 4?" At that moment I looked at the shifter and realized there was a D next to 4 (4-D). To make matters worse, during Xmas we drove over 1500 miles and I was shocked at the poor gas mileage. That's was because I drove in 4 all the way.

So much for perceiving myself as an seasoned driver. Just don't tell my wife!

 

[cary]

Funny in a strange way. It takes a real man to admit to doing that. At least you know know.

 

[donjuanmiguel]

Funny in a strange way. It takes a real man to admit to doing that. At least you know know.

Yeah, but after having done it for soo long it's almost unnatural to put it in D.

 

[calbo]

So um... what was your approximate gas mileage on the long drive?

Just think of it this way: although they're slightly different ratios, you were getting the same mileage (4th gear on a 4sp AT+OD) as I would have gotten with my transmission (3sp AT + OD).

 

[_JP_]

give us that mileage. i'm VERY curious.

jp

 

[Living in the Past]

So um... what was your approximate gas mileage on the long drive?

Just think of it this way: although they're slightly different ratios, you were getting the same mileage (4th gear on a 4sp AT+OD) as I would have gotten with my transmission (3sp AT + OD).

It doesn't work that way. Drive is one to one or close to in both four and five speed, OD means Overdrive. So your four speed in overdrive would probably get better mileage than a five speed in drive. The five speed just gets closer splits between gear not a extra higher gear.


John

 

[e9999]

IIRC, the 5th (D) is a way overdrive ratio on the later trans

and it's gated so you drop automatically into D from N


DJM, what year is yours?

 

[donjuanmiguel]

Sorry guys, had to step away for awhile. Let's see, my average for the trip was (clear throat) 13.7...The truck is an 06. All my other trucks had the shifter on the column, so it was a real struggle to get used to it being "on the hump". Even now, when I drive the other truck for a day then get back into the LX I find myself reaching for the column.

To be quite honest, it's almost natural to bump that shifter into 4 as the hand release motion is towards the body and that thing can be easily bumped out of D. I know, I know, excuses, excuses.

 

[_JP_]

not nearly as bad as i would've expected. i got 16.5ish on a freeway trip in D this past weekend.

jp

 

[LXPearl]

I did the same thing when I first got my 4Runner. It had a lot of pep in 4 and got about 14 mpg. When I found D (5th) it got about 17.

 

[donjuanmiguel]

not nearly as bad as i would've expected. i got 16.5ish on a freeway trip in D this past weekend.

jp

Heck, I'm looking forward to my next roadtrip. Sure will be cheaper than the last!

 

[jmarlo]

My wife drove her car (Mercedes E Class) in 4 (instead of D) for 4 years before she realized what she was doing. I had no idea because I never was a passenger in her car. However my sister was riding with her and noticed it was in 4, and told my wife. I'm glad I didn't get to tell her--she felt pretty clueless. Hopefully it did not harm the transmission.

 

[EdsCruisin]

My wife did the same thing with her 4Runner. Fortunately I noticed her doing it soon after we bought it, so now she knows. That is why I don't like the gate shifter. They should go with finger controls on the steering wheel instead.

 

[CrusrDug]

I couldn't find the thread, but this is like the deal someone recently brought up about the rear seats. They are much easier to adjust with the gate up- no crawling in

Now that you know about 4-D, you can downshift to 4 at those opportune times when you don't want to lift your foot to brake.

 

[donjuanmiguel]

I couldn't find the thread, but this is like the deal someone recently brought up about the rear seats. They are much easier to adjust with the gate up- no crawling in

Now that you know about 4-D, you can downshift to 4 at those opportune times when you don't want to lift your foot to brake.

Learned that trick driving the hell-bent-for-death road between Pentionville and Port-au-prince.

 

[donjuanmiguel]

Things are looking brighter. After realizing my major goof the other day, my mpg has been on the rise. Today I averaged 14.3 around town! She ain't no rice burner, oh wait, yeah she is, I mean she ain't no fuel mizer but I'll take what she's givin' me now over anything she was doing earlier. Ahh, I can drive clearly now the fog has gone.