1999 Subaru Outback-odd driving question

[sunking247]

I know this is a strange question, but it's something I've done for years, since I learned how to drive on a manual and then ended up buying automatic after automatic. I now drive a 1999 Subaru Outback, with 80,000 miles on it, that is in great condition. My question is this, it has 4 speeds (or gears?), D-3-2-1. I understand that D is for overdrive, and is similar to a fifth gear for highways speeds (over 40-45 mph), and in the city I sometimes shift it into 3 in stop and go traffic, but will then shift it into D as I speed up on a large street. As I do this, while I'm going about 45 mph, I can see my rpms drop from 3700 to about 3100 or so. I understand this as shifting from 4th gear to 5th gear in a manual. Am I hurting my car's transmission by doing this shifting manually? Should I just leave it in D, and let the car do the shifting for me? What about when I should use 2 and 1 gear? Can I downshift while I am exiting the highway by shifting from D to 3, like in a manual, to help slow down? Please respond.

[mtsmiths]

The general consensus (and my practice) seems to be: put it in 3 for city driving and leave it there. That will keep it from hunting and up/down shifting in traffic. Use D on the open highway to reduce rpms and save wear & tear and gas.

[outback_97]

Here's what I do (FWIW) in my 97 OB:

 

D: normal for day to day driving, hiway or in the city. I just leave it in D 99% of the time.

 

3: Travelling down a canyon road around 35-50 mph, avoids constant braking on somewhat steep downhill grades. 3 is perfect for the canyon I travel the most often (favorite ski resort is there, great hiking in the summer). Also good for steep fast uphills to keep it from going back and forth 3-4 and "hunting" for the right gear.

 

2: Steeper downhills and slower speeds (15-30 mph), same reasoning as above. Also used to take off from a stop on icy / slippery roads... avoids wheelspin in that scenario. I think this locks the torque distribution 50:50 front:rear. Anyone correct me if that's wrong.

 

1: Again, I think 50:50 torque distribution. Great for donuts in the snow! Very steep hills, mudholes, pulling out stuck cars, pulling out stumps. Yes I've actually pulled out a few small stumps with the OB

 

Steve

[sunking247]

But I wonder if I can shift back and forth while I am driving the car?

 

 

 

 

 

The general consensus (and my practice) seems to be: put it in 3 for city driving and leave it there. That will keep it from hunting and up/down shifting in traffic. Use D on the open highway to reduce rpms and save wear & tear and gas.

[SuBrat84]

I always shift my auto.. as if it were a manual with no clutch. I like downshifting to help slow down.

[swc7916]

But I wonder if I can shift back and forth while I am driving the car?

 

I don't. On city streets where the traffic is stop and go and the speeds don't exceed about 40mgh I put it in 3. Otherwise, it is in D. I don't like downshifting an automatic transmission because I'm afraid that I will overshoot and put it into 1 when I meant 2. Also, with a manual you can rev the engine between gears when downshifting ("double clutching") so that the engine speed matches the transmission and the downshift isn't so abrupt; you can't do that with an automatic.

[mtsmiths]

I always shift my auto.. as if it were a manual with no clutch. I like downshifting to help slow down.

 

Brakes are ALWAYS cheaper than transmissions (or clutches, if you're talking M/T).

[camosuba]

Its your car you can do what you like but there are lots of autos coming on the market now that have tiptronic gear changes forwards for up and back for down the gears.Select which ever gear you need to get where your going i have no fear of using the gears to slow the car in mountainous areas

 

regards camo

[jamal]

I don't like downshifting an automatic transmission because I'm afraid that I will overshoot and put it into 1 when I meant 2. Also, with a manual you can rev the engine between gears when downshifting ("double clutching") so that the engine speed matches the transmission and the downshift isn't so abrupt; you can't do that with an automatic.

 

It's actually just rev-matching. double clutching is when you let the clutch out in neutral on the way to the next gear and rev-match the syncros as well. It's especially good to do with a transmission that doesn't have syncros.

 

You can downshift the 4eat into 1st at 80 mph if you want. It won't downshift until you're going slow enough to not over-rev the motor. I think. Shift logic for the 4eat changed in 95 in Legacies, and I know more about the 90-94, in which I can drop it to 1st while moving and it won't hurt anything. Imprezas never had the "shift-up logic," and will bang off the rev limiter if you place the selector in 1st from a stop. The 90-94 Legacies and 92-94 SVXs will upshift automatically when you hit redline (interesting note: the 95-97 SVXs had the fuel cut logic and a manual mode button). I don't know if it works the same in reverse.

 

I manually place my car in gear a lot. Like, when I stop to pull into the alley behind my house, I'll usually drop it to one and leave it there until I stop. That way the car doesn't shift up to 3rd, then back down to 1 when I turn, and then back up to 2nd, and then down to 1st again when I pull into the driveway. I just like being in control of the gear. I'll also use it on things like onramps, for example. When I take a slow corner onto the ramp, then accelerate hard, I just keep it in 1st to prevent it from shifting to 2 and then back to 1.

 

I really wish I had a manual transmission.

[mwatt]

But I wonder if I can shift back and forth while I am driving the car?

 

Yes, you can. I doesn't hurt anything. Some people think it makes the car feel "sportier", or they have better control. Whatever. I find it helpful to shift to "3" when descending hills to save the brakes. I know you're already well aware, but the faster the engine runs, the lower the fuel economy. That's why the transmission is programmed to shift to 4th by itself at rather low speeds (when you leave it in "D").