[MarksPZEV]

I have a friend with a Civic. This friend is a little blonde when it comes to cars so I'm kind of used to this abnormal stuff , but this bothers me. We just got done putting an exhaust system on her car and took it for a test drive. While out on this test drive she thought it would be fun to "downshift" while going 70 on the interstate. So, she puts the tranny from (D) down to (3). The car slows down with a jerk and we can hear the exhaust doing the little downshift backfire thing. Well she thinks this sounds cool so as we are pulling off the interstate she does it again then goes down to (2) on the exit ramp. This whole time I am telling her it is not good for the car. but she isnt listening to me. I just really want to know how bad it is for the car and how long will it be before she breaks something.

 

[MarksPZEV]

Sorry...I didn't meant to put this in Focus Technical.

 

[scorpio1118_2000]

Tell your freind to cut it out unless she wants a new tranny.

 

[HempHound]

^^ what he said...........

 

[viney266]

That makes three of us ^^ It is not real friendly to the converter and its stock, so it won't put up with it for long..

Technical is fine for this, its of a tech. nature.

 

[bacarl]

just be glad she doesn't drive a stick... if she dropped that clutch out in 2nd at 70, engine go poof. No rev limiters when the wheels are accelerating the motor. I don't think auto's will allow that over-rev but it could vary between vehicles. Tell her that anything that makes a loud clunk, jerk or noise can only decrease the life of her car and eventually cost her a ton of money

 

[viney266]

Actually the tires become the weak point ( if you CAN get it in gear ) and you lock the tires and loose some rubber ( kinda dangerous at 70 ) with a stick.

 

[t_bone_c34]

Either way, it will mess her car up bad. I had a friend with an older atx accord who kept doing that and trying to be a racer going 1,2,3,D. Blew out all kinds of stuff and messed his car up.

 

[Templar]

ha ha ha by by tranny. she hates her car right... lol i used to downshift in my atx mustang but not like that, i was afraid to leave a light in 1 let alone drop it. wow

 

[StealthGray]

It won't win you any points, but I'd tell her if she's going to drive it like that she might as well drive it right to the junkyard. As they said above, all kinds of good stuff from blowing the tranny, to over-revving the engine. Let's see, there's also trashing the motor mounts, the tires, the CV joints.... give her the picture...

Just thinking about it, I know for a while continuing education courses on car mechanicals was all the rage for women, mostly to keep them from getting ripped off on repairs, but maybe some knowlege acquired on her own would be a good thing, and she might learn some respect for the car too. Not sure where you'd find a course (I think I'd start at the local community college), but it would be worth looking...

 

[svt_gEEk]

I used to shift out my ATX Tbird but nothing like that. The only time I downshifted in it was taking OD off just before passing someone so I would have the engine already in its powerband beforehand and not have to wait on a downshift. I can't imagine that's good for the car at all.