Also illegal putting in neutral to coast, esp downhill

putting the automatic transmission in neutral with the engine running disengages the geartrain, like depressing the clutch pedal on a manual transmission. - note that with modern automatic transmissions, the engine must be running to keep the transmission fluid circulating; which lubricates the geartrain.*
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however, my state and probably many others, prohibit the practice of coasting down hills with the transmission in neutral.* the logic behind this is that first, the engine helps with braking on downgrades, and reduces heat and wear in the brakes.* second, if the transmission is disengaged, then the transmission will have to be reengaged before the driver can accelerate to avoid trouble.

If I remember right, I think the 2013 I test drove DID upshift automatically for me. I think this was something Nissan changed with the refresh- maybe someone with a 2013 7AT can confirm.

Also the only time I popped my auto cars into neutral was if I was waiting for a train. Sometimes I just popped it into neutral, other times park. If you're going into N at a normal stop, it's pretty pointless unless you want to look like a manual because you don't have to hold the brake to stay completely stopped...

I shift to neutral at stops so I can get off the brakes. Standing on hot brakes at a light in D -> hot-spotting rotors. Not screwing up my brakes is important to me, given how much I've had with brake hardware. I don't coast in neutral :)

Mine's a 2009, they've never auto-upshifted in manual mode.

Example of banging against the soft rev-limiter in 3rd gear, partway through my last track vid (no auto-upshift). You'll see a downshift to 3rd going into a right-hander, then just banging on the redline in 3rd for a sec before braking for the next right and then passing that vette:

TWS CCW 2012-03-03 TDE Blue4 - 370Z - YouTube

Right...but I drove a 2013 (not a 2009) and I'm pretty sure it did.

Just throwing that out there. Doesn't really matter to me- I drive in manual mode all the time...oh wait :tup:

Edit: come to think of it, I don't remember if I had it in M or if I just hit the paddles in D. Maybe that's why. I don't remember though.

While I wouldn't recommend coasting in neutral for extended periods (eg, down a long grade), coasting in neutral on an exit ramp or coming to a stop sign is not going to damage the transmission. I can't see any reason to do so under normal driving conditions, but it won't harm the tranny.

That may be the law, but it sure sounds like more legislative BS to me. Especially the part about being able to get back into gear - one can go from neutral to drive with a quick bump on the stick. Once again, it's not something I recommend doing, but it's not dangerous if one is paying attention to the road and traffic.

I thought that was really only an issue on new rotors that haven't been broken in yet but, fair enough, thanks for the explanation :tiphat:

It's probably more important when breaking in new rotors, but it's also important anytime the brakes are really hot. And I really don't often drive without getting the brakes really hot :)

Quit student driving and start engine braking :D Save them brakes.

:P I do engine brake, but the engine can't brake like the brakes do :)

Yeah, sometimes they brake too well, I get a little nervous when a beater that prob doesn't have insurance gets behind me in traffic.