7AT - First Gear Lag

osbornsm

1st gear rage?

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plato

I've had pretty experienced drivers/mechanics tell me that it's way cheaper and safer (for the engine) to replace brake pads from overuse than trying to figure out, possibly expensive, transmission issues.

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2010 370Z Touring - Stillen CBE

Haboob

I use 1st gear to go over speed bumps, dips, etc. very slowly almost every day. 2nd gear would stall.

I generally slow down so much though, that SRM doesn't even engage.

/shrug

I also downshift a lot to slow down. I like to hear the exhaust too.

Ghostvette

While downshifting a 7AT might sound cool, it seems to me to be kind of hazardous to the engine. Pick the wrong one and engine goes boom.

I'd much rather replace brake pads than transmissions.

Seriously, get someone competent to ride along with a scanner to read what's going on. You might have an electrical issue.

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ElVee

It's not really an angry thing. You should just never actually downshift into first. You should let the car do it for you.

Besides not being good for the car (use the brakes, they're cheaper to wear out):

1- It's not very nice to the guy behind you that doesn't see any brake lights. (This is why engine braking is prohibited in some areas). The last thing you want is to get rear-ended and have the other person be able to claim they didn't even know you were braking. This is not a defense, ultimately, but it might convince someone to make you share responsibility.

2- It's a very, very, very bad habit to develop. Our Z has judicious protection from trying to drop down into first too early (this might be what you're experiencing, even), but not every car has this. You'll potentially get whiplash in some other cars if you get used to dropping to first while moving.


The intention of first gear is to get the car moving from a stop. After that, it should see no further use.

(Yes, I'm in first when I go over speed bumps, but only because I'm not going up to speed to move to second yet. That's probably about the only time you should drop down, if you're just barely rolling already. I admit, I do it on speed bumps at work since they're next to a building that bounces back the rev. And I almost always downshift early to 3rd or even 2nd when stopping, just to hear it.)

ElVee

To me, a valid complaint is how the 7AT doesn't have much grace time in downshifts. In other words, if I'm in 4th and slowing down and I click down to 3rd, it may happen just as the car clicks down to 3rd and then my click makes it go down to 2nd. That's quite annoying. You kinda try to get used to it, but every now and then it surprises me.

Amuse370z

Um, maybe slow down earlier, thus forcingbthenguy behind you to brake as well?

The brakes on the base is certainly not terrible. Did you buy the car used? Consider new brake pads. Stopping power has never been a problem for me.

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roy'sz

downshifting is perfectly healthy. I know a 350z owner, 200k on original trans and motor....downshifted the car everyday he drove it. Replaced first set of brake pads at 124k. So how exactly do you prove that it is bad for the engine and trans? I have 63k on my z and no probs with trans or diff. Every car I have driven for the past 11yrs have been manual and have yet to shred a trans. If you don't know how to PROPERLY operate a manual trans car then don't buy it.

Also to op, I had a lag in first gear for a while but I changed my air filters and seafoamed the car. That helped immensely. Hope this helps.

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NickTurnon

I appreciate the responses guys, but never did I state that I was downshifting into 1st gear every time.

I also never said I was ONLY using engine braking as means of stopping. I meant that I use it in addition to the brakes to help the car slow down at a reasonable and fluent rate.

This happens to me when on the freeway. In "D" and wanting to get around someone going slower. I downshift but it goes from 7 to 5 or 7 to 4 -

Also, back to the original question, I think I am now more cautions since lowering the car and when pulling to my work the curb is at a huge slant. Of course I take it at an angle, but all I am asking is why the car seems to lag & rev but not move when I try and accelerate back up the slope

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Ghostvette

I went back and read the original post again, just to make sure I hadn't missed something important. OP appears to say that when the car is in first gear (automatic trans), the car will rev, lag, rev and then drop into gear and go forward. Did I miss anything?

Unknowns: mileage on the car, transmission fluid level, fluid and filter condition (recently serviced), does the OP get an audible 'clunk' or noise when it goes into gear. Does the problem occur in D or only in 1st.

Thoughts: If fluid is okay (appropriate level and not burnt), then there is an issue with the trans. While there would be a small amount of difference (lag) from pressing the accelerator to the car going forward, the symptoms the OP describes do not appear to be normal. Before an accurate diagnosis can be made, the OP should have someone ride along with a scanner attached to see what the trans is doing. With that information and answering the questions about fluid level and condition, we might be able to better help. Just my

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kenchan

race car mode.

SouthArk370Z

I'm not 100% certain but I don't think the TCM will let you downshift if it would take the engine RPMs too high.

On older cars, yes, downshifting a lot could cause extra wear and tear. With a TCM protecting the trans, the throttle blip, plus VVEL reducing compression, it shouldn't be a big deal. I'm sure there is still a tad more wear but not enough to worry about. YMMV

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critical

Pick the wrong gear? Lmao does anyone in this thread even have the 7at?

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VCuomo

Ummm...no. TCM won't allow you to over-rev the engine.

It's not any more wrong to downshift a 7AT than it is to downshift a 6MT. But, generally speaking, I wouldn't downshift a 7AT to first (just like, generally speaking, I wouldn't downshift any MT into first) while the car is moving. Not to mention that the 7AT does a pretty good job of deciding on its own when to downshift.

VRSean

Well that really escalated in a hurry. Yes, @NickTurnon I have had the same lag issues with my 7AT. It seems to spike out of no where sometimes in the lower gears as well. Really hard to tell when its going to happen