Sometimes if I feel like giving my car a spirited drive ('96 TE Auto 160,000) I put it down to 1st or 2nd or 3rd in the gear box selector from "D" as this gives more control (like a manual). I usually do this if I want to take some corners fast. I don't do it everyday, maybe once or twice a month. Just wondering if it is somehow bad for my car? A mate of mine said it is...he didn't give specifics but just said that it is.

So the question is, is it bad for the car?

only if you shift it low at the wrong rpm really, not good going from 100 to 2nd gear :P

only if you shift it low at the wrong rpm really, not good going from 100 to 2nd gear :P

Auto box won't do that, it will wait until you are well under the max speed of that gear before shifting down.

its ok to shift up at any revs but not down, it puts too much strain on the box. not that the box will allow you to shift down to hard. eg. it will not go back to first over 40kmh, this reduces the chances of compression locking.

Auto box won't do that, it will wait until you are well under the max speed of that gear before shifting down.
Yeah it will, 2nd tops out at 140ish under normal throttle, I'd say anything under 120 and it'll drop back to 2nd if you ask.

I do this a tad (not from such speeds), just for engine braking and holding gears in corners sometimes :P

Yeah it will, 2nd tops out at 140ish under normal throttle, I'd say anything under 120 and it'll drop back to 2nd if you ask.

I do this a tad (not from such speeds), just for engine braking and holding gears in corners sometimes :P

The standard 4-5spd Magna gearboxes (4a51's) wont drop back gears manually unless you are below a specific speed, as MOS84 said, it stops compression locking and overreving the motor.

Ok..seems the consensus is it's ok. I won't do it much though incase!

It's fine so long as your not stupid, second gear 6k RPM is fine.

The standard 4-5spd Magna gearboxes (4a51's) wont drop back gears manually unless you are below a specific speed, as MOS84 said, it stops compression locking and overreving the motor.
I never said it would at any speed, answered the below:


only if you shift it low at the wrong rpm really, not good going from 100 to 2nd gear :P

Auto box won't do that, it will wait until you are well under the max speed of that gear before shifting down.
At 100km/h if you drop it back to 2 it WILL shift into 2nd. Generally speaking its about 20km/h below the redline from what I've seen in most auto cars I've driven.


Ok..seems the consensus is it's ok. I won't do it much though incase!
As long as you don't do it at insane speeds its fine, no different to you punching the throttle really. Generally speaking if it feels like it strains your going a bit fast to downshift.

If it gives you an idea, I know from my car that >90km/h - 3rd, >70km/h - 2nd, >20km/h - 1st its happy to do without effort. Just wouldn't make a point of doing it every time you slow down.


It's fine so long as your not stupid, second gear 6k RPM is fine.
Its not going to downshift if its going to hit 6000rpm, and I wouldn't suggest you hold it there too long either unless you want to starve the transmission and cook it.

Anyone know what happens if you put it in reverse while travelling forwards at speed? lol Does it crunch or ignore you? I know older cars just crunched, not sure about newer ones.

pretty sure it wouldnt allow you to engage reverse if you are still moving forwards > 5kph

pretty sure it wouldnt allow you to engage reverse if you are still moving forwards > 5kph
You test and report back k? :P If you damage it it was damaged in that accident you had haha

ummmm yeah ok :badgrin:

I never said it would at any speed, answered the below:

At 100km/h if you drop it back to 2 it WILL shift into 2nd. Generally speaking its about 20km/h below the redline from what I've seen in most auto cars I've driven.


As long as you don't do it at insane speeds its fine, no different to you punching the throttle really. Generally speaking if it feels like it strains your going a bit fast to downshift.

If it gives you an idea, I know from my car that >90km/h - 3rd, >70km/h - 2nd, >20km/h - 1st its happy to do without effort. Just wouldn't make a point of doing it every time you slow down.


Its not going to downshift if its going to hit 6000rpm, and I wouldn't suggest you hold it there too long either unless you want to starve the transmission and cook it.

Anyone know what happens if you put it in reverse while travelling forwards at speed? lol Does it crunch or ignore you? I know older cars just crunched, not sure about newer ones.

Forward to reverse at over 10kph is a stupid thing to do...however, done it by accident once and it crunched but didnt engage, not like I gave it much time though. When going at like 5kph or below in R then clicking into D my car JOLTS forwards, so I dont do it.

To the OP, i shift my car manually everyday, no bad side-effects noticed yet.

Yeah done it for ages, besides if your doing twisties and you need to hold a gear the gay auto will always upshift, so yeah, but no need for that anymore:cool:

buy a manual

buy a manual

im working on it heheheheh

Seriously though, OP, you'll never get the same response from an auto as you will with a manual, so if you're into that, then i'd just go manual conv or sell and buy a manual car...

If you put it in reverse while going forward it will just sit in neutral.

Seriously though, OP, you'll never get the same response from an auto as you will with a manual, so if you're into that, then i'd just go manual conv or sell and buy a manual car...

Yeah I plan to get a sports car when I'm off my P plates which will be manual, but in the mean time this will have to do.

As long as you don't do it at insane speeds its fine, no different to you punching the throttle really. Generally speaking if it feels like it strains your going a bit fast to downshift.


sorry but it is very different to punching the throttle, sure both put alot of revs on quickly but punching the throttle doesnt put a crapload of strain on the gearbox in a very short amount of time. its possible but really not a good idea to shift into 2nd at high speed.

Ive takin my car around wakefield a couple of times now...

I'm never out of 2nd except down the straight.

The magna auto gearboxes are very good..i would be pretty suprised if you managed to break it. That being said... You would if you left it in 1st ALL the time...

They have those changing down speeds for a reason.

but if your chaning them normally... even just going hard for a while whilst entering/exiting a corner then you will be fine.

Auto box's cannot handle much..........someone say crappy?

i up and down shift for most of my driving
i just got into a habit when i had a problem with my auto and it seemed to somehow fix itself and now i just keep doing it
do most of my acceleration in 2nd
i do it a lot as well cos it sounds more h3k71k to accelerate hard in low gear

no problems yet, just down accidently neutral shift then freak out and slam it into drive after revving it up, i hear thats really not good for your car (and yes iv done it accidently a couple of times)

yeah i always use the gears, can get up to my 60 so much quicker, and i like having control over the car...

i only really use the down shift for engine braking when i cbf'd braked...usually shift into first at around 25-40

i up and down shift for most of my driving
i just got into a habit when i had a problem with my auto and it seemed to somehow fix itself and now i just keep doing it
do most of my acceleration in 2nd
i do it a lot as well cos it sounds more h3k71k to accelerate hard in low gear

no problems yet, just down accidently neutral shift then freak out and slam it into drive after revving it up, i hear thats really not good for your car (and yes iv done it accidently a couple of times)

I've done that a few times in my KS, most of the time it goes back to D without drama. I'm guessing that the speed of car matched rev of box. It was very smooth.

i use the gears in my dads TF, its gereat fun lol. i can alwaysgo from 1st to 2nd and get when it goes into second the wheels chirp lol. I've done that a few times, if i drive his car i usally leave it in drive.

No harm if u do it within reasonable revs as described here. Autobox can handle engine braking as well (steep down hills) - better than smoking the brakes.
But, Magna 'tomatobox isn't the strongest on the market, so.... (mine detonated at 200 G). :cool:

anyone experience 'rough' changes? or 'jerks' into gears?

i find that its really dependant on road speed and throttle opening.

Ive been doing about 70km/hr and accidently put it in reverse (mums van!) Car just stalled, was in neutral mode if you wanna call it that? back into D, turned it on and kept on going

Auto box won't do that, it will wait until you are well under the max speed of that gear before shifting down.

ah righto. my tippy box lets me :P