"alfred" <tomboy83=@yahoo.com> wrote

> Hello,
>
> I have a 2008 Accord EX-L and its an Auto. Everyone now and then I like to
> put the car in 1 at a red light and shift up to 2 at about 4500 rpms and
> then to D3 at about 4500 rpms etc. I am wondering if this upshifting and
> downshifting practice is bad to do? I make sure that I don't put the gas
> on until the transmission has caught the next gear. I wouldn't think so,
> but wanted other opinions.

Hey Al,

I remember you asking about this back in Jan, and its okay to do this the
way you are doing it.

Downshifting is another matter, and that will depend on how fast you are
going and to which gear you are downshifting to.

I recommend that you downshift to D3 only if you need to because you are
getting on the brakes hard and you feel the engine can help you slow down.

This takes practice and is not good to do unless you know how to, so if you
do, go ahead.

If not, then don't unless its an emergency situation and even then you
should use your free hand to grab the emergency brake instead of the
gearshift to take down to D3 or lower.

Personally, I use D3 to slow the car in certain situations like hills where
I don't want to get too fast...otherwise I don't use D3, 2, or 1 to slow the
car.

Upshifting, however, I really use 1 or 2 only if I feel like playing or
making the revs higher just to feel the engine.

Otherwise, if I start from a stop I really think the car is fine in D3 and I
leave it there until I need to switch to D.

I've really decided that going from 1 to 2 to D3 to D is kind of harsh with
the '08 Accord, in that the engine feels great but nothing beats a superb
Honda manual foot clutch and 5 speed gearbox...so since the auto isn't one
of those, I just use the extended power range of the D3 function now.

The car jumps pretty good in D3 from a stop in the first 3 gears, and since
its so much smoother the trade off is better for me...no 1 or 2 because its
not smooth as I like, not because the car can't handle it.


> I know what everyone is going to say "Why didn't you get a manual
> transmission??" Well the fact is I only like to shift every now and then,
> so I would fall into the weekend shifting enthusiast category, and
> unfortunately I cannot afford to have two cars, so I have an automatic
> transmission car.
>
> Thanks,
> Al

Once in a while is fine, so don't worry..just upshift at or before redline
to be safe.

And don't downshift to 2 or 1 to slow car not nececcary.

You can downshift freely between D and D3...even if you are going 70.

The new engine is amazing, IMHO....man I love it. My old 1990 Accord 4-cyl
had 130 hp....now at 190 and it feels great to me.

Peace,
Polfus