Instead of keeping it in D the whole time today I did the following

started in D3 and waited for 3rd gear to rev up till 4200rpm or so (90km/h)
and then i switched it to D. I did this in order to have better accel.

Will doing the following be ok on the engine/transmission?

1. start in d3, wait until it switches into 2nd gear.
2. switch to 2 and rev it up
3.switch to d3 and rev up
4.switch to d.

BTW, i have an Acura 1.7EL with D17A2 in it.

 

I don't advise revving and shifting with an AT. It won't last long treated this way.

 

if i recall the purpose of the other D gear settings is to keep people from driving too quickly under adverse weather conditions. so for example, i would put the car into D2 in heavy snow covered roads so that my car would not go beyond a certain speed and when i release the accelerator, the engine will automatically slow down my car faster than if I were in the regular D mode.

so as RonJ has said, I do not think it was ever intended for people to use it as a manual (auto) shifter. I would not recommend it either.

 

look up another thread called "reverse doesnt work, auto" or something. The guy reved it and dropped it into drive and reverse stopped workin half the time. Just get a manual haha, more fun anyways (or at least drive the auto like a regular automatic if you enjoy your tranny)

 

please just quite while you are ahead

 

I checked the car's manual and it does have the following options:

2 to D3, D3 to D and D to D3 by only moving the lever.
D3 to 2 however requires pressing the release button as well (so I'm guessing it's not as "natural" as the previous 3 shifts).

SO I'm guessing switching from D3 to D or vice versa at the proper speed/rpms should not be too bad for the transmisson.

Now how about this? starting in 2 then D3, then D..this would be kinda bad right? to start in 2nd right away?

 

The main use of the lower settings is for descending long mountain hills (and climbing them). You can set it lower and make the engine spin fast and burn up energy on the downhill so you don't overheat your brakes. On short hills use the brakes, they're much less expensive to replace than the transmission and engine.

Lower gears are not good for snow and ice, the engine braking effect can make the wheels more readily lose traction. You want the wheels to keep rolling.

 

those numbers are just to tell the tranny when to swtich gears... it will automatically switch gears in any setting of D when it hits the maximum rev/redline.... but if you put it in d2 and bring the car to say for example 4k rpms... it will no switch gears if you ease off the gas becasue of the setting..... it is in no way any way faster than the D setting is is just telling the tranny not to switch gears at low rpms like in D while in relgulardriving.... for example... mashing the gas in d2 and mashing the gas in D or any other D will have the same accelerations and keeping the car in d2 will only increase transmission wear.... so just keep it in d its made for better mpg/and reliablilty

 

when u're in D it will not allow u to go to high rpm before shifting to 4th as opposed to being in D3 and taking it to w.e. rpm you want..hence better acceleration..before shifting up to D

 

well it must be differen hondas because ive driven other automatic cars which in regular drive (d) it brings every gear to the redline when you foot is down on the pedal