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[Guest Hooli]

Hi All.

 

This is probably a really simple / daft question but I've been meaning to ask it for years. Now that I drive a car with an AW55 automatic gearbox it's probably high time I did ask!

 

When sitting in a queue or at traffic lights, which is more mechanically sympathetic (assuming torque converter gearbox):

 

1. Sitting with it in D, while blinding the poor fecker behind with my brake lights

2. Selecting neutral & handbrake.

 

Answers on a postcard...

 

Read the manual.

 

My old XJ40 said handbrake on & in N.

 

My current Saab says leave it in D with the handbrake on.

[SiC]

Hi All.

 

This is probably a really simple / daft question but I've been meaning to ask it for years. Now that I drive a car with an AW55 automatic gearbox it's probably high time I did ask!

 

When sitting in a queue or at traffic lights, which is more mechanically sympathetic (assuming torque converter gearbox):

 

1. Sitting with it in D, while blinding the poor fecker behind with my brake lights

2. Selecting neutral & handbrake.

 

Answers on a postcard...

Depending on the version of software on the gearbox ECU it may be shifting into Neutral if you keep your foot on the brake in Drive. It's called drag reduction. My Laguna did it but the Saab didn't (which Hooli has). Volvo started off with it but removed that function later. Most likely because when the valve bodies are buggered they thunk into drive. So thunking everytime you set off isn't pleasant.

 

Personally I kept it in drive at the lights. If more than a minute, I'd shift into neutral (except on the Laguna as it did it anyway) to save fuel. It won't damage the box if you leave it in drive and sit on the brakes.

 

Finally being a AW55 box, when was the fluid last changed?

[Eddie Honda]

It won't damage the box if you leave it in drive and sit on the brakes.

 

Depends on the box. Volvo in the olden 200 series days said "When idling for extended periods of time, select position N to prevent unnecessary heating of the transmission." But then again they also said "filled for life"

[SiC]

Depends on the box. Volvo in the olden 200 series days said "When idling for extended periods of time, select position N to prevent unnecessary heating of the transmission." But then again they also said "filled for life"

Sorry, I probably should have said all what I said is related to the AW55.

[Roverageous]

Depending on the version of software on the gearbox ECU it may be shifting into Neutral if you keep your foot on the brake in Drive. It's called drag reduction. My Laguna did it but the Saab didn't (which Hooli has). Volvo started off with it but removed that function later. Most likely because when the valve bodies are buggered they thunk into drive. So thunking everytime you set off isn't pleasant.

 

Personally I kept it in drive at the lights. If more than a minute, I'd shift into neutral (except on the Laguna as it did it anyway) to save fuel. It won't damage the box if you leave it in drive and sit on the brakes.

 

Finally being a AW55 box, when was the fluid last changed?

Useful stuff. How can you tell if it automatically shifts into neutral?

 

Fluid was flushed & changed last week

 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[sierraman]

Handbrake and Neutral. A lot of autos suffer partially seized handbrake to an extent cause people just sit holding against creep in drive or leave it in park without the handbrake on.

[DodgeRover]

I'm a bugger for leaving stuff in park unless I'm on a hill, trying to make a mental note to use it more

[SiC]

Useful stuff. How can you tell if it automatically shifts into neutral?

 

Fluid was flushed & changed last week

 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

On my Laguna you could tell by the engine note when sitting at the lights it would slightly change. Then when shifting into manual mode it would re-engage drive and not disengage. Also when pulling off, it would have a slight delay when letting off the accelerator before it started to creep, especially on hills.

[3VOM]

I'd guess at wanky Renault hazard switch

Failing that I think they have their own wanky Renault hazard relays.

[bunglebus]

Seen on a Renault, reg No. 2222H.

What's the story? 

 

Issued in Middlesex between 1903 and 1912 (I think) according to http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/registrations/h.htm which is a rather useful website.

[mercrocker]

Issued in Middlesex between 1903 and 1912 (I think) according to http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/registrations/h.htm which is a rather useful website.

 

That would have been H2222.   These reversed 4 number issues were much later, around 1960-63 but only a handful of authorities such as Middlesex and Derbyshire actually used the format - it just tided over busy local Vehicle Licensing offices until the A suffix appeared.

 

Princess Anne (her again) has 1420 H - to do with her Royal Hussar connections.    

 

 

EDIT - Just found my Glass's Guides!    2222H, and indeed 1420H were very specific issues in June 1953.     

[Guest Hooli]

June 53, Corination?

[mercrocker]

Certainly was Coronation month but I don't know how relevant the event was to the plate issue.   I seem to recall some Frazer Nash cars getting the 4 number plus H series but they were much higher up - 7834 H is one such and is recorded as a Sept. 1953 registration date! 

 

It would certainly seem a lot of "H" registrations to pump out in one short month of relatively low car sales in one area but I can only go on the Glass Guide for accuracy - there doesn't seem to be much else published at the time to confirm or deny it!    Maybe they started in June 1953 and lasted two or three months.   

[anonymous user]

Is it just me who is having issues with threads defaulting to months ago. For example when I went to post this, the thread opened back in August and I know that I have looked in here since then.

[wuvvum]

VAG TDI diagnosis required plz.

 

The Audi 80 auto I bought the other day has an annoying fault when driving in traffic, in that if it's been idling for any length of time, it can take a couple of seconds for the throttle to wake up when the pedal is pressed.  It's as if the pedal is almost completely disconnected.  Eventually it picks up, although again it takes a second or so to get up to full power.  Lifting right off the pedal and applying it again seems to make it wake up more quickly. 

 

It never cuts out, or even sounds like it's going to - it just stays at its normal idle speed.  I did wonder whether it might be drawing in air somewhere, but would that not make it cut out completely?  When driving normally it's fine, and I can put my foot down to overtake B-road ditherers and it always picks up its skirts and goes, it's only when pulling away from idle.  The idle is also a bit chuggy, although it smooths out completely by about 950 rpm - don't know if the two might be linked?  It's not the end of the world as I can drive round it, but pulling out onto a busy roundabout takes a bit of forethought, and obviously I'd rather it was running as Audi intended...

[DodgeRover]

Yes - I think it's when a mod has edited the thread it's a real bugger on the mobile version

[bub2006]

Im on mobile and ive noticed that too but i assumed id logged out longer than i realise. Regards autos,i tend to leave in d and foitbrake briefly or d or n and handbrake depending on car. Most autos i handbrake then neutral while waiting or park when parked. Volvo i leave in drive and in neutral when park as apparently they dont like being started in p so just in case i forget it stays in n.

[Asimo]

VAG TDI diagnosis required plz.

 

The Audi 80 autowhen pulling away from idle...

Do you mean the engine revs up as expected but the car doesn't move for a bit? - gearbox oil level / pump maybe.

 

Or

 

just that the engine doesn't respond to the foot? If it is this, check the brake switch as there is some devilry on TDi VAG of that age which stops any fuelling above tickover if the brake pedal is touched at all. If the switch was sticky etc......

[wuvvum]

The gearbox is OK, it's the engine which doesn't respond to the foot at all.  Worth checking the brake switch - thanks for the suggestion.

[Dave_Q]

Anyone know how much DPF guts weigh in for?

 

Have got about 2kg here, hoping a local FB scrapper will come and give me a few quid for it, just want to check roughly what it's worth so I don't get mugged.

[wuvvum]

The gearbox is OK, it's the engine which doesn't respond to the foot at all.  Worth checking the brake switch - thanks for the suggestion.

Actually, thinking about it, that can't be it - I tried revving the car and holding it on the brakes as a way of making a quick getaway, and it worked, so maybe the brake switch throttle cutoff thing was only on later TDIs?

[twosmoke300]

Anyone know how much DPF guts weigh in for?

 

Have got about 2kg here, hoping a local FB scrapper will come and give me a few quid for it, just want to check roughly what it's worth so I don't get mugged.

Don’t think dpf internals are worth much , not like cats .

 

Not worth chucking more particulates into the air for anyway

[scaryoldcortina]

Yeah, nowt special in a DPF. You might as well ask how much the contents of your chimney are worth.

[Guest Hooli]

How much is the contents of my chimney worth?

[chaseracer]

Depends what you've been smoking... 

[Ghosty]

What would you say?

What wood, you say.

[Guest Hooli]

What would you say?

What wood, you say.

 

Branching off to the root of treemenously bad puns?

[loserone]

If I bought a post- March 2006 3.0 Legacy, which gets the £520/year tax bracket, and then convert it to LPG, does that reduce the tax on the grounds it can run on alternative fuels?

[Rusty_Rocket]

If I bought a post- March 2006 3.0 Legacy, which gets the £520/year tax bracket, and then convert it to LPG, does that reduce the tax on the grounds it can run on alternative fuels?

 

Sadly not.  You used to get a whole tenner off a year's tax but they stopped that.  The govt are very keen to help the environment by promoting greener fuels you see.  Oh, wait..

[busmansholiday]

DPF contents are worth SFA, the bits I know that remove them simply put them in black bin liners and lob them in the nearest wheelie bin for the council to collect.

 

I do though have a hacked copy of VCDS which works OK on my 62 plate Seat and talks to my mates Caddy OK.