“Q:I recently purchased a 2008 Nissan 350Z. I allowed a friend of mine (from Australia) to drive it to the airport yesterday, and noticed that after stopping at a red light, he would start the car in second (instead of first) gear. He said this is better for the engine and would prevent first gear from wearing out. Is he correct? And if not, is this bad for my car?
Ray: Well, your friend certainly did teach you a valuable lesson: Don’t let any of your knucklehead friends drive your new car again!
Tom: Starting in second is not good for the engine. The engine is perfectly happy to start in first gear. In fact, starting in a higher gear under the wrong circumstances could cause you to “lug” the engine, which is bad for it.
Ray: But more important, starting in second is bad for your clutch. You need to use more gas and let the clutch out more slowly when starting in second. That wears out your clutch more quickly.”
I agree.
Fast, high-RPM shifts from first to second will eventually wear out the 2nd gear synchronizer. However, starting out in first and gently shifting to second at a moderate RPM will put only minimal wear on the synchronizer. Further, you will reduce the chance of lugging the engine or stalling as well as reducing wear on the clutch. The extra time taken to shift from first to second won’t slow you down either, as your 1st-gear start will more than compensate for the shift time.
That said, if I haven’t quite stopped yet or am on a downhill and will just start by rolling forward, I’ll do a second gear start. But keep in mind that during that second gear start the car will already be going at a speed that I can quickly release the clutch and the engine will already be at my normal 1st-gear takeoff RPM.
Another option, if you’re feeling lazy, is to use only the odd numbered gears. You’ll need to rev higher in 1st and shift more slowly than usual to 3rd to account for the larger drop in RPMs between the two ratios. The Corvette stick-shifts have an annoying lockout that games the EPA mileage ratings by forcing shifts from 1st directly to 4th under slow-acceleration situations.
Maybe his friend got annoyed at how short first gear in the Z is.
I almost prefer that to what some of my friends do: Shove it into 1st while the car’s rolling forward at 30mph without matching engine speeds.
That torque converter does a great job smoothing shit out in that Cayenne…
When I had to get the clutch replaced on my car, the shop guy asked if I had been starting out in 2nd or 3rd gear. He asked this before doing the work because he has had a few women drivers come back a week after replacing a clutch complaining that it was dead. They were starting out in 2nd & 3rd gear.
It’s very interesting how people seem to want to find a way around the normal operation of things, regardless if they know if it’s correct or not. 1st gear. Start out in 1st gear. That’s why it’s not called 2nd gear.
Maybe that guy’s buddy was like many other people I have heard when talking about their automatic transmissions. In some situations (pulling a trailer or starting on a hill) they would pull the lever down to “L” (some transmissions had this indication for first) or “1”; when I asked why, they said so it would start out in “low” gear. They actually thought an automatic transmission worked like a transmission with a “granny” gear and normally started in second gear.
I finally convinced some of them to try starting out in drive and then shifting to “L” or “1” as soon as the car was moving. When they realized the gear didn’t change, they knew they had been doing it wrong. Some would just say you couldn’t feel the gear change since the transmission was so smooth.
Actually, heh, when I was first learning how to drive stick, I found it easier to start in 2nd gear…
Good thing it was a crappy car.
The BMW 335 Steptronic automatic I drove last year started in 2nd gear in manual mode. The tranny will automatically downshift as you slow to a stop, but stops at 2nd gear. You had to manually downshift to first to start there.
The old Borg Warner automatic in our ’67 Jaguar Saloon car normally starts in second gear unless you select “D1” instead of “D2”, so perhaps that is where some people got the idea TexasAg03’s friends have. I’ve not seen anything newer than that ancient BW11 which works this way. The darn thing has such a loose torque converter that it almost doesn’t matter. Then again, many early automatic transmissions only had two gear ratios.
For normal cars with manual transmissions, starting out in first is the way to go. But there are exceptions. The 4 speed manual tranny in my ’89 F150 is really a three speed plus one super low granny gear for use when starting up a hill pulling a heavy load. In normal driving you start it in second. Ford pick up trucks (and maybe others) were set up this way for many, many years. 1989 wasn’t all that long ago :).
My E30 Auto always starts in second, I’m always switching to first to get faster acceleration. I guess perhaps what I’m doing is better for the tranny overall. I think the cars last long either way though. Also its not like I’m putting a lot of power through the car in either gear.
The BMW 335 Steptronic automatic I drove last year started in 2nd gear in manual mode.
I have driven several BMWs recently with automatics. When you put them in manual mode, they are in the gear they were already in. If you are stopped, then they are in first.
The old Borg Warner automatic in our ‘67 Jaguar Saloon car normally starts in second gear unless you select “D1″ instead of “D2″
I am also aware that some 12 cylinder Mercedes cars did that as well due to torque. However, the people I am referring to have probably never touched a Benz, much less driven one…
A number of automatics, including the MB 4-speed into the ninetees, started in second. But they have torque converters; they could start in top gear and it wouldn’t hurt anything, except the rate of acceleration.
The (potential) damage from starting in second depends on the gearing of the car, and the torque characteristics of the engine. If you can do it without much clutch slippage, I wouldn’t worry about damage too much. The concept of “lugging” an engine is essentially anachronistic; it dates from a time when crankshaft bearings where crude and tolerences were loose, you could possibly hear them rattling if you lugged an engine, and could easily damage them. Who has worn out crank bearings in the last twenty years??
Imagine yourselt riding a bicycle with 7 gears. Would you start in high gear just to avoid your lower gear does not wear out? No, you would notice by yourself that you need way too much power in the high gear, and that this strains the whole system. Starting in low gear means using the right power at the right time.
Another reason to love manuals: choose my own gears!!!
Personally, I’d start in first just hear the engine (VTEC). But some of you are right though, I got lazy and just started in 2nd.
Rolling to a light that’s just changing green, or “cheating” slightly at a stop sign on a downhill grade, I’ll start in second if I’m not in a hurry, as you’re already “rev-matched” if you’re moving at all. Short-shifting to third is also acceptable on steeper hills, where the slope accelerates you past second, anyway.
I’ll start out in second, in a manual transmission, if I’m facing downhill or if I’m executing a rolling stop. I often shift 1,2,3,5. Fourth gear seems superfluous. Driving in Philly I’ll shift 2 to 3, back to 2 for a rolling stop then up to 3. If I get to 4 then I’m cruising.
Someone mentioned it earlier; automatics will sometimes start in second because the torque converter makes up for the loss in gear reduction. That’s why there’s a stator in the torque converter, so you get torque multiplication! This principle is what allowed the Powerglide to have even a prayer of working.
As usual, Paul Niedermeyer hit the nail on the head. Automatics vs stick…torque converters vs clutches…different rules apply.
That’s a big part of why I don’t let too many people drive my Ford GT. Due to the angle of the shifter, it’s way too easy for the uninitiated to start in 3rd, and while the motor has the torque to pull it off, it’s not healthy for the clutch.
My 325i automatic always starts in 2nd gear. I can tell a big difference if I use “maual” mode and start in 1st.
Starting out in 2nd helps in low traction conditions like snow, slush, mud, sand, gravel etc, where the driver wants to avoid spinning and digging down.
It also reminded me of the old Ford-O-Matic power shift technique.
You can see it here: http://www.aeclassic.com/comments/fordomatic.html
Some (many?) cars have a first gear/final drive combination that’s stupefyingly low. To whit:
Imagine yourselt riding a bicycle with 7 gears. Would you start in high gear just to avoid your lower gear does not wear out? No, you would notice by yourself that you need way too much power in the high gear, and that this strains the whole system. Starting in low gear means using the right power at the right time.
True, but if first gear is suitably only for going up a forty-five degree incline, you’d be nuts to use it; your legs would be spinning like mad just to go a walking pace. The first gear in my old Mazda Protege felt like that.
We all know that 1st gear is a conspiracy to get you to pay for clutch and transmission work. The Big manufacturers have been at this for a long time, and they make a ton of money on the parts and service.
Isn’t it obvious to everyone? C’mon.
:)
it all depends…
if your engine has any low end torque, in reality you should only need 2 gears…
often in start/stop freeway traffic, i’d do 2nd to 5th…
0-25 in second, then 25+ mph in 5th…
though, twas with a compact car with sufficient low end torque (jetta 2.5)
If you’re a Tesla Roadster, second gear is “optional”.
John Horner –
For normal cars with manual transmissions, starting out in first is the way to go. But there are exceptions. The 4 speed manual tranny in my ‘89 F150 is really a three speed plus one super low granny gear for use when starting up a hill pulling a heavy load.
Same deal with early ’90s Dodge Dakota. The engine doesn’t like to rev above about 3700 RPM, so 1st gear gets you up to maybe 8 MPH, then you have to shift to 2nd anyway. I just couldn’t be bothered, so I would always start in 2nd unless it was really loaded down.
Starting in second is useful with really poor traction (e.g. ice) because you can control wheel spin better. I use it occasionally for this reason, but only occasionally. (I run Nokian Hakka RSis in the winter though, so I don’t have the traction issues most people with all-seasons have.)
For regular starting, I agree, use first. Of course you’ll wear out first less by not using it, but are you not wearing second gear out more? (Not to mention the clutch.)
improvement_needed:
I had a ’72 Beetle that had 2 gears, automatic even!
1st gear was “oh crap we’re not moving fast enough we’ll get rear-ended”. 2nd gear was “oh crap we’re not moving fast enough we’ll get cut off.”
John Horner: Mercedes four-speed autos from the 80s typically started in second gear unless you floored the throttle; the same was true with Nissan’s early Infiniti Q45. I’ve never driven a Q, but with at least some Mercedes, there was a kickdown button under the accelerator that would start in first if you put the throttle to the floor.
Of course, automatics are a different story. They don’t have a friction clutch to wear out by starting in a tall gear; the extra slippage heats up the oil in the torque converter instead.
A lot depends on how much torque you have and how much torque you need when starting. If you’re on a level surface and have a lot of low-end torque, you may well be able to start in second without slipping the clutch. With some of the more ridiculous torque-monster muscle cars of the late 60s (I’m thinking in particular of the COPO and Nickey 427 Camaros), you pretty much had to, at least with street tires, since there was so much torque to begin with that the added multiplication of first would just send the tires up in smoke.
but with at least some Mercedes, there was a kickdown button under the accelerator that would start in first if you put the throttle to the floor.
Still is. All new Benzes have the kickdown switch, though now that trannies are computer controlled, you can put the car in “comfort” or “sport” modes, the latter of which starts the car in 1st gear, while “comfort” does not.
Start in First,
Turn in Second,
Stop in Third,
Drive in Fourth.
Sometimes 2nd gear is better in snow. Then again, perhaps I should use better tires.
Often 1,3,4 is my shift pattern…