So, I hate keeping my foot on the brake when I'm at a stop light. I like to put my car into neutral and then pop it right into drive when the light goes green. One thing I like about Lexus - they don't require you to have your foot on the brake to move from N to D. But, is doing this bad for the transmission? Should I put my foot on the brake when going from N to D?

 

Leaving it in neutral in traffic won't hurt the tranny. But it is always a good idea to have your brake depressed when stopped, or when you change drive mode. If you get hit in the rear while in neutral you have the possibility of the rear car driving you forward into the car in front of you. Then you have three cars involved in an incident.

 

Isnt it bad to keep changing your gears from N to D at every stoplight? That's about 100 stop lights per day?

 

While in N, are you reving it and then popping it in D?

 

Yea I thought changing it back and forth more frequently was the bad part.

 

I don't think he was talking about reving the engine and then putting it in drive.
I think he means. The car is stopped at the light so he puts it in N. When the light turns green, with his foot still on the brake (or at least to pressing the gas), puts it into D.
I do this but not too often. Mainly at those long red lights.

 

i don't think it's bad as long as you don't tranny slam it. that's probably one of the worst things you can do to the transmission.

 

It shouldn't hurt the engine as long as you're not revving the engine and then dropping it into neutral. . I do this occassionally, but I put it in Park rather than Neutral.

 

I don't rev at all. I'm stopped at a light and put in in N. My foot is then neither on the brake nor the gas. When the light turns green, I put it in D (my foot is still on neither the brake nor the gas). Then, once D has engaged, I put my foot on the gas.

 

omg. switching it back n' forth is such newby shizz.

leave it in D.

 

dont be lazy

 

Haha... well, I've done this with all my cars. The lights here are LONG. I just find it more comfortable to take my foot off the brake while waiting.

 

yeh.

I know what u mean. I normally do not take it out of gear until the car is completely stopped.

What if..... you are slowing down.. and then all of the sudden the light turns green? drop it back in D? may not be safe if your RPM's are up~

What if..... you are slowing down.. and some SOB is about to cut in front of you? How will you accelerate defensively to maneuver away from them?

Just something to think about...

 

Use the parking brake instead.

 

I never put it into N until I am at a complete stop.