Idling...to engange Drive or Neutral

Hi, can someone please enlighten me with this doubt.Have been recieving mixed guide lines. I have been a very happy 03 months owner of this 91 200E which has covered some 154,000 km and I don't intend to wreck the auto gearbox without some proper knowledge or advice from the experts. Thanks in advance.Royland

[Benzmac]

And your question is?

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Benzmac:
1981 280GE SWB
1987 16V
ASE CERTIFIED MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN
SERVICE MANAGER FOR 14 BAY FACILITY
MERCEDES SPECIALIST 8 YRS
PARTNER IN MERCEDESSHOP.COM

[jpenix]

Think they want to know whether to keep the tranny in Drive when idling at a stoplight, or if they should switch it to Neutral.

I've always been taught that an auto tranny was *meant* to idle in Drive, and doing so doesn't cause much wear. The process that incurs wear is the actual changing of gears within the transmission.

With that thinking, moving it into Neutral at each stoplight would cause significantly more wear and tear (two unnecessary gear shifts each time).

[jeffsr]

Leave it in drive. The less you move the moving parts, the less they wear. each time you go to neutral, you remove hydraulic pressure to a band or clutch pack. Constant back and forth can't be in any way construed as being useful. Doesn't sound like you're racing from the lights, so leave it in D and stay off the throttle until you're ready to depart the premises.

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Jeff L
1987 300e
1989 300e

[This message has been edited by jeffsr (edited 01-17-2000).]

[domchang]

I too had been playing with the idea of shifting to neutral while stopped at a light...the notion coming from the fact my 1975 450SL has a rough idle and putting it into neutral seemed to be easier on the engine.

Having read the previous postings though, will leave it in Drive to avoid wear and tear on the tranny instead.

thanks!