Manually shifting an Automatic

I do it all the time. Mostly on down shifts when coming to a stop or so I can make a quicker passing maneuver. I never take it to 1 just because of the horrible lunge it throws me for.

 

Don't worry guys. Don't listen to Bill and Chris, the two guys who have more experience than the rest of us combined, squared and shot into a supernova to go super saiyan 4...

 

Very true... I hope to keep this truck for a long time. Or at least until 2014 when the diesel comes out ... But at the same time I need to stop obsessing over that little crap!! Haha I do it with everything too not just the truck... I'll have to start being less "OCD".

I'm going to go open my rear slider 100 times just to help e get over it

And I'm going to drive it home like its a manual bitches!!

 

Im gonna put my truck in 3 and drive to the cottage and see what happens.

 

Manual selection of a gear will not cause any extra wear, it won't cause damage, and it won't shorten the lifespan of any of the transmission components. The transmission will not allow you to shift into an incompatable direction, or gear range.
According to the transmission intructor from the tech school I attended: Manual selection of a gear prevents hunting, and locks in an extra clutch band. Manual selection of a gear was primarily intended for towing, and it also increases engine braking. He also said to NEVER tow in overdrive. The force the trailer puts on the drivetrain destroys planetary gears.

 

The highest gear it will shift up to is 3

That is all that will happen

 

I had a GM turbo 400 trans, they are pretty bullet proof.
I downshifted into 2nd a lot for engine braking, it's a 3 speed. The bands for 2nd gear wore out, downshifting was like putting it in neutral, up-shifts were unchanged.
Accelerating from a stop the trans shifted perfect it just lost the ability to use engine braking in 2nd gear so for me it wasn't a big deal.

I realize it's not the same transmission but I think about when I downshift my auto Taco, sometimes wonder if the same thing could happen with this transmission.

 

I pop it out of OD on long grades if I see traffic forcing a slow or stop ahead.
I don't pull it down manually under normal driving.

 

Not true. First or second day I had my truck and was getting used to it I accidentally shifted up past D into reverse. Nothing happened. Felt like I put it into neutral.

 

I definitely wasn't trying and most certainly shit my pants when I did it. But a good deal of scientific discoveries happen by accident so score 1 for science

 

Not sure how the Toyota trans is put together, but in Park, there is an actual parking pawl that is moved into place to lock the output shaft, while disengaging the input (neutral).
That is a piece of hardware, and if it is connected to the shift selector (it would have to be, since it operates with the truck and ignition off), then slamming into Park while moving will cause damage.

Reverse, and all of the forward gears, are controlled by the valve body, which is controlled by the transmission control module... so the truck could lock out reverse, and the lower gears electronically based on speed.

 

I've seen it happen a few times an it just ticks as you come to a stop. I can't remember what make of vehicle it was......

No damage.

 

Kind of reminds me of thread on another forum where the OP was worried about using his power steering in a parking lot when the vehicle was stopped. If shifting the thing would cause problems they wouldn't have given you the silly gear shift. I'll shift manually if the mood strikes me. I live in mountainous country and will use lower gears coming down steep grades. And, I lock it into a gear so it won't hunt around when climbing a grade. I've done this with every car I've owned without a problem.

Oh and I'll happily turn the steering wheel with the truck stopped in a parking lot. Isn't that the point of power steering? And if something breaks or wears out because I use it, so what, fix or replace it.

 

When a vehicle is at highway speeds and you accidently select park , the parking pawl will try to lock into the rear planetary carrier or Park position but because the vehicle is moving so quickly , the parking pawl will ratchet and you will hear klik klik klik until the vehicle slows down to a point where the parking pawl will hold .
We use to select park at highway speeds on Fords and Dodge products to free up a sticking transmission govenor . Worked like a charm

 

I've accidentally put it in Reverse on my way to Park while I was still rolling (low speed, slowing to a stop) and this is what happened.

Now my parents Volo when I was real young didn't quite do the same when I accidentally kicked it into Park while my mom was driving.

 

Been doing it since it had 10xxx miles, and now I have 73xxx miles with no issues.