3rd gear

[Rex]

Thought I post a poll about the use of 3rd gearWhen using 3rd Gear, do you ...

[Jesda]

In town, it never sees 4th gear. I use 2nd gear for traffic jams.

-Jesda

[rsiwicki]

3rd gear use is probably a lot different for us who have a 4.08 or other mods

For me and my illegally fast headers, I never even think about putting the car into 3rd anymore as it just takes off as soon as I give it a little gas....before the headers 3rd gear was a must. Funny thing it took me about 2 weeks to realize that I was not driving around in 3rd anymore after I got the car back with headers.

[louiegz]

Actually I've been doing the 3rd gear this this week. It's better in a coast, the auto, dropping to 2nd from 3rd, instead of 4th. Hey rsi, I figure in Miami, you don't need to do the 3rd gear thing. Hauling arse down Coral Way or Tamaimi Trail, you almost do highway speed. Unless your cruising in South Beach or the Grove, then you can do the 3rd gear thing.

[rsiwicki]

Hey Louiegz... I haul a$$ across the Julia Tuttle (40th Street) I-195 causeway every morning and night to and from work. I live on the beach and the morning drives on the 6 lane (3 each way) 3 mile causeway across the bay is a real nice way to strecth the legs and let her rip to 100+mph every day. So far my longest 100+mph consecutive runs to or from work has been 16 days in a row.....but I only do it when there is little traffic.

[louiegz]

No such luck for me. I'm lucky I get over 40 mph on my daily urban commute to work. Hum, the beach. My mom lives on 16 th and Collins.

[rsiwicki]

I know how difficult driving in New Jersey is....I lived in Princeton for 3 years and it was pure torture driving on the NJ turnpike with the maximum posted speed limit of only 55mph at the most until 1999-2000? when they finally moved it up to 65mph. Growing up in Florida I was use to the 70mph intersate limits and that means you can cruise an easy 80mph with no problems.

btw...do they still not allow you to pump your own gas? that really drove me nuts as they always over pumped the gas into the car with it spilling over the side of the car and then tried to rip you off always giving you change if you paid by cash. Funny thing about them always topping off is that it is not good to top off as it actually reduces your gas mileage, but yet the law required you to let idiots pump gas into your car not knowing any better

[louiegz]

Yep Nj is still the only state in the US with no self serve. Hey, it's actually nice on a cold a$$ day or snow, and you dont want to leave your warm car.

[elwesso]

My Q hasnt seen D in a LONG time... Spends about 3/4 of its time in 3rd... Unless i get going above 50 for a long time I wont shift to D. In fact i now subconsiously always put it in 3rd and then upshift to D when necessary...

I also always downshift to 3rd when im going to see some stop and go... the Q gearing just wont allow you to do that, in 4th gear.....

However, another interesting note is I have seen NO DECREASE in gas mileage..... I still see about 15 MPG of hard city driving, wihch I think is pretty good (my drive is only about 4 miles)...

I think it is worse to keep downshifting and upshifting coming to a light..... Less shifts=better for transmission...... Just keep it in 3rd until you can get it up to a place to actually make use of 4th gera and overdrive, and not have it lug.

[maxnix]

I leave it in what ever gear I am in until the car stops. 3rd until 55-60 mph on the level, maybe D going down hill.