gear changing on an automatic

[chris&ahlye]

We live in Glenora, a hilly community SW of Duncan.
Does anyone have any feedback about using all of the gear options on the deli.
We have a '90 Exceed sky blue on white, and i've been experiementing using the 2 and low gear when downhilling, it requires less brake.
Is it healthier for the engine to give it as much braking power as possible or to just use your brakes.
In other words I'd love to hear how everyone uses their options for automatic gearing; overdrive, drive, 2 and L.
ahlye

[docsavage]

I just put in drive and go. On long uphills I may turn off the overdrive to prevent a shift and maintain power. On down hills I generally use the brakes and occassionally switch off overdrive to give asmall amount of braking. Engine braking is extremely useful offroad though, in 4 Low and low gear it will idle down 15% slopes with no brakes required.

James

[Schwa]

I live in a hilly area of the lower rainland and I sometimes downshift to 2 and quite often turn overdrive off going down a hill so I'm not gobbling up my brakes.

[DelicaMark]

Hi Ahlye!

I have been using most of the gears in my auto for getting up to speed and down shifting for hills to save the brakes. When going over the Malahat I click the overdrive off as soon as I hit 80km/h.

When starting from the line I will often put it into 2nd and then bring the revs up to around 2700rpm and then shift into drive and bring up the revs to around 2700rpm and then click the overdrive on. It gives me a lot more control of what is going on and reduces the amount I smog out the people behind me. Also keeps the revs up for better acceleration. I find I don't like were mine shifts...it seems to shift to early for my liking while accelerating.

Hope this helps...I don't think that it is bad for the engine and transmission. Maybe someone else could comment on that. See you guys around Duncan...I am the guy in the black one!

-Mark

[jevans]

Is there any harm in leaving overdrive on for everyday driving.

Thanks, Jason.

[Schwa]

You should leave overdrive on for normal driving, otherwise you'll have poor efficiency.

[patty]

Earlier this year i went on a trip to bella coola with my deli.We took the duffy and for those hwo dont know it certainley isnt a tame road.for the long up hils i turned over drive off and when i was comming down into lilloette i used 2 and low a couple times.iv scene one to many people have to use those run away lanes when there breaks blew out and iid have to say its not something id like to experiance.
i did have a small question about other normel driving.before i got my own car i was driving my moms 2004 4 runner.i always just laid on the gas every where and never really payed attention to the techometer(because it was automatic)it always just shifted gears real smooth.now in the deli i find that when it get to around 3000 RPM i slightley lay off the gas so it shifts,is this healthy or should i just keep heaven on it till it switches?

[Schwa]

I do the same in mine, it seems to shift a bit late for my preferences... you can let it rev right up, but I find that most of the time it's fine to ease off on the throttle momentarily and let it shift, then step on it just enough to get going without it downshifting again. Seems like there's more torque available at lower RPMs for acceleration rather than letting it rev really high, at least the way mine runs right now, pre-injection timing check.

[EnviroImports.com]

to get a bit more power for your delica, you might want to go to an exhaust shop and have 2.5" exhaust from turbo to tail pipe put in. I have an intercooler on my keeper delica, that also helps for power.

[marsgal42]

I find the 2 and L ranges handy for engine braking. I was in White Rock yesterday and my Delica held back nicely on the steep hills down to the beach.

The transmission thinks that lugging at 1500 RPM up hills is A Good Thing, and, being a diesel, it's probably right. I don't ask for much in the acceleration department: the straight line performance reminds me of my long-departed 1971 VW Super Beetle. A lot of the time, around town, the acceleration seems more from the transmission changing gears than from the engine RPM changing.

On the highway (100 km/h, 2500 RPM) I'm reminded of a Greyhound Bus. This too is A Good Thing.

...laura

[Schwa]

The transmission thinks that lugging at 1500 RPM up hills is A Good Thing, and, being a diesel, it's probably right.

That's pretty rare with mine, it usually keeps the revs annoyingly high on the slightest hill and I keep wishing it would shift for the low RPM torque ... perhaps all our transmissions are a bit out of spec? Mine's late shifting high-rpm biased, and DelicaMark's shifts too early, so clearly they vary somewhat.

[EricN]

to get a bit more power for your delica, you might want to go to an exhaust shop and have 2.5" exhaust from turbo to tail pipe put in. I have an intercooler on my keeper delica, that also helps for power.

How did you fit the piping??? How far did the turbo have to move? Any pics? Did you do it all "in car"? I am not worried about fitting the cooler, just getting the hose work to go from the turbo to the intercooler and then back to the manifold looks like a stupid job.

[EnviroImports.com]

Hi, an intercooler is a simple upgrade for a delica, ive had a couple come in now that allready have them on. mine is mounted to the bull bars, but that will be changing with the new winch bumper, the turbo doesent have to move at all. Really cleans up the strange air box area under/behind the drivers seat. you certanly can feel the difference.
Noel

[EricN]

I could be wrong since I havent taken anything apart to be certain, but I was sure that the turbo was mounted right to the intake manifold. If there is any plumbing up there it has got to be really short. I will double check tomorrow I guess since I am now really curious. I just was sure there was no reasonable way of diverting the compressed air from the turbo away from the intake to feed the intercooler and getting it back again without having to build a special manifold and moving the turbo. Especially without any access to the top. Maybe my intercooler hopes are reborn.
If you have any pics of the plumbing between the turbo and the manifold that would be awsome.

[EnviroImports.com]

Hi, well turbo chargers are normally attached to the Exhaust manifold, I think your thinking about a supercharger. thats why super charged vehicles have no delay and turbo has the Turbo Lag, the time it takes for the engine to start moving until the turbo kickes in, the exhaust will spin the one side of the impeller and the other side will spin the prop to blow the air into the intake manifold. Take a look on my site in the Free tech download section, there are Many pdf manuals , just click on them to open up the pdf. and you can save it to your computer.
they are good to print off and keep in your glove box incase you run into trouble .
Noel