Does flooring the accelerator in an automatic transmission damage the car?

[TessaRose]

Flooring the accelerator in an automatic transmission can indeed harm the vehicle. Sudden acceleration not only creates a strong jerking sensation but also leads to engine overheating, potentially causing the radiator to boil over and resulting in other engine malfunctions. Therefore, this driving habit is not recommended for daily use. Automatic transmissions eliminate the need for manual gear shifting, as the vehicle automatically selects the appropriate gear based on driving speed and traffic conditions. Aggressive acceleration in an automatic transmission can cause comprehensive damage to the car, including abnormal wear on tires and brake pads. Additionally, flooring the accelerator tends to create an overly rich fuel mixture, leading to incorrect air-fuel ratios and incomplete combustion. This produces excessive carbon deposits, some of which may be expelled through the exhaust over time, while others adhere to the interior of the catalytic converter and the surface of oxygen sensors. Gradually, this can lead to clogging of the catalytic converter and failure of oxygen sensors.

[LeRemington]

Having driven for over a decade, I believe this depends on the situation. Automatic transmission vehicles are designed with sudden acceleration scenarios in mind, where the torque converter cushions power impacts. Occasionally flooring it for overtaking is perfectly fine, but some drivers habitually perform launch starts at traffic lights, causing transmission fluid temperatures to skyrocket to warning levels, which harms the vehicle. Especially with CVT transmissions, the steel belt has limited load capacity – I've seen cases where repeated flooring caused slippage requiring repairs. For daily driving, it's advisable not to sustain RPMs above 4,000 for extended periods, though briefly hitting 5,000 RPM is acceptable. Remember, sudden acceleration will make the engine sound significantly louder due to normal blow-off valve operation – don't panic.

[LeMackenzie]

A friend of mine works as a test engineer at a transmission factory. He said that during durability tests, the transmission must withstand 500 consecutive full-throttle starts to pass. Our daily driving habits are nothing compared to that. What really damages the car is stomping on the throttle during cold starts. When the oil hasn't properly lubricated the engine, the friction between piston rings and cylinder walls is like sandpaper grinding. The most extreme case I've seen was a car that suffered cylinder scoring from flooring it in winter. It's recommended to wait until the coolant reaches 90°C before aggressive driving. Also, modified cars with increased power need extra attention, as the stock brakes might not handle sudden acceleration well.

[StAngela]

Focus on the position of the RPM needle. For most cars, anything below 5,500 RPM is the safe zone, and briefly hitting the redline (around 6,500 RPM) won't cause engine failure, but it will double the engine wear. During last week's maintenance, the mechanic showed me the filter—cars frequently driven at high RPMs indeed have more metal shavings. A tip: don't floor the accelerator all at once; press it 70-80% first, wait for the power to engage, then press deeper to reduce gearshift shock. On steep descents, use lower gears instead, relying on engine braking to protect the brake pads.