Should You Shift to Neutral When Waiting at a Red Light in an Automatic Transmission Car?
1 Answers
Whether to shift to neutral when waiting at a red light in an automatic transmission car depends on the duration of the red light. If the red light is less than 60 seconds, simply pressing the brake is sufficient without shifting gears. If the red light exceeds 60 seconds, you can shift to neutral, engage the handbrake, and release the foot brake. It is not advisable to keep the brake pressed for an extended period while the car is in drive (D) mode, as this can be harmful to the transmission. The most common type of transmission in cars is the AT (automatic transmission), also known as a torque converter transmission, which connects to the engine via the torque converter. The torque converter contains transmission fluid. Keeping the car in D gear while pressing the brake at a red light can cause the transmission fluid temperature to rise.