Accelerating from stop in 2nd gear....

[Defective]

Our 99 f150 is auto and it starts in 2nd if you put it in 2nd.




I've gotten very good at starting out in 2nd. It doesn't bog or seem to slip too much more. I don't think it could attribute to much more wear to the clutch or anything for that matter. It's not that bad really. If i'm on a grade or need to launch into traffic, then it's 1st gear. But only needing to shift once is nice. All those other gears are still there if you need them.

And as for lugging the motor, this is a 4.0, isn't it supposed to like the lower rpms? Sometime I find myself being lazy going down the road in 4th gear at about 800 rpm, step on the gas and it still has decent acceleration. Don't get me wrong, I still clear the carbon out of it regularly though.

 

[fastpakr]

You're really running it at 800rpm on the road? That isn't even slightly lugging - that's horrible. Do not do this if you have any intention of the motor lasting. Normal cruising RPM for a 4.0 is between 2000 and 2500rpm. On flat ground you could let it down to 1700 or so, but never take it below that.

 

[LittleHorse]

engines are most efficient at about 70-90% of full load around the torque peak. It's been demonstrated that accelerating at 3/4 throttle and shifting just a little past the torque peak (2600RPM on a 2.9L, I shift at 2800-3000) achieves better mpg numbers than babying it and taking ages to reach cruising speed.. It's not the smoothest ride doing it this way and it's almost guaranteed that your passengers will say "wtf?" but all other things being equal, it should result in the best fuel economy.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

i have an automatic it shifts hard when i first shift into 2nd and sometimes it kind of jumps into gear i think its from accidently starting in 2nd gear and not realizing it

Starting an automatic in 2nd does no damage, because the torque converter multiplies the torque and doesn't wear like a clutch does... The "fail-safe" mode on my Camaro is 3rd... If something breaks inside, or a sensor fails that operates the tranny, it runs in 3rd gear permanently... It will heat up the fluid and burn it up quicker doing this, but you can change fluid cheaper and easier than a clutch...

 

[irishblessing]

idk theres something wrong with my tranny lol

 

[Beanmachine7000]

idk theres something wrong with my tranny lol

It's an automatic

 

[Jspafford]

I do it in the B2 sometimes when I feel lazy. This with a 2.9L and 3.45 gears. Has to slip the clutch a bit much for me to do it all the time.

 

[Defective]

You're really running it at 800rpm on the road? That isn't even slightly lugging - that's horrible. Do not do this if you have any intention of the motor lasting. Normal cruising RPM for a 4.0 is between 2000 and 2500rpm. On flat ground you could let it down to 1700 or so, but never take it below that.

I'm not saying I purposely drive around at the lowest rpms I can before my engine stalls. I just said it's been done by me before. I said this to remind everyone that these motors still have power down there that is usable.

I can tell when my motor is stressing, and I can tell if I'm burning my clutch up. Neither one is happening with what I'm doing to my truck with this shift pattern. It's far more comfortable to start out in 2nd than 1st once you've got it down for normal driving especially in town. I don't even have to shift most of the time going from light to light and it's kind of fun as the motor feels sorta like a small displacement turbo motor.

One thing I forgot about are the smaller tires on the truck. I might not get away with this as well if I had the 265/75/R15s that are supposed to be on there. I think I have 235's from a car, a Taurus or something on there now. This makes a quite a difference going down the road as I'm sure your already telling me in your head.

If nobody wants to try the 2nd to 4th gear thing for fear of damaging their truck that is fine, I don't want anybody blaming me for damage anyway. I'm pretty sure that it's not doing as much damage as some folks might be thinking.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Many Ford automatics (including all the RBV units I know of) will start in 2nd if you select it.

The electronic ones do, the older vacuum shift ones still start in first.

The A4LD in my Ranger will start in first but shift no higher than second, with the shifter in second.

My 4R70W in my F-150 will start in second from a stop and not shift above that with the lever in second.

My dad's '80 F-350 has a creeper first, so I get used to skipping it and just using second. Then when I drive something that NEEDS first, I get in trouble. (Bros '68 Bug does NOT like starting in 2nd)

 

[fastpakr]

That's interesting - I wonder if that changed pretty quickly. I as positive the A4LD's would do a 2nd gear start by 87 or so.

 

[irishblessing]

It's an automatic

lol bought it used what are you going to do lol when that one goes out ill buy a manual

 

[LearjetMinako]

lol bought it used what are you going to do lol when that one goes out ill buy a manual

And you are going to need the PCM from the donor as well.

With all this talk about starting in 2nd gear. Do we really need to act like we are driving on snow and ice? I'll say this, starting in 2nd gear, no matter which tranny it is, will shorten its life. Clutches will need to be replaced sooner and fluids will need to be changed more often. The 2nd gear start is in place for short-term use on snow and ice when traction is limited.

And if you are too lazy to go through all 5 gears, get an automatic. It was made for people like you.

 

[Mark_88]

I only start off in 2nd gear if it's slippery...I've been driving stick since I can remember and have always started from from first otherwise and my clutch usually lasts a long, long time...

As for mileage...most I ever got on my 2.0 was close to 30 mpg...and that was in the summer...but I usually averaged 25 mpg...mostly highway driving and avoiding stop and go by simply avoiding rush hour traffic as much as possible...

Running extras like A/C will drop the the mpg considerably...even though I've only had A/C on one vehicle, I rarely used it...

 

[BigJohn76]

i always start my 250 in 2nd. i always started my old dodge in 2nd. i didnt have any problem with it. i dont see the point to using granny gear when it will take off fine in 2nd.

i just drive my autos, when they shift they shift. the 150 wont shift up when the lever is at 2. a friend of mine had a 99 and it would shift to third if the tranny was in second if you went too fast.

 

[fastpakr]

i always start my 250 in 2nd. i always started my old dodge in 2nd. i didnt have any problem with it. i dont see the point to using granny gear when it will take off fine in 2nd.

i just drive my autos, when they shift they shift. the 150 wont shift up when the lever is at 2. a friend of mine had a 99 and it would shift to third if the tranny was in second if you went too fast.

A true granny gear is a different story, but those are frequently not even labeled as 1st gear.