# diesel shift to neutral.



## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

I have grown accustomed to the shift to neutral at a stop in the CTD. I drove a 1.4 2lt and it does not have this. the owners manual says its to save wear and tear plus ive heard to save some fuel to the engine doesn't have to fight the TC during the stop time.

i would personally take it out if i could ( keep it in manual 1 and good to go). how many others here like or don't like it?
getting off the line when needed would be way faster if it stayed in gear, plus way better when up hills. i would imagine if my car crawled backwards on a hill and hits a car behind me id be at fault right?


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

The 1,4T auto does shift to neutral, think only when the engine/trans is cold it doesn't. Shifting to manual mode at a light will stop this behavior.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

I never put it into neutral - unless I know that the brakes probably some heat coming up to the stop - but that goes for anything I drive, or if I feel I need to give my foot a rest.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

I would never shift it to neutral. Have no idea what benefit would be. Seems to be overthinking it here to me. Just my 2 cents.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

IndyDiesel said:


> I would never shift it to neutral. Have no idea what benefit would be. Seems to be overthinking it here to me. Just my 2 cents.


he's not putting it in N

his car does it automatically, so does yours


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

2001-2002 model year AW50-55SN's (Volvo, Nissan, etc) had this stop-neutral feature programmed into the transmissions. It wore them out in a much shorter timeframe than the old AW50-42LE's that came before them.

So far, the GM and Aisin transmissions used in Cruzen have not seemed to have ill effects from it - some are upwards of 150-200K on automatics without issue.


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## au201 (May 18, 2013)

jblackburn said:


> 2001-2002 model year AW50-55SN's (Volvo, Nissan, etc) had this stop-neutral feature programmed into the transmissions. It wore them out in a much shorter timeframe than the old AW50-42LE's that came before them.
> 
> So far, the GM and Aisin transmissions used in Cruzen have not seemed to have ill effects from it - some are upwards of 150-200K on automatics without issue.


I suspect that may have something to do with the "pseudo neutral" state it goes into. I'm not well versed in automatic transmissions, but I do know that my Cruze was definitely not in a full neutral state when stopped. It was like half neutral and half drive. I could get it to creep ever so slowly before feeling the bump to engage drive again and I could be held on a small hill by this weak force. Also verified by fuel usage - in M1, was about .3 gallons per hour - D, .25gph - neutral, .22gph. So it was not in full neutral when stopped in drive. 


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

SPACED, when i got a loaner 1.4 i took my normal daily routines and i let off the brake and it crept imidiatly vs the delay and sligh push feel the CTd has.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

i don't indy the cruze does it for me lol. what i would like to know is why use this feture. does it really save wear and tear? does it really help city mpg?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

pandrad61 said:


> SPACED, when i got a loaner 1.4 i took my normal daily routines and i let off the brake and it crept imidiatly vs the delay and sligh push feel the CTd has.


Every auto Cruze I've had definitely drops into neutral, but the gas ones are very quick to get back into gear (usually with a very slightly noticeable little thump, unless you catch it off-guard and move from brake to gas very quickly).


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

ok then, i must have not noticed then. the CTd is very pronounced. i have to slow my foot from brake to gas because if not then i catch it getting into gear.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

boraz said:


> he's not putting it in N
> 
> his car does it automatically, so does yours


Oh ok, I misread the post.....no big deal.


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## justin13703 (May 2, 2016)

Mine seems to be very quick getting back into drive after releasing the brake. Actually the faster I get to the gas pedal the smoother it seems to be.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I noticed it a lot when I first got my car, but now don't even think about it.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

I do enjoy the noticeable downshifting while driving the car - engine braking it utilized quite a bit.


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

diesel said:


> I noticed it a lot when I first got my car, but now don't even think about it.


I still notice it, but it doesn't bother me. I have trained my foot into letting off the brake just as the light is changing.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

i have also grown accustomed to the shift to neutral, but there are moments i let off the brake and get on the gas to quick and it just don't feel right.


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## plasticplant (Mar 26, 2013)

For the last few months now I've noticed that once the car is up to op. temp. whenever I'm at a light, etc. and the car shifts into neutral (automatic mode), I get a HUGE delay shifting back into first gear. The car will almost feel like it's stalled and then boom, it will slam into gear. I cringe at what it's doing to my trans. I'm debating on taking it into the dealer or not. It's that bad. Only 63K miles on it.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

plasticplant said:


> For the last few months now I've noticed that once the car is up to op. temp. whenever I'm at a light, etc. and the car shifts into neutral (automatic mode), I get a HUGE delay shifting back into first gear. The car will almost feel like it's stalled and then boom, it will slam into gear. I cringe at what it's doing to my trans. I'm debating on taking it into the dealer or not. It's that bad. Only 63K miles on it.


Have you changed the fluid? Sounds like it's time if you haven't.


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## rockinrotho (Oct 18, 2013)

boraz said:


> he's not putting it in N
> 
> his car does it automatically, so does yours


I did not know that...


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## plasticplant (Mar 26, 2013)

jblackburn said:


> Have you changed the fluid? Sounds like it's time if you haven't.


That was my first thought. I don't have the time or proper facilities to do the change myself. I've mentioned it to my preferred dealership (they have been awesome from day one) a few times in the past and they never seem to give me an answer on if they can do it or not. It's a "lifetime" fill is always their response. From reading past threads their have been a few that have done this change on their own, so I know it's possible. I'd love to get some AMSOIL trans fluid in there.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

pandrad61 said:


> ok then, i must have not noticed then. the CTd is very pronounced. i have to slow my foot from brake to gas because if not then i catch it getting into gear.


My 2012 was very slow and even clunky at times starting from a stop or rolling a stop at 5mph. My 2015 sonic transmission is much smoother, though I still prefer to use manual mode.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

plasticplant said:


> That was my first thought. I don't have the time or proper facilities to do the change myself. I've mentioned it to my preferred dealership (they have been awesome from day one) a few times in the past and they never seem to give me an answer on if they can do it or not. It's a "lifetime" fill is always their response. From reading past threads their have been a few that have done this change on their own, so I know it's possible. I'd love to get some AMSOIL trans fluid in there.


Yeah, it's the "lifetime" of the car until it blows up and they'll be happy to sell you a new car.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

when going from stop N to running 1st its a smooth transition but much to slow for my taste.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

plasticplant said:


> It's a "lifetime" fill is always their response.


If you check page 11-7 of the Owner's Manual, you'll see that it recommends changing the fluid every 45,000 miles for "severe" service. What is "severe" service? It includes "Mainly driven in heavy city trafficin hot weather." and "Mainly driven in hilly or mountainous terrain."

I notice there is no recommendation for "Normal" service. But I'm not so sure that's a good idea.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

plasticplant said:


> For the last few months now I've noticed that once the car is up to op. temp. whenever I'm at a light, etc. and the car shifts into neutral (automatic mode), I get a HUGE delay shifting back into first gear. The car will almost feel like it's stalled and then boom, it will slam into gear. I cringe at what it's doing to my trans. I'm debating on taking it into the dealer or not. It's that bad. Only 63K miles on it.


Definitely not normal. I've not had anything even remotely like that in 166K miles. I swapped out my fluid for Amsoil around 120K IIRC. Does the engine rev up first, like the tranny is slipping?


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## plasticplant (Mar 26, 2013)

diesel said:


> Definitely not normal. I've not had anything even remotely like that in 166K miles. I swapped out my fluid for Amsoil around 120K IIRC. Does the engine rev up first, like the tranny is slipping?


I haven't noticed the engine rev at all when it happens. I paid even more attention to it last night on my drive home and noticed that when my scan gauge reads 188-192F (my "normal" op. temp.) the transition from neutral to first is slow, but smooth. When the gauge is reading over 200F; in this case 212-215F (I was sitting in stop and go construction traffic) the issue appears. I knew the "lifetime" fill was just bs from the start, it's just convincing the dealership to swap out the old fluid for me. It looks like quite the process if you want to get the majority of the old stuff out and the new stuff in. I can see why the dealer would balk at my request, along with many other reasons.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

plasticplant said:


> I haven't noticed the engine rev at all when it happens. I paid even more attention to it last night on my drive home and noticed that when my scan gauge reads 188-192F (my "normal" op. temp.) the transition from neutral to first is slow, but smooth. When the gauge is reading over 200F; in this case 212-215F (I was sitting in stop and go construction traffic) the issue appears. I knew the "lifetime" fill was just bs from the start, it's just convincing the dealership to swap out the old fluid for me. It looks like quite the process if you want to get the majority of the old stuff out and the new stuff in. I can see why the dealer would balk at my request, along with many other reasons.


I did the 3 times change in my driveway. It's actually considerably easier than changing the engine oil.


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