Just had a conversation with my neighbor that made me rethink how I drive

My neighbor across the street is a retired truck driver named Dave. Last weekend he saw me backing out of my driveway and came over to chat. He said most people don't realize they're wearing out their transmission by shifting to reverse while still rolling forward. He told me he's seen 3 cars on our block get transmission work before 60,000 miles because of that habit. I honestly never gave it a second thought until he said it. Has anyone else heard this tip or is Dave just being extra careful?

2 comments

2 Comments

murphy.blair17d ago

Dave is 100% right about this, I learned it the hard way lmao. My old car needed a new transmission at 55k miles and the mechanic told me exactly the same thing - I was shifting into reverse while still rolling back a little. Started making a conscious effort to come to a complete stop before switching gears and that car went to 120k with zero transmission issues. It sounds like such a small thing but it really does beat up the gears over time. Your neighbor knows what he's talking about, trust me. Definitely worth changing your habit if you want to avoid a big repair bill down the road.

the_joseph17d ago

Haha "learned it the hard way" pretty much sums up my story too. My wife used to laugh at me for coming to a full stop before shifting, but after she wrecked her Honda's transmission at 63k miles, she finally stopped rolling before switching gears. That habit really does add up over time, its amazing how something so small can save you thousands.

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