Driving In The Intermediate Gear...... "I" on shifter
05-02-2006, 09:41 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: 12-18-2005
Location: Middle Village, NY
Posts: 1,791
Originally Posted by SoCalHHR
You're way wrong here CH. I saw this response a while back and let it slide but I'm telling you, - you need to re-check things. Driving in "I" nets firmer shifts and shifting rpm is solely based on throttle position. With gentle throttle, "I" will shift at 4000rpm. Put your foot into it more and it's a whole different story - it will rap out as hard as you want to push. Also, it's not like driving in "L" or "2" of a normal trans, as "I" will allow full shifts to 3rd as well.
Give it another try and see what you can discover...
Give it another try and see what you can discover...
05-02-2006, 10:12 PM
#12
Deceased
Join Date: 10-03-2005
Location: Sachse, TX NE Dallas
Posts: 2,351
Originally Posted by Lee3333
Dont we have 4 speed auto-so will it go up to 4 in I gear? Why the name intermediate???
try it, you willl like it. the more you use it the more fun it is.
page 2-28 in your manual
Intermediate (I): this position is also used for normal driving. However, it offers braking from the engine for slight downgrades where the vehicle would otherwise accelerate due to steepness of grade. If repetitve shifts occur between 3rd and 4th gears on steep uphills, this position can be used to prevent repetitive shifting. Fuel economyu will be lower than automatic overdrive (D). here are some times you might choose Intermediate instead of Drive
1 when driving on hilly, winding roads
2 when towing a trailer, so there is less shifting between gears
3 for hauling a** and losing PT losers (had to throw that in)
05-02-2006, 10:23 PM
#14
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Join Date: 10-03-2005
Location: Sachse, TX NE Dallas
Posts: 2,351
Originally Posted by captain howdy
Right it limits your shift like I originally said. 
Just like L on any other auto. I wonder if you guys driving hard in I are actually damaging or at least shorting the life of your transmissions.
Just like L on any other auto. I wonder if you guys driving hard in I are actually damaging or at least shorting the life of your transmissions. you could drive this all day long in I w no problems. you get less gas mileage is about all that happens
personally i dont like overdrive going 30 to 40 around town and it gives u rpms so if u need a quick get off,, you have it. You really have to put ur foot in it to do anything from D but not I.
If u read what i posted from the manual you are supposed to use it for pulling trailers and
***Intermediate (I): this position is also used for normal driving****
hint the word Normal driving
I posted that part of the manual verbatim the last time the discussion came up, but I'm sure driving hard in I is not Chevys idea of normal driving.
05-02-2006, 10:44 PM
#16
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Join Date: 10-03-2005
Location: Sachse, TX NE Dallas
Posts: 2,351
Originally Posted by captain howdy
but I'm sure driving hard in I is not Chevys idea of normal driving. 
Do you drive yours hard in D?
if you read ur manual on those pages for D it says
D- "this position is for normal driving with the automatic transaxle. if you need more power for passing use half pedal below 35 and full pedal above 35 for passing.
I- this position is also used for normal driving
why would it say the same for both gears if they did not intend it. alot of automatics these days have the off to the side neutral and plus and - where it goes to low and u can manually shift the auto trans by moving up or down to plus or -.
one could even start in L- first 2 gears, then change to I then change to D
alot of work but you can do it. i tested a car that had the =and- on the shifter and manually did it myself, i liked it. it always went to first when you came to a stop. made it a standard w/o a clutch. tapping down shifte to next gear and tapping it up downshifted. wish the HHR had it.
05-02-2006, 10:52 PM
#17
Banned
Join Date: 10-14-2005
Location: Rochester,N.Y.
Posts: 9,121
It's the whole holding in third gear not shifting into fourth under hard driving that I think could potentially damage the transmission. That's just the way I read into it. I'm not trying to start an arguement because I could be totally wrong. Like I stated, I drove in I once and hated it. I didn't like the way it drove and was afraid of damaging my HHR so I never tried again. I'm not going to tell you how to drive or in what gear to drive in, I can just give my opinion.
05-02-2006, 11:00 PM
#18
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Join Date: 10-03-2005
Location: Sachse, TX NE Dallas
Posts: 2,351
Originally Posted by captain howdy
It's the whole holding in third gear not shifting into fourth under hard driving that I think could potentially damage the transmission. That's just the way I read into it. I'm not trying to start an arguement because I could be totally wrong. Like I stated, I drove in I once and hated it. I didn't like the way it drove and was afraid of damaging my HHR so I never tried again. I'm not going to tell you how to drive or in what gear to drive in, I can just give my opinion.
definition of overdrive
A transmission in which the highest gear ratio is less than a one-to-one ratio. This means the drive shaft turns faster than the engine crankshaft.
why would it be ok to totally tow something in I and never use D if it wasnt ok?
becasuse if you tow while in D, you will damage and overwork the tranny.
do yourself a favor,, ask a tranny guy at Chevy or a good shop and see what they tell you.
if it would hurt it, they would have a label and have a paragraph in the manual on it saying, do not drive in I for and excessive amount of time cause it may damage the transaxle. there is no such paragraph anywhere.
this isnt an argument, an attempt to educate
me being a teacher i now officially give up
ask someone YOU trust
why would i want to drive my new CAR that i love to intionally harm it?
