One Gear Too Many?

[Cauliflower]

My Octavia 1.4 TSI SE has 6 gears (not including reverse) . It's the first time I've had 6 gears and I've driven the car a couple of weeks so far.

Now I could understand if 6th was very high to maintain, with less output power, the sort of driving speeds associated with dual carriageways and motorways (like an overdrive) and it is indeed fine on the motorway. However, the gear selection indicator on my dash recommends I change up to 6th the moment I get to about 40mph / 2,000rpm. So it would appear that it's not just for motorway use. There's plenty of torquey pick-up even at that low speed, so that's not a problem. Neither is the gearchange quality - really light, smooth and positive.

Question: While it's not really an issue going up the gears (although I'm conscious that I'm using my hand and foot a lot), I do find myself very frequently taking a short cut on the way down, mainly 6th to 4th, 5th to 3rd, and 6th to 3rd depending on the circumstances. Can regular behaviour like this damage the gearbox in any way or lead to pronounced early wear?

Views appreciated.

And no, I didn't want DSG.

Edited 9 March, 2010 by Cauliflower

[digidoctor]

I take the short cut 2th to 5th very often with my 1.8 TSI. With maxium torque 1500 to 4X00 no problem. But I let the gearbox synchronize itself so that there is no force needed for the gearchange.

[Zypher]

Theres nothing wrong with block changing up and down gears, its actually taught now to new learners and they are expected to do this on a driving test by the examiners. Although a new driver is much more likely to block change down rather than up.

[Fabia00]

It shouldn't be a problem at all in fact the IAM recommend block changes in order to increase fuel economy and decrease wear on components. Provided you slow to the appropriate engine speed before changing down.

[mannyo]

I did all the time on my 6 speed diesel, changing from 6th to 3rd or second. You dont need to drop down the gears sequentially and no damage is done by skipping gears.

[GroundHog]

After driving 6 speed cars for the last 3+ years I now wouldn't be without them. I was really glad I got 6 gears in my 1.4 car so as to avoid trying to engage a 6th gear that wasn't there all the time when changing from our Scout back to my car! On my old car (diesel Focus) 6th was only really used at motorway speeds due to the gearing, but Skoda's seem to drive in 6th at much lower speeds which can only help fuel economy one assumes?

[dan_the_v8man]

2nd gear, foot down to 60mph, drop it in 6th and cruise

[Nick P]

I block change all the time from 2nd to 5th. I've wondered before why so many people insist on going through every gear. Block changing just feels natural doesn't it?

[Mac1961]

I would recommend block gear changes, i.e. from 6th to 3rd etc. having brought the speed down as appropriate. After all, the car is fitted with brakes to slow it down and slowing the car down by using the clutch and gearbox causes a lot more wear to 'difficult to get at' components . It's much easier and cheaper to replace a set of brake pads.

Mac

[expostmanpat]

I think you have to question the number of gears manufacturers are adding to cars, is it some sort of status symbol? a bit like my razor as 5 blades instead of 4 or 3 or 2?

[Cauliflower]

Theres nothing wrong with block changing up and down gears, its actually taught now to new learners and they are expected to do this on a driving test by the examiners. Although a new driver is much more likely to block change down rather than up.

Thanks Zypher and others - had it been bad, it's one of those behaviours that I would have wanted to wean myself off before driving over the longer term.

Shows you how long it's been since my driving test, back then you counted every gear up and every gear down, except when stopping (in 3rd). I'm still not convinced my 1.4 TSI needs 6 forward gears though, and I agree to an extent with postmanpat - it's only a matter of time before we get a manual gearbox with 7 forward and 1 reverse, then 8...

dan_the_v8man set me thinking - it probably is possible to get away with 2 gears in everyday life if you had to. Dunno about 6th, but 2nd and 5th might be a possibility.

[ednmra]

Thanks Zypher and others - had it been bad, it's one of those behaviours that I would have wanted to wean myself off before driving over the longer term.

Shows you how long it's been since my driving test, back then you counted every gear up and every gear down, except when stopping (in 3rd). I'm still not convinced my 1.4 TSI needs 6 forward gears though, and I agree to an extent with postmanpat - it's only a matter of time before we get a manual gearbox with 7 forward and 1 reverse, then 8...

dan_the_v8man set me thinking - it probably is possible to get away with 2 gears in everyday life if you had to. Dunno about 6th, but 2nd and 5th might be a possibility.

Even in my heavily speed-camera'd area, where I stick to 30 like glue, I go 1, 2, 3, Top. If I need to accelerate I drop down to 4th. But out on the open road, I like all the gears!!

[willskoda]

Nothing wrong with block changes at all, but what I would say is that I wouldn't bother changing down when slowing, it uses more fuel and wears components etc; "brakes are for stop, gears are for go" as my advanced driving teacher taught me.

[digidoctor]

I wouldn't bother changing down when slowing, it uses more fuel

wrong wrong wrong with modern TSIs

[willskoda]

wrong wrong wrong with modern TSIs

Really? I'm not doubting you, I'm just interested how?

[vRSLen]

I found that when going on a Brisky run with my 6 speed box I am furiously

changing gear all the time. More so than with my old 5 speed box anyway.....

[DangerMouse]

Police driver training includes block changing as standard, and with double declutching for smoothness in some forces (though most have stopped training double declutching now). It's also been taught to learner drivers for a number of years now, certainly I was taught to do it rather than change down sequentially when I learnt to drive.

[theandywaite]

2nd gear, foot down to 60mph, drop it in 6th and cruise

I do that too

[gregoir]

Not entirely sure about this when changing up. Most of my driving speeds are constrained by the vehicle in front so I bumble along in whatever gear means 2000rpm. Unless overtaking.

I appreciate the methodology, and can do it, but what kind of revs are we talking about in the lower gear before jumping up to 5th or 6th? A brief trial shows the revs to be unpleasantly high for my ears anyway.

Slowing down is a different matter ,I tend to leave it in 6th down to near idle speed then engage the appropriate gear to pull away after hitting a roundabout (for example).

[Cauliflower]

Not entirely sure about this when changing up. Most of my driving speeds are constrained by the vehicle in front so I bumble along in whatever gear means 2000rpm. Unless overtaking.

I appreciate the methodology, and can do it, but what kind of revs are we talking about in the lower gear before jumping up to 5th or 6th? A brief trial shows the revs to be unpleasantly high for my ears anyway.

Slowing down is a different matter ,I tend to leave it in 6th down to near idle speed then engage the appropriate gear to pull away after hitting a roundabout (for example).

I suspect we're all being a bit facetious here but I tried out 2nd and 5th for a while in my 1.4 TSI and it was do'able. I know this is the other extreme, but it does add weight to my argument that we're going down the road towards too many gears...

[willskoda]

I once set off in 5th in my old 1litre Yaris - there was a lot of smoke granted - but that worked!! lol

[Cauliflower]

I once set off in 5th in my old 1litre Yaris - there was a lot of smoke granted - but that worked!! lol

More to the point, did you get stopped again?

[vRSLen]

More to the point, did you get stopped again?

The car in front I guess