Hi everyone,
I drive a 2016 Subaru Impreza automatic transmission with 90,000 miles on it. I was recently told by a couple coworkers that in winter weather when it's all snowy/slushy/icy/etc that it's better to drive in "L" instead of "D". Well, I did that on my 45 minute (mostly highway) commute home, making sure to go no faster than 40 mph since they told me to keep the RPM's down. But when I got home, I smelled a somewhat faint burning smell coming from my car. Was I not supposed to do that? Is it actually bad to drive in "L" for this type of purpose? I was under the impression "L" was only for towing. Or, did I actually drive too fast for this gear? I've only ever used this gear once before about a month and a half ago, and (admittedly) I went 55 mph on the highway that first time, not knowing better. But this is now only the second time I've ever even used this gear before.
I've now driven the car for about a week since then and (as of now) nothing seems unusual, but I'd really like to hear from all of you. Was what I did bad? What is this gear actually for? And how do I use it properly?
Please let me know.
Thanks,
JCarlito29
The only thing I do different when it is really snowy/icy our is maybe turn off overdrive. In a car with gears, you can do that to give you more engine braking to assist safely slowing down in those conditions.
In my old prius with a cvt, it had a braking mode, but when you were on the gas it was not activated, but as soon as you let off it activated engine braking to help slow the car. That one was okay to use at higher speeds. With the Subaru, it looks like the low range mode is meant for steep hill decent, or bad off road crawling, not driving 40mph.
Might be a good time to change the transmission fluid.
Don't listen to co-workers general statements of how to run your car, actual low range on many vehicles is not meant for over about 15mph.
Sorry this is long, but it is a very tricky situation.
It sounds like the transmission overheated and toasted the fluid. Almost certainly will shorten the lifespan of the fluid. Whether it did any damage to the mechanicals is possible but less likely.
@kaizen is right, you have a CVT transmission. In 2016, Subaru's CVTs were improving but not really great. Aware of that, I believe they extended the warranty for the transmission to 100,000 miles (verify that for your specific vehicle).
Now normally, what I would do is this: take it to a dealer or independent asian specialty shop that knows Subaru CVTs. Have them replace the CVT fluid now. Then in 20-30,000 miles, replace it again. If the transmission is running smoothly and maintains steady RPMs at highway speed, then I think you dodged a bullet.
HOWEVER, changing the fluid (or any other service) will void the last 10,000 miles of your warranty. If it goes out under warranty, Subaru will replace the entire transmission at their expense, but if you void the warranty you will be on the hook (expect $6-10K).
So, should you change the fluid now and risk voiding your warranty, or drive another 10,000 miles on bad fluid and shorten the overall life of the transmission? It is a real conundrum.
My gut says the transmission is unlikely to require a warranty claim in the next 10,000 miles, so do the right thing and change the fluid. But it isn't my car, so you shouldn't trust my gut. So maybe take it to an independent transmission shop and ask their opinion (but I wouldn't tell a dealer what happened in case they may just void the warranty straight away).
PS: I second @nlord advice above.
You have a CVT transmission TMK.
(TBH, I’m not exactly sure how Low Gear works in a CVT, because technically there are no gears. A CVT can simulate gears, so I will go with that. I’ve never really tried Low Gear on a CVT.)
For most drivers, keep the car in Drive The car is smart enough for the most part to figure out what gear to put it in. Especially in a CVT.
TBH, I can’t even remember the last time I used Low/First in an automatic. Low gear is for when you are going slow, but need lots of power, like towing or rock crawling. It’s rarely used on highway speeds
If you’re going 55 MPH in Low or First Gear for a prolonged time, you’re working the engine wayyy to hard. That is why there is gearing, so your engine can work more efficiently.
So, did I damage the car/engine by driving like that (now, twice?). Should I get the car checked out? Or is it fine?
See @dad2lm2 below. Good information regarding your vehicle.
Was I not supposed to do that?
Big no. 40 mph is WAY WAY too fast for low range. You should not go faster than about 15 mph.
I was under the impression "L" was only for towing. ... What is this gear actually for? And how do I use it properly?
If only there was some kind of manual that explained how to use the vehicle's functions. Hmmm ....
Do not take mechanical advice from coworkers.
Yes, I'll be sure to check out the manual for future reference. However, from your knowledge, do you think I did any damage to the car/engine by driving that way (now, twice)? Should I get the car checked out, or is it probably fine?
the burning smell was the engine and tranny getting cooked. You could expect a pretty short life out of them if you did that on a regular basis, so not it wasn't good. Lots of wear and tear.
Should I get the car checked out, or is it probably fine?
So, did I damage the car/engine by driving like that (now, twice?). Should I get the car checked out? Or is it fine?
The only way to know for sure is checking it. Have it checked as a preventive measure to make sure everything is fine. Don't wait until something (potentially catastrophic) happens to figure out that your mistake caused an issue that could have been fixed cheaper and earlier.
Well it doesn't sound good. That was ridiculous "advice". Assuming you have a tachometer what were your engine RPMs? At or near redline?
It briefly got up to 5 once or twice in a couple situations, but aside from that, it generally hovered around 3-4 for the whole drive. Red-line is 7, so I wasn't getting it dangerously high. A normal drive to work keeps it between 2-3, so for the most part, it was only a notch above the usual.