Two different threads have gotten me to wondering....

I drive like an old man (slow and carefully). So slow and carefully that I find I can easily shift directly from 1st to 3rd, and again from 3rd to 5th, without revving the engine too hard and without lugging the engine down. Sometimes I might actually go 1st - 2nd - 4th or something similar. The point is I get about 28-30 mpg, which seems pretty great based on the recent gas mileage thread.

However, based on another recent thread, I'm worried I might be killing my transfer case or something.

Keep in mind, I'm not revving hard, and after skipping a gear, the engine doesn't seem to be laboring.

Reckon I'm hurting anything? (I mean besides ticking off the kids behind me that are running late for class - I work at a college. )

--
Bahnjee

 

The only thing that you could be hurting is your clutch, but this clutch actually has a way to reduce the impact on the transfer case. If you dump the clutch at a high rpm, then you will hear that it will sound like it is ratcheting. This is saving your transfer case from a large difference in speed between your transmission and your engine. As long as you match the rpm correctly, you won't hurt anything

 

bahnjee, doing large shifts like that is not a problem as long as you are not doing the shifts under heavy load. From what you are describing, you are not hurting a thing. Just don't use the clutch to slow the engine down. If you get the engine RPMs up to say 4,000, push in on the clutch, shift to 3rd, then once the engine RPMs drop to say 2,000 to let out on the clutch (with slight pressure on the gas), then you are not going to be damaging anything.

If you were say doing a quick shift from 1st to 3rd and dropping the clutch, then yes, you can possibly be hurting things. But, based on what you are saying, if anything, you are probably being easier on the car since you are taking your time with the shifting and whatnot.

 

Professionally Advanced Drivers over here (UK) are often taught to use these techniques that you describe (skipping gears etc).
It's good for the car, and is less wearing on the components. So that's a good thing. However, if what you say is correct, then you won't really notice the wear on your vehicle anyway!
However.....
and this is purely for my own personal grace to know that i've said what many people are thinking.... well... *I'M* thinking!!!! so please do not take offence....
The only thing yo are hurting is your FUN!!!!!
For the love of god, will you stick the Throttle down every n ow and then! It's good for much more than your fun factor, too! It gets your heart working, your reactions sharper, your vision more responsive, your coordination more refined, and if you do it right, you can even improve the function of your bowels!!!!!!
Do you even get it into 5th or 6th Gear?
and furthermore.... do you know what a WOT sensor is?
God didn't give your Jag a WOT sensor to add weight to the car, he gave it a WOT sensor to sense when you requested a WIDE OPEN THROTTLE!!!! This, in turn, helps clean the engine of the crud, soot and coke deposits left by fuel par-burned in the system!
All joking aside, the latter is truer than just a laugh! Imagine a person who never exercised. When the time came for that person to move quickly or demand more from their body, the body will fail them! Even if they never smoked, their lungs will fill with unwanted gunk, because they didn't regularly create the need for the space the gunk occupies! Ditto with the bloodstream etc.
The car will operate the same. Admittedly, MUCH moreso with a diesel engine than petrol, but it happens nevertheless!
So, although i jest when i order you to drive it like you stole it now and then, it isn't actually a bad idea to push your car to your limits (i say YOUR limits, as i doubt you'd take the car to ITS limits: forgive me if i am wrong) every once in a while. In fact, your car will most definitely THANK you for doing it! And i GUARANTEE you will leave that journey with a little smile!
Getting off my horse now, as i fear it is a little too high, and i anticipate that you guys aren't getting my British Humour in the jovial tone in which it is meant!
As you were! x

 

Lunarwolf, I get it completely and I tend to agree. Occasionally you need to "blow the gunk out". Normally the next questions is "how often is occasionally?" I would say at a minimum you should do a good acceleration every say 1,000 miles (2,000 KM). Just don't do it when the motor is not up at normal operating temperature. I normally open mine up when getting on a highway. Gives you about a half mile to really get things purring and it is short enough that you are not going to get yourself into too much trouble. Besides, you need to get up to speed to enter the highway, right?

 

Precisely!
and yes, i think bahnjee already knew the running temperature system went without saying!
every 1000 miles? that could be two days for some people, two months for others!
so, i'd say every 10-20 hours of engine running-time, for those that don't do it regularly.
From a human physiological point of view, they say 45 minutes a day, out of 16 hours awake time.... So translate that to about the same! A good couple of miles "slog" every dozen or so driving hours.
Obviously, that's my own opinion based on previous personal experience, and teachings from engineers whom i trust.

 

My wife is bad about "dumping the clutch" but I don't let her drive my car mostly because of this. Can't seem to get her to understand that just because the car is already moving, that doesn't mean she can just jerk her foot off the clutch. ("My wife dumps the clutch"....boy, that sounds dirty! Though, I can't imagine what that might be a euphemism for.)

As for "dumping the gunk" (to paraphrase LunarWolf, and stay in the that-sounds-dirty vein)... I'll promise to rev my baby up (car, not wife) a little more often. I can recall my dad taking my grandmother's car out to "dump the gunk" every so often when I was a kid; never really considered that it was really neccesary.

Now, Lunar and Thermo, to whom should I send the bill when I run up an embankment?!

Seriously, though...it's good to hear the experts say that I'm not doing unseen damage. Also good to hear that I can ride her a little rough and she'll appreciate it (Car, not wife. Then again..... :-)

 

HAHAHA!!! Bahnjee, you made me laugh! I needed that today! Thanks!
oh... and....

Who put the Embankment there, and was it properly signposted? The bill goes to Them!

Finally, Let's just say that when you "degunk" the old girl (with 4 wheels), you may very well feel like degunking the other old girl!!!!!!
Good convo!! Helpful, reassuring and funny too! We need more like this!!

 

Remember, it is THEM, not THErMo!!!!!!!!!!! That is all I am saying.