3rd & Drive - Toyota Yaris Forums

Rizzo · 05-31-2007, 04:31 PM

I'm ashamed to admit that I spent the last week driving my new automatic Yaris in 3rd instead of Drive. I've been told in other Yaris communities that this isn't exactly a rare mistake, but I still feel like an idiot. What I'd reallly like is reassurance that this hasn't shortened my engine's lifespan by a good percentage or destroyed the transmission in some other horrible way.

And if it has, err, then what can I do about it? :)

Thanks for any pacification. If you want to call me an idiot, don't worry about it because I've done that enough for all of us.

Lafiro · 05-31-2007, 07:00 PM

wow I cant believe you did that.....
thats ok aslong as you didnt drive at high speeds like 70+ all the time.

churp · 05-31-2007, 07:28 PM

Several people have asked this question...really don't think anyone suffered any harm. (won't admit it took me 30 miles!!!!)

Rizzo · 05-31-2007, 08:12 PM

Heh... the strange thing is, the rpm was never super high, even on the highway. I don't think it got above 4000.

spkrman · 05-31-2007, 08:22 PM

your fine.

fu_im_from_texas · 05-31-2007, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spkrman

your fine.

I agree with spkrman. No harm could be done to the engine or trans by driving in 3rd... poor fuel milage is the worst you've caused...

kaboom · 05-31-2007, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rizzo

Heh... the strange thing is, the rpm was never super high, even on the highway. I don't think it got above 4000.

4K rpm is sorta high for a new engine - when i was breaking my yaris in i never exceeded 3200 rpm

Rizzo · 06-01-2007, 01:21 AM

Okay, thanks for your feedback, guys... Now what I'm curious about is what happens if you don't "break in the engine" exactly by the book (since that seems to be what I've done).

I sort of wish someone had mentioned all this to me earlier. I've never owned a car before and hadn't even heard of breaking it in until after I'd been driving for days. Not that I can shift blame (ha ha), but I'm satisfied with being disgruntled with the salesman at the dealership.

In any case, my Yaris and I are still have long lovely drives along the lake, so despite my ineptitude, we're having fun.

sambo42xa · 06-01-2007, 06:32 AM

I drove mine in 3rd. on the highway doing about 65 mph while testing the car. What's even dumber is the sales guy didn't know or say anything either!
I did hear it with the high rpm's BUT I thought it was something "normal" at the time and didn't say anything UNTIL I got back to the dealership and went to put it in park and noticed the shifter sliding over to DRIVE.

spkrman · 06-01-2007, 08:55 AM

Apparantly breaking in a car you should drive it pretty hard. Maintaining RPM is still pretty easy on the motor. Its a pretty rev happy motor, so high RPM shouldn't bother it... even in the "breakin" period.

Rizzo · 06-01-2007, 01:35 PM

Thanks again. I do love to hear about how I'm not the only one. :)

I'm going to say "learning experience" and stop beating myself up about it.

AlphaFox · 06-01-2007, 11:14 PM

breaking in your car is overrated, or so many people say...

Edd · 06-02-2007, 06:15 AM

It's fine, your car has a rev-limiter for a reason. When you reach redline in 3rd, your car will a) bounce off the rev limiter and not accelerate any further or b) shift into 4th, even though you have limited it to 3rd, to avoid over-revving.
In a 4 speed car, 4th is an overdrive, and 3rd is usually 1:1 (the same as 4th in a 5 speed yaris), so you could safely go up to about 150kph (95mph) in 3rd without damaging anything.

Rizzo · 06-03-2007, 12:59 AM

That's very interesting, Edd. Another thing I had to learn. Thanks. :)

Canuck · 07-27-2007, 11:13 PM

Did that on my test drive

Was going 140 kmh on the highway, revving at 5k. Stupid sales guy didn't say anything. When we got back to the dealership, I commented on how nice the drive was, but that it could have used another gear on the highway. Salesguy said nothing. My 19 year old son in the back seat chimed in 'You do realize you had it in 3rd don't you?

Rizzo · 07-28-2007, 12:12 AM

*smacks forehead* :)

Spades · 07-28-2007, 02:05 AM

i have been told by various mechanics if you intend to drive harshly to flog the piss out of it from the get go to seat the valves properly...if not the valves will seat for the 3k and under rpms you are driving it, and will cause problems when you start driving it hard and shifting past 5k rpm.

dunno if thats true, but every mechanics shop and dealership i have worked at thats what they claim.

I do know its bad to keep your rpms the same for a extended rate of time (65mph on a freeway drive for a hour or more straight) and most mechanics reccomend for commuters that have to drive the freeway to keep shifting from 3rd to 4th to 5th every now and then to keep the rpms changing.

njyaris · 07-28-2007, 03:03 AM

relax .. your fine dude

05-31-2007, 04:31 PM	#1
Rizzo View User's Garage Drives: 2007 5-Door Hatchback Join Date: May 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 40	3rd & Drive I'm ashamed to admit that I spent the last week driving my new automatic Yaris in 3rd instead of Drive. I've been told in other Yaris communities that this isn't exactly a rare mistake, but I still feel like an idiot. What I'd reallly like is reassurance that this hasn't shortened my engine's lifespan by a good percentage or destroyed the transmission in some other horrible way. And if it has, err, then what can I do about it? :) Thanks for any pacification. If you want to call me an idiot, don't worry about it because I've done that enough for all of us.

05-31-2007, 07:28 PM	#3
churp Clean and (dis)Functional View User's Garage Drives: Yaris 2dr--Black Betty Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tropical Minnesota Posts: 562	Several people have asked this question...really don't think anyone suffered any harm. (won't admit it took me 30 miles!!!!) __________________ ____________ Old School Cobble Jockey

06-01-2007, 06:32 AM	#9
sambo42xa Drives: 07 YARIS Automatic/LiftBac/Red Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southern NH- USA Posts: 144	I drove mine in 3rd. on the highway doing about 65 mph while testing the car. What's even dumber is the sales guy didn't know or say anything either! I did hear it with the high rpm's BUT I thought it was something "normal" at the time and didn't say anything UNTIL I got back to the dealership and went to put it in park and noticed the shifter sliding over to DRIVE. __________________

07-28-2007, 02:05 AM	#17
Spades The Hated One View User's Garage Drives: 07 White Manual Sedan Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Oregon,USA Posts: 390	i have been told by various mechanics if you intend to drive harshly to flog the piss out of it from the get go to seat the valves properly...if not the valves will seat for the 3k and under rpms you are driving it, and will cause problems when you start driving it hard and shifting past 5k rpm. dunno if thats true, but every mechanics shop and dealership i have worked at thats what they claim. I do know its bad to keep your rpms the same for a extended rate of time (65mph on a freeway drive for a hour or more straight) and most mechanics reccomend for commuters that have to drive the freeway to keep shifting from 3rd to 4th to 5th every now and then to keep the rpms changing. __________________

07-28-2007, 03:03 AM	#18
njyaris YARIS NEWBIE View User's Garage Drives: YARIS 07 LIFTBACK Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NORTHERN NEW JERSEY Posts: 159	relax .. your fine dude __________________ Hudson County, New Jersey

05-31-2007, 07:00 PM	#2
Lafiro Drives: 06 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 694	wow I cant believe you did that..... thats ok aslong as you didnt drive at high speeds like 70+ all the time.

05-31-2007, 08:12 PM	#4
Rizzo View User's Garage Drives: 2007 5-Door Hatchback Join Date: May 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 40	Heh... the strange thing is, the rpm was never super high, even on the highway. I don't think it got above 4000.

05-31-2007, 08:22 PM	#5
spkrman Banned View User's Garage Drives: 1 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: 2 Posts: 1,476	your fine.

06-01-2007, 01:21 AM	#8
Rizzo View User's Garage Drives: 2007 5-Door Hatchback Join Date: May 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 40	Okay, thanks for your feedback, guys... Now what I'm curious about is what happens if you don't "break in the engine" exactly by the book (since that seems to be what I've done). I sort of wish someone had mentioned all this to me earlier. I've never owned a car before and hadn't even heard of breaking it in until after I'd been driving for days. Not that I can shift blame (ha ha), but I'm satisfied with being disgruntled with the salesman at the dealership. In any case, my Yaris and I are still have long lovely drives along the lake, so despite my ineptitude, we're having fun.

06-01-2007, 08:55 AM	#10
spkrman Banned View User's Garage Drives: 1 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: 2 Posts: 1,476	Apparantly breaking in a car you should drive it pretty hard. Maintaining RPM is still pretty easy on the motor. Its a pretty rev happy motor, so high RPM shouldn't bother it... even in the "breakin" period.

06-01-2007, 01:35 PM	#11
Rizzo View User's Garage Drives: 2007 5-Door Hatchback Join Date: May 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 40	Thanks again. I do love to hear about how I'm not the only one. :) I'm going to say "learning experience" and stop beating myself up about it.

06-01-2007, 11:14 PM	#12
AlphaFox Drives: 07' Yaris Liftback - silver Join Date: May 2006 Location: Springfield, Mass Posts: 475	breaking in your car is overrated, or so many people say...

06-02-2007, 06:15 AM	#13
Edd Drives: None Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 193	It's fine, your car has a rev-limiter for a reason. When you reach redline in 3rd, your car will a) bounce off the rev limiter and not accelerate any further or b) shift into 4th, even though you have limited it to 3rd, to avoid over-revving. In a 4 speed car, 4th is an overdrive, and 3rd is usually 1:1 (the same as 4th in a 5 speed yaris), so you could safely go up to about 150kph (95mph) in 3rd without damaging anything.

06-03-2007, 12:59 AM	#14
Rizzo View User's Garage Drives: 2007 5-Door Hatchback Join Date: May 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 40	That's very interesting, Edd. Another thing I had to learn. Thanks. :)

07-27-2007, 11:13 PM	#15
Canuck Drives: 07 5 door Hatchback Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: YYZ Posts: 61	Did that on my test drive Was going 140 kmh on the highway, revving at 5k. Stupid sales guy didn't say anything. When we got back to the dealership, I commented on how nice the drive was, but that it could have used another gear on the highway. Salesguy said nothing. My 19 year old son in the back seat chimed in 'You do realize you had it in 3rd don't you?

07-28-2007, 12:12 AM	#16
Rizzo View User's Garage Drives: 2007 5-Door Hatchback Join Date: May 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 40	smacks forehead :)

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