Difference between "Drive" and "2"?

[Foxie3a]

What is the difference between "drive" and "2" in cars? I mean, it runs in either.

[greenman100]

Try driving in "2" at 60mph.

The difference is, in "2", the car is forced into starting in, and staying in, second gear. In drive, it can range through all the gears.

[diggingforgold]

It's do-able but you will have poor accelleration and poor top speed. I don't recommend it. Most automatics have 4 forward gears. Just like with a multi-gear bike, cars have gears so they can acheive accelleration, high speed, and maximum power. If you are limiting it to only one gear (2nd), you are going to make the car put more effort into accellerating from stop, and you are going to really stess the engine when you are going fast.

If I'm going 70+ mph on the freeway and I drop my focus into second gear, I will hear the engine scream, see the needle on my tachometer go where no needle has gone before, and notice nice plumes of smoke billowing out of my blown engine (well it might not happen that quickly, but you get the idea).

Keep it in drive in the city, and if you are on the express way, use overdrive. Automatic transmissions give you the ability to manually select 1st or 2nd gears for things like going up and down hills at low speeds. If you are going up a steep hill or towing something up hill at a low speed (under 20mph) you can use 1st gear to keep your revs high to give you the power you need to go up.

You use 2nd mostly for going down steep hills at higher speeds (like 30-40). It keeps revs very high so the transmission will slow your car down, so you don't overheat your brakes.

Unless you live in the alps, you should almost never use these manual lock-out gears unless you need them. You will probably have poor gas mileage and you could mess up your transmission or engine.

[65stang]

Originally posted by Foxie3a
What is the difference between "drive" and "2" in cars? I mean, it runs in either.

Drive is also known as third gear, so now the question is, whats the difference between 3rd and 2nd. Second is a lower gear than third (DUH!) which allows the car to produce more power, BUT, will also keep it from going as fast. As with all machines, when using gears, you either get power (or acceleration) or you get top speed, for the most part (unless you have a huge hp motor) you cannot have both you can either have one or the other. To try and have both, your transmission has gears that can change to allow the final drive ratio to be high or low. Most cars today have 4 gears in automatics and 5 gears in manuals (though the newer chevy duramax diesels have 5 and 6 respectively). Older cars had 2 or 3 gears for autos (NO overdrive) and had 4 gears for manuals. Anyhow, back to the point, drive is third and not second. 1st is low, 2nd is second, 3rd is drive, and 4th is overdrive for automatics.

[Breadfan]

Actually, not all automatics will force a 2nd gear start. Some manufacturers actually push that feature as a great standard feature. Many of the ones I've been in, if you put the shifter in "2" will start out in 1st, shift to 2nd, but then not shift past 2nd gear.

Sometimes stating in 2nd would be nice in the snow, if you are a lead foot. :) I tried it one time, and the darn car started out in 1st, so, it wasn't very helpful. (Was curious though.)

[65stang]

Originally posted by Breadfan
Actually, not all automatics will force a 2nd gear start. Some manufacturers actually push that feature as a great standard feature. Many of the ones I've been in, if you put the shifter in "2" will start out in 1st, shift to 2nd, but then not shift past 2nd gear.

Sometimes stating in 2nd would be nice in the snow, if you are a lead foot. :) I tried it one time, and the darn car started out in 1st, so, it wasn't very helpful. (Was curious though.)

actually newer cars if you put it in 2nd will still use all gears but overdrive, it will just shift later. My uncle has a Chevy tahoe, and when you put it in 2nd, it will still use 1st, 2nd, 3rd.

To your second part about starting off in 2nd, there are some cars that do this, my 65 mustang had it, it would force it to start off in 2nd.

[JCLW]

Most cars less then ten years old will have electronic transmissions and will behave more as Breadfan described.

Placing the gear selector in [2] will tell the transmission not to exceed 2nd gear. It will still use 1st. If it's already in third or fourth it will not downshift 'til it can safely do so without exceeding the maximum engine rpm set point in the computer.

[Foxie3a]

Thanks, that helped me a lot.. My mom would always get scared when she noticed she put it in 2nd instead of Drive. Now I can explain. :) Thanks.

[BGPatterson]

Yeah my car will start in 2nd and not upshift if i put it in 2nd gear. It is an 86 Merc. capri and is my winter beater. That gear is helpful when it is slippery.