Sometimes I keep forgetting the fact that I am not driving a stick...
So after a fun day with the SoCal G35 boys, my buddy and I were heading back to my place when crap hit the fan, as always.
At a red light, I punch it to 4,000 RPM thinking I'm in Manumatic 1...and then go for the up-shift to place it in 2nd. Before you know it, I'm in Neutral rev'ing my engine to 6,000 RPM...my passenger didn't even realise the "Mis-shift" because I let off the gas and placed the car back in D.
Would giving the accelerator some throttle make this a "Neutral" drop case? If so, how bad is it for the gearbox considering the car is already rolling at an adequate speed?
I did a quick search and found a thread where one guy actually put the car into R while the vehicle was moving at a considerable amount of speed...surprised Infiniti isn't taking precautions and covering themselves and the cars which they are placing under warranty.

 

So are you saying when you manually tried to upshift, the car went into neutral? Or are you saying you accidently hit the shifter over to the left and upwards into neutral? If the tranny did go into neutral and you did the manual shift correctly, then there is definitely something wrong with the tranny. Unfortunately Infiniti probably can't do anything about it until the tranny starts acting up consistently.

Funny question, but you very certain that you actually had the car in manual mode? There have been two times where I thought I was in manual mode, but I was actually in D. I went to upshift and put the car in neutral.

As for the "neutral drop" concern, no it's not a problem. A true neutral drop is revving the engine at a stop and dropping the car from neutral into drive. In your case the tranny and driveline was moving and the entry into the car is far less abusive to the system.

 

I have done that before. I forget that I am not in manumatic mode anymore, then I still try to shift up into second and end up in neutral.

As for a neutral drop while moving, I dont think that its too much to worry about as long as you arent dropping it from a really high rpm. There should be less strain on the tranny compared a neutral drop from a stop.

 

there is no problem as far as accidentally going into neutral from drive. You don't have to push the button vs going fron drive to reverse where you have to push the button on the shifter. That is because it's not that damaging for the tranny to be put into neutral and be reved higher. Why are you doing a neutral drop anyways? to peel out? I wouldn't recommend this because it does put strain on your tranny. Try brake-torquing and stop being a newb LOL

 

Oh that's nothing. Putting in neutral ain't bad at all.

My psycho ex and I were arguing badly in the car... as I was slowing down on a light (~20mph) she grabbed the shift **** and threw it in reverse!!! I thought my tranny was toast! It made the ugliest grinding noise. I stopped completely and ran out to look underneath lol.

Don't worry, it wasn't on the G, it was on my old car.

 

You have to pull the trigger to get to reverse or park from drive, but you can just push the stick from drive to neutral.
I know the '03/'04 manumatic is different from my '05, but I don't think it's that different.

 

my bad i meant fromt drive to reverse... I just edited it btw good catch though! Need my morning coffee hahaha

 

Morning coffee? Where do you live - New Zealand?

 

Or are you saying you accidently hit the shifter over to the left and upwards into neutral?
That's what happened. I was driving Manumatic for most of the day and thought I was in the mode when I actually had the car in D.
Thanks for the reply Dave, you're always very helpful.

Read my post again and you'll realise I wasn't neutral dropping. I actually took my foot off the accelerator and put the car back into D. My concern was, what'd happen if I were to still have my foot on the accelerator as I placed her into D from a very high neutral rev while the car was in motion at about 30-35MPH.

 

ohh okay, the way you did it is okay, the tranny computer will just go back to the best gear for the speed you are going when you put it back to D. I thought someone was talking about neutral-dropping as to being stopped at a light, puts car in neutral, revs up RPM, puts car in drive with RPM up. That's very bad for the tranny bTW...

 

It's all good bro, thanks for the posts. Something informative in each one.

 

Guys, I accidentally did that the other day when I missed my turn and some jaggoff in a Honda fit accelerated to not let me merge with traffic ( 3 lane road quickly merging into 2) . I almost pooped my pants and thought I destroyed my transmission that morning on my way to work. That was a month ago

Then this morning it happened again only I was traveling like 25 MPH and thought I had it in manual mode but shifted into neutral by accident.

I'm glad the computer can figure this out. I'm a good driver and know how to drive this car well. I just hate making these stupid mistakes and am glad this transmission is strong enough to have not been jacked up because of it

 

Whoa, this thread is back from the dead.

I've done this a few times before, I feel like an idiot everytime it happens. I drive in MM 95% of the time, the times when I do drive in D its easy to forget.

 

I know! I felt like such an @zz the first time I did it, I just cruised to the office with cruise control on for the rest of the way. I was so scared I jacked the car up.

Its like one part of me was pissed off at the Honda Fit driver, the other part was pissed off at myself for doing this.

 

Totally unrelated to the thread but...

tiguy99, are you the same tiguy99 who used to own a '94-'96 Lexus ES300 and done some mods to it? If so, hey it's good to see you here! This is lexusk8 who used to own a '96 and '01 Lexus ES300, totaled the '01, and now has a '03.5 G35 sedan. I still moderate the ClubLexus forum in the ES section, although I haven't visited the site in a long time.