When is it okay to downshift into first gear?

Answer 1

Depends on the car. Every car has a different set up, different transmission and engine. as a generality you can downshift a standard below 15mph. If it is a Semi, you downshift into 1st (if for some reason you need to, dont know when that would be to ever use first besides an incline taking off) when you can doa 400 split and and your RPM doesnt go over 3000. So every vehicle is different.
An idea is when you shift up look at your speed and rpm and that can be where you start to downshift back into first. anything more you may blow your engine or tranny.

Answer 2

Question is not precise as to the conditions. There are too many variables involved to give a concise answer. Is the vehicle a passenger automobile, a truck, a motorcycle, automatic or manual transmission, large motor home, towing a heavy trailer, going uphill or downhill, from a stop, using first to slow down or to get up a long steep hill with a heavy load, ,,,,, etc?
Obvious answers:
std trans- shift to first gear to move the vehicle from a stop
Automatic trans - when in a situation,particularly with a heavy load, of driving very slow due to traffic or terrain in order to keep the transmission from continual downshifting/upshifting (I drive a Ford F-250)

Answer 3

Just downshift as you slow down. You'll hit first gear somewhere between 10 & 20 MPH. Check your owner's manual for the recommended speeds.

Answer 4

Most newer model vehicles will not let you shift into 1st gear while moving. I would say only when you have come to a complete stop. For fuel economy shift up every 10 mph. You can shift down to it when the vehicle is at a crawl.

Answer 5

you could carry the seize in on the same time as softly utilising the two brakes, and roll to a end on the same time as down-moving. in basic terms verify you dont bypass down from a extreme kit to a low one promptly and unfastened the seize out, as all your gears have different speed / rev tiers. Doing this could reason engine braking and the rear wheel could lock-up which will reason nasty outcomes. sick attempt and supply you an occasion; i'm heading in the direction of a purple site visitors easy in 4th kit, i'm pressing the front and rear brake softly so i will roll to a end, on the same time i'm keeping in the seize, i will substitute down gears slowly and that i will provide the throttle slightly blip each and every time i alter down a kit (You dont could desire to try this, it is in basic terms a habit), as quickly as i'm close to combating i will then positioned it in 1st. In a fashion it is form of hard to describe yet as quickly as you start up driving it, after some days it is going to all grow to be organic.

Answer 6

Under 10 mph

Answer 7

when the gear change would still keep your engine in it's safe operating rpm range.
example = if each gear change nets a 1000 rpm change and your engine safe rpm range goes to 4000 rpm then you could safely shif from 2nd to first when your rpm in 2nd was below 3000 rpm. (shifting down in gear will increase rpm, shifting up in gear will decrease rpm.) 3000 rpm + 1000 rpm = 4000 rpm = still safe. actual shift points will depend on where you engine redline is, how fast your engine is running at that particular time (rpm) and how much the rpm changes with each shift. all this assumes that your road speed is at coresponding levels under normal driving conditions.

Answer 8

When you want to ruin your transmission! First gear is for moving your car from a dead stop

Answer 9

When you are waiting for the light to turn green and just after coming out of reverse.

Answer 10

This is OK if you're going 10 miles an hour or less.