Alright, before i start...i am a complete "noob" to cars. I don't know jack about them. Anyhow, I have a Civic lx 07 automatic. Is it fine for me to drive and shift through 1,2,d3,D . I always drive in overdrive (D). BUT..Can i say.. be at a red light, be in 1, and gun it then go to 2, then d3, and D if i want. I did it and i went fast as ****! I shifted at 6000 properly, and it seemed to be fine. Is that ok? or am i ****ign up the transmission? please anyone wiht info, that would be great! thanks

 

Holy crap NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!!! You have an automatic transmission, NOT an auto-manual trans. The other choices you have instead of overdrive have their own specific purposes.

Quoted from Wikipedia:
Automatic Transmissions have various modes depending on the model and make of the transmission. Some of the common modes are:

Park (P) – This selection mechanically locks the transmission, restricting the car from moving in any direction. A parking pawl prevents the transmission from moving forward (although wheels, depending on the drive train, can still spin freely), it is recommended to use the hand brake (or emergency brake) because this actually locks the wheels and prevents them from moving, and increases the life of the transmission and the park mechanism. A car should be allowed to come to a complete stop before setting transmission into park to prevent damage. Park is one of only two selections in which the car can be started. In some cars (notably those sold in the US), the driver must have the footbrake depressed before the transmission can be taken out of park.

Reverse (R) – This puts the car into the reverse gear, giving the ability for the car to drive backwards. In order for the driver to select reverse they must come to a complete stop, and push the shift lock button in and select reverse. Not coming to a complete stop can cause severe damage to the transmission. Many modern automatic gearboxes have a safety mechanism in place, which does to some extent prevent (but doesn't completely avoid) inadvertently putting the car in reverse when the vehicle is moving. This mechanism usually consists of a moveable physical barrier on either side of the Reverse position, and is electronically linked to the brake pedal, which needs to be pressed in order to allow putting the car in reverse.

Neutral/No gear (N)– This disconnects the transmission from the wheels so the car can move freely under its own weight. This is the only other selection in which the car can be started.

Drive (D)– This allows the car to move forward and accelerate through a range of gears. The number of gears a transmission has depends on the model, but they can commonly range from 3, 4 (the most common), 5, 6 (found in VW/Audi Direct Shift Gearbox), 7 (found in Mercedes 7G gearbox) and 8 in the new model of Lexus cars. Some cars when put into D will automatically lock the doors or turn on the Daytime Running Lamps. As well as the above modes, there are also other modes dependant on the manufacturer and model. Some examples include; [ul][*]D4 – In Honda and Acura automatics this mode is used commonly for highway use (as stated in the manual) and uses all 4 forward gears.[*]D3 – This is also found in Honda and Acura automatics and only uses the first 3 gears and according to the manual it is used for stop & go traffic such as city driving.[*]+ − and M – This is the manual selection of gears for automatics, such as Porsche's Tiptronic. The driver can shift up and down at their will, like in a semi-automatic transmission. This mode may be engaged either through a selector/position or by actually changing gear (e.g. tipping the gear-down paddle).[/ul] OverDrive ([D], OD, or a boxed D) - This mode is used in some transmissions (including late 1980s Chevrolet) to allow early Computer Controlled Transmissions to engage the Automatic Overdrive; in these transmissions, Drive (D) locks the Automatic Overdrive off, but is identical otherwise. OD in these cars engaged under steady speeds or low acceleration at 45mph; it would automatically come on at 65 under hard acceleration.

Second (2 or S) – This mode limits the transmission to the first two gears, or more commonly locks the transmission in second gear. This can be used to drive in adverse conditions such as snow and ice, as well as climbing or going down hills in the winter time.

First (1 or L) – This mode locks the transmission in first gear only. It will not accelerate through any gear range. This, like second, can be used during the winter season, or towing.

 

well before i bought my car (stick) I used to do that all the time... I did not think is was hard on the tranny though because you are not physically cramming gears or anything... BTW the wikipedia answers tell what each gear does well... when the car is in D or 1, it still starts out using the same 1st gear, when in D or 2 is uses the same 2nd gear and so on... so this is no different than flooring it in D IMO

 

The reason you should let the AUTO gearbox do its job itself is becasue when you shift manually like that:

1: Several valves open and close in the gearbox to redirect the flow of hydraulic fluid for that specific shift pattern
2: Said valves slam harder in their seats than normal when shifted manually
3: This shortens the life of the gearbox
4: You run the risk of toasting the little clutchpacks that engage and disengage the gears
5: The "slamming" of the gear changes also gives the CV axles something to complain about
6: Said CV axles might break with that kind of constant abuse
7: Worst case scenario the gearbox explodes inside, sending shrapnel in every direction, cracking the gearbox housing, and puking hydraulic fluid and gearbox parts all over the road, requiring a tow and a hazmat team to clean up the mess

Honda gearboxes are very strong, even the automatics, but there will always be a better idiot that can break it.