Transmission Gear Question

[ashley]

I bought my ES 330 last week and wrote to you all about the hesitation upon acceleration problems. I have been consistently reading about this problem on the forum and it has really helped clear some things up. Yesterday, my salesman called and I told him I was dissapointed in the acceleration. I do mostly city driving and am really noticing the hesitation after a red light or bringing the car to a complete stop. He asked me what gear I was driving in, and I responded D. He told me that I should be driving in D4. I don't know much, OK anything, about cars..but in my old ES it was just plain old D. Can anyone explain to me if this is right? Should I be driving in D or D4. I don't want to hurt my engine...so would rather risk looking ditzy by posting this question...I'll blame it on the blonde hair :).

[ArmyofOne]

your salesman is the ditzy one :D ...just plain old D is fine.

[steviej]

Your salesman is mis-informed.

The ES330 has a five speed tranny. 4 (or D4 as you say) allows the tranny to shift up through first gear to fourth gear and does not allow the tranny to go into overdrive. D (no 4) allows shifting into overdrive.

Your pre-2002 ES300 had a four speed tranny.....D was the overdrive position, so your shift lever had P, R, N, D, 3, 2, 1

In either shift position the car will shift up through first, second, third and fourth the same from a standing start. The salesman is just skirting the subject.

The manual actually states using 4 instead of D when going uphills and when there is a prolonged load on the car.

You will not hurt the car, you will only hurt your gas mileage by using 4 instead of D. I just put it in D and let it go at that.

you can avoid most severe hesitations by not putting the pedal to the metal. Rapid acceleration can be achieved at 3/4 throttle with minimal hesitation. It takes time and trial and error to get aquainted with this method. My first insticnt was to stomp it, even from a red light.

steviej

[amf1932]

I bought my ES 330 last week and wrote to you all about the hesitation upon acceleration problems.  I have been consistently reading about this problem on the forum and it has really helped clear some things up.  Yesterday, my salesman called and I told him I was dissapointed in the acceleration.  I do mostly city driving and am really noticing the hesitation after a red light or bringing the car to a complete stop.  He asked me what gear I was driving in, and I responded D.  He told me that I should be driving in D4.  I don't know much, OK anything, about cars..but in my old ES it was just plain old D. Can anyone explain to me if this is right? Should I be driving in D or D4.  I don't want to hurt my engine...so would rather risk looking ditzy by posting this question...I'll blame it on the blonde hair :).

←

When I bought my '03 the salesman told me that it was a good idea to use the 4 position around town, and the D position on the highway. Actually the D position is like an overdrive so you'll get slightly better gas mileage since the engine RPM is slower. On the other hand using 4 will give you slightly better performance at slower speeds because it locks out the final gearing. Either way, you won't hurt the engine regardless what you decide on. :)