What is the Use of Neutral Gear in Cars with Automatic Transmissions?

The process of driving of cars became greatly simplified thanks to appearance of automatic transmissions. Now drivers can pay much more attention to the road itself rather than the process of gear shifting. But many car amateurs wonder why automatic transmissions are equipped with a neutral gear…..So let’s provide some insight into this question.

Why automatic transmissions need a neutral gear?

Many drivers who use cars equipped with automatic gearboxes may even never put their cars in neutral. But this gearbox component is considered to be mandatory. The main purpose of the neutral (or simply N) gear is the car towing.

The data on the rules of towing is publicly available – drivers should get acquainted with the official operation manual, which is provided with the vehicle. According to car manufacturers, drivers should engage the N gear while towing and move at the speed limited to 50 km/h. Car manuals also say that the distance for towing should not exceed 50 kilometers. If the driver has to cover larger distances, it is recommended to resort to the tow truck or to the towing technology, in which front wheels of the car are lifted up. In some cases, like for cars with the 01J CVT, vehicles should be transported only with the help of the tow truck.

At the parking lot

The parking lot is another place of application of the N gear. Drivers can leave their cars at the parking lot with the engaged N gear, if there are any problems with the operating mode (P mode). If the car is parked with the engaged neutral gear, then the driver has to depress the brake pedal to start the engine.

Usage of N-gear in cases of traffic jams or at the traffic lights

Drivers have numerous mistaken beliefs, one of which is related to the fact that they have to shift to the N gear when stopping at the traffic light. It is especially concerns the drivers who changed cars with manual gearboxes for easy-to-use cars with automatic gear shifting solutions.

But in this case, there are specific peculiarities related to controlling:

- When the driver employs the drive gear (D), the pressure builds up by means of the torque converter. The driving torque is also transmitted due to the abovementioned process.

- Thanks to the D mode, all gearbox components are actively lubricated.

- When the accelerator pedal is not used, the torque converter retains its position in the “green zone” (i.e. the torque converter lock-up is not engaged and the converter does not overheat). In this case the torque converter also gets lubricated and no other processes come to fruition.

Input and output shafts become disconnected when the driver shifts to the N gear. Therefore, the process of gearbox parts lubrication also gets interrupted. At the green light the process of shifting to the following gear will be more stressful for the car – because of rapid pressure changes. As a result, transmission components operate more intensively than required. It has a negative impact on general performance characteristics and leads to early malfunctions.

The same rule applies when we consider the situation with traffic jams. In case of traffic congestion, there is no need in constant gear shifting between D and N modes. When the car gets stuck in a traffic jam, drivers can temporarily disengage the engine or shift to the P (parking) mode.

Neutral gear while driving

Many drivers prefer to engage the neutral gear when the car is moving from a hill. But it turns out to be a bad idea for several reasons:

- Transmission components are not lubricated when the driver shifts the lever to the N gear. The lubrication is a must when the car is moving.

- The driver has less time and capacity to make maneuvers. For example, when it is required to go round an obstacle, the driver won’t be able to increase the speed.

- Sudden pressure jumps in the transmission may lead to premature failure of the gearbox.

Here are some habits that drivers of cars with automatic transmissions should avoid

All in all, the neutral (N) gear in automatic transmissions is not just an excessive component; it plays an important role in cars equipped with automatic gearboxes. Therefore, drivers have to know when to use this gear in order to avoid serious mistakes which may damage the gearbox.