# Can switching between reverse and drive ALOT hurt my car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2011, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404 "2011-06-22T10:32:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kurstin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@kurstin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurstin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/1 "2011-06-22T10:32:27Z")
Ok, so here’s the thing. For extra cash I do a paper route 7 days a week. I deliver about 150-200 papers a night which I pull into 75% of those driveway. I end up going from drive to reverse to drive to park to reverse …ect… You get the point. I probably switch gears around, I’d say 120 times at least in a 2 hour period of time. I have an 02’ Dodge Status R/T. I know, not the paper route kinda car, but it does make that payment every month… Could this be causing more harm than I think… its nor making any weird noises. Just a thought that I started to worry about the wear and tear on my car… Any comments welcome 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/2 "2011-06-22T10:58:56Z")
The vehicle was not intended for that type of use and Chrysler is not noted for reliability in recent years anyway. I would say the biggest thing is not to switch gears too quickly as you would be tempted to do on your job. Go to neutral first rather than abruptly switching to drive or reverse. If you do it carefully, you can use the momentum of the vehicle to easy the shock. For example, you pull into the drive, pitch the paper, ease into neutral, then move to reverse as the car is rolling backwards some. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/3 "2011-06-22T11:41:25Z")
It’s important not to switch between drive and reverse while the car is still moving. Doing so will put an abnormal load through the gear box. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/4 "2011-06-22T13:17:52Z")
Why do you need to pull into the driveway at all? Throw that paper up there, instead of driving it up there. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/5 "2011-06-22T14:05:41Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Why do you need to pull into the driveway at all? Throw that paper up there, instead of driving it up there. Meh, a helper monkey is the way to go. Capuchin. ---
**Author:** ![kurstin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@kurstin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurstin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/6 "2011-06-23T04:30:02Z")
I make sure that I am not moving while changing gears. And I usually put it in neutral to reverse out of the drive if the incline is big enough to do so… And to Omar… Have you ever tried throwing a paper out of a car window? ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/7 "2011-06-23T05:00:42Z")
I’ve never seen paper delivery people pull into driveways. When I lived in a neighborhood that was all houses, the “paper boy” had the papers sorted into big shoulder bags like at IKEA, he would park at one end of the block, and make the round on foot. The Sunday papers got sort of tossed halfway up the driveway since they were so big. He couldn’t carry as many, so did like 6 houses at a time on each side, then moved the car up the street. In the city neighborhoods that are mostly apartments, it’s kinda the same idea, sorted by building, double-park in front, and run into each building/courtyard on each side of the street as the car gets moved forward, one pass up the street. Maybe they had more to deliver. Doing it like that was really fast, and less wear and tear on the car. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/8 "2011-06-23T06:25:08Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > I’ve never seen paper delivery people pull into driveways. Me neither. Depending on the layout of the driveway, it might freak me out if I saw/heard a strange car pulling into my driveway early in the morning. Oh, and yeah, [ALOT](http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html) can probably hurt your car. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/9 "2011-06-23T06:44:54Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Meh, a helper monkey is the way to go. Capuchin. Monkeys make lousy drivers. ---
**Author:** ![boneman1st](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b782af/32.png) [@boneman1st](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boneman1st)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/10 "2011-06-23T07:48:53Z")
damage can only occur if you don’t use the synchronization of your transmition. a person can shift a car entirely without the clutch if one know how. of course starting from a still position is not possible but once your rolling you can shift any manual trans so long as the synchronizer are still healthy. the same applies to moving from reverse to forward gears. feel is the key never force the shifter and wait until the sound of the motor is synchronized to the feel of the shifter and like butter it will slip in. sort mental lubricant !! ---
**Author:** ![boneman1st](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b782af/32.png) [@boneman1st](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boneman1st)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/11 "2011-06-23T08:11:48Z")
> [@kurstin](#): > > Ok, so here’s the thing. For extra cash I do a paper route 7 days a week. I deliver about 150-200 papers a night which I pull into 75% of those driveway. I end up going from drive to reverse to drive to park to reverse …ect… You get the point. I probably switch gears around, I’d say 120 times at least in a 2 hour period of time. I have an 02’ Dodge Status R/T. I know, not the paper route kinda car, but it does make that payment every month… Could this be causing more harm than I think.. its nor making any weird noises. Just a thought that I started to worry about the wear and tear on my car… Any comments welcome 🙂 The problem today is that people only recognize excess when it becomes damaging. If you are contently shifting w/o your clutch or using synchronization a lot for your shifting, it’s almost like a testing the product ability, then naturaly you will damage the synchronizers and in turn your trans. Nothing in this system is perfect, that applies to your abliity to create a perfect system that goes against the mechanics created for your general use. I guess like build it and they will come, build it and they will abuse it !! ---
**Author:** ![boneman1st](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b782af/32.png) [@boneman1st](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boneman1st)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/12 "2011-06-23T08:23:26Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > The vehicle was not intended for that type of use and Chrysler is not noted for reliability in recent years anyway. I would say the biggest thing is not to switch gears too quickly as you would be tempted to do on your job. Go to neutral first rather than abruptly switching to drive or reverse. If you do it carefully, you can use the momentum of the vehicle to easy the shock. For example, you pull into the drive, pitch the paper, ease into neutral, then move to reverse as the car is rolling backwards some. In this persons case the occurrence of error is to high because of the number of incidences. the likelihood of damage is dramatically increased. I would suggest in this case either don’t do it relax but time is his enemy. find a good second hand trans and a good shade tree mechanic and grind the shit out of it if the cost is affective :D. ---
**Author:** ![boneman1st](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b782af/32.png) [@boneman1st](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boneman1st)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/13 "2011-06-23T09:04:57Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Why do you need to pull into the driveway at all? Throw that paper up there, instead of driving it up there. Great answer for a job that was once held by children just trying to make some cash the honest way and build associative skills 😕. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/14 "2011-06-23T10:18:43Z")
> [@boneman1st](#): > > damage can only occur if you don’t use the synchronization of your transmition. a person can shift a car entirely without the clutch if one know how. of course starting from a still position is not possible but once your rolling you can shift any manual trans so long as the synchronizer are still healthy. the same applies to moving from reverse to forward gears. feel is the key never force the shifter and wait until the sound of the motor is synchronized to the feel of the shifter and like butter it will slip in. sort mental lubricant !! Psst-- it’s an automatic. I can’t imagine the kind of driving the OP is describing would be much fun in a manual! ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/15 "2011-06-23T11:09:55Z")
Does it put additional wear on the trans? Yes. Is that wear significant? Beats me. One thing I can say it is not making your trans last longer. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/16 "2011-06-23T12:11:40Z")
My bro delivered papers back in the 70s. Fancy neighborhood wth deep driveways. He drove his ratty Japanese pickup & threw papers out the left window either to the left side or over the cab to the right. He’d zig & zag to either side of the street to make the throws shorter; nobody to run into at 4am in suburbia. He delivered 4 pickup-bed loads per morning. That’s many hundred papers. And never did like the OP does. It can be done. Build up that throwing arm & quit wasting time & tranny life. You’ll make twice the money for doing the job twice as fast. At least assuming they have more route for you to take over from other workers slower than you will be. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/17 "2011-06-23T12:15:05Z")
heat and clutch slippage are the things that kill an auto trans. as long as your trans fluid is clean and in good condition, it should be OK. if you have it serviced, make sure the shop uses ATF+4 and no other type. ---
**Author:** ![Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eugene_of_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/18 "2011-06-23T12:34:35Z")
I had an auto tranny on a late model Jimmy go out once doing this very thing. Morning paper route with a lot of in & out. That model ('88?) of Jimmy/Blazer was later known to have trans issues. I’m just saying. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/19 "2011-06-23T13:51:39Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > Psst-- it’s an automatic. I can’t imagine the kind of driving the OP is describing would be much fun in a manual! My understanding is that it’s recommended to have an automatic in plow trucks because it’s so damn hard on the clutch. Plow trucks reverse a LOT. Back and forth, back and forth. I have an auto in mine and beat the hell out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404/20 "2011-06-23T14:19:40Z")
This is the first time I’ve ever heard of anyone doing a paper round in a _car_. It had never even occurred to me that it was something anyone did. 😕 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-switching-between-reverse-and-drive-alot-hurt-my-car/586404.md?page=2)