What are the best gears to use for....

[shadowless127]

Sitting in traffic; I dont like keeping it in drive betwenn it'll shift to second then i'll have to stop. I've been using 3rd since it has the minimal amount of engine braking. but whats the best?

Snow/ice on flat plane: What's the best to use, I know for some AWD's it's 3rd but not sure.

Snow/ice going UP a 45degree incline: an aunt and uncle of mine own a vacation home up in the mountains and the driveway is a 45degree climb, and they don't plow it because of the snowmobiles, and the fact that my uncle drives a PSD F350 and just tosses it in 4WD and goes. What gear should I use? I'd imagine 1st or 2nd?

Thx

 

[ummduh]

I tend to leave my automatic in Drive

The only good reasons to select your own gear is for extra engine braking, or when you'll have excessive wheel spin that would allow it to keep shifting. Otherwise leave it in Drive and let your foot decide the gear.

I think you are trying to say that in traffic as soon as it hits 2nd, you have to come to a stop. No big deal. If it bothers you just leave it in 1st. Or plan ahead a bit more and coast instead of continuing along enough to shift into 2nd. In Bay area traffic I never make it out of 1st gear no matter what.

 

[shadowless127]

I think you are trying to say that in traffic as soon as it hits 2nd, you have to come to a stop. No big deal. If it bothers you just leave it in 1st. Or plan ahead a bit more and coast instead of continuing along enough to shift into 2nd. In Bay area traffic I never make it out of 1st gear no matter what.

The problem is that most of the time I run into the shifting issue is because im going up an incline....

But as long as it's not gonna destroy my fuel economy or trans then idc.

 

[jrford]

For snow and ice i just turn the OD off. In OD there is a one way clutch that allows for coasting but with it off you can engine brake in 4th. You have the 5 spd auto 4th is straight through.