Told to leave the Comfortmatic in gear before turning engine off...

[jdk62]

We have just had the first MOT carried out on our A Class which has a Fiat Comfortmatic gearbox.

Due to work committments, I wasn't able to collect it, but the Beauty Terrorist did. No problems with it passing the MOT but on collection, the mechanic recommended leaving it in gear when turning the engine off - he said it automatically restarts in Neutral.

Anybody know why this would be recommended or beneficial?

Thanks

 

[HKF]

In case the brakes fail, so it doesn't roll, as a safety precaution?

 

[jollyrodger]

Have you not got P on a comformatic?

 

[Trikeman]

It states this in the comfortmatic handbook and that’s what we do.
However, if I try to leave it in neutral when parking up a warning light flashes and a beeper sounds several times to let you know your in neutral.
Always leave ours in either 1st or reverse when parked up. On start up it selects neutral on brake application.
Or at least ours does.

 

[jdk62]

Have you not got P on a comformatic?

No P on the comfortmatic (unlike a full automatic)

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[jdk62]

It states this in the comfortmatic handbook and that’s what we do.
However, if I try to leave it in neutral when parking up a warning light flashes and a beeper sounds several times to let you know your in neutral.
Always leave ours in either 1st or reverse when parked up. On start up it selects neutral on brake application.
Or at least ours does.

Thanks for this.

The Beauty Terrorist has managed to "put" our moho folder with all the books etc in a safe place..

To date we have only ever left it in Neutral and ignored the beeping etc when putting in Neutral. Stupid really just relying on the handbrake to hold it...

 

[Figaro]

If it's parked up and left in gear, surely it'll still be in gear when you come to start it ?
Isn't that what the alarm is for.
I'd no idea comfortmatic didn't have a P

 

[dunnah01]

It's meant to be left in the middle 'in gear' A/M position when parked up. It will automatically select neutral when you start it.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Yep manual says to leave comfortmatic in gear when turning engine off. Get's upset with a few beeps if you don't. As comfortmatic is effectively a robotised manual gearbox, the computer knows to put it into neutral when you start up, but will then beep at you if you don't move the gearchange itself to neutral.

 

[aria]

If it's parked up and left in gear, surely it'll still be in gear when you come to start it ?
Isn't that what the alarm is for.
I'd no idea comfortmatic didn't have a P

You park it in gear then shift the lever to neutral once the engine is shut down. When starting the next time, the box shifts itself into neutral. From here.

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[ChrisSue]

Every day is a school day

 

[dunnah01]

You park it in gear then shift the lever to neutral once the engine is shut down. When starting the next time, the box shifts itself into neutral. From here.

View attachment 618758

It says never to park in neutral so shouldn't shift to neutral once engine is shut down. The only time you need to shift to neutral is if idling for a while just incase there is a bit of clutch drag.

 

[nabsim]

You park it in gear then shift the lever to neutral once the engine is shut down. When starting the next time, the box shifts itself into neutral. …..

Will have to try that with my Sprintshift, if I leave it in manual position after selecting R or 1 then turning off it doesn’t restart next time until you take it out of manual. I know it’s a different base vehicle and gearbox to the one in this thread but I suspect what you have said will work for me so long as I depress to foot brake before trying to start

 

[pappajohn]

I wouldn't thank you for a 'pretend' automatic.
If it's made as a manual it should be manual, not equipt with more servos than RoboCop

 

[nabsim]

I wouldn't thank you for a 'pretend' automatic.
If it's made as a manual it should be manual, not equipt with more servos than RoboCop

Only manual vehicles I ever buy are motorbikes. Took car test in an auto when instructor didn’t know how you should really use them lol
Sprinter is the first van I have had and the shift on it is superb, even better than a few of the proper auto cars (Borg Warner style). We are almost at 110k miles currently and I much prefer driving it to my two year old car. I don’t understand why folks go manual myself

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[CazPaul]

Only manual vehicles I ever buy are motorbikes. Took car test in an auto when instructor didn’t know how you should really use them lol
Sprinter is the first van I have had and the shift on it is superb, even better than a few of the proper auto cars (Borg Warner style). We are almost at 110k miles currently and I much prefer driving it to my two year old car. I don’t understand why folks go manual myself

I do they are so much more reliable in my experience.

You don’t see any posts on here with a manual, gearbox stuck, won’t move, breakdown truck coming. You certainly see plenty about the Fiat comfortmatic.

We did have a Merc sprinter with full torque converter auto that was a nice van though.

 

[dunnah01]

I do they are so much more reliable in my experience.

You don’t see any posts on here with a manual, gearbox stuck, won’t move, breakdown truck coming. You certainly see plenty about the Fiat comfortmatic.

Although the repair to the Comfortmatic should only be 5 mins in the driver's seat rather than a week at the dealers changing the pedal hydraulics

 

[CazPaul]

Although the repair to the Comfortmatic should only be 5 mins in the driver's seat rather than a week at the dealers changing the pedal hydraulics

A week, there’s been some posts about months waiting for it to be repaired.

 

[nabsim]

Ha ha, I put the smileys at the end of my post for good reason. Having had the manual/auto debate many many times since passing my test in an Auto back in the 70’s. Not that many true autos about now I don’t think, they either use aversion of the DAF/Volvo/Ford Van Dorne Constantly variable transmission or some sort of cable/fly by wire automated manual these days. Most heavy construction plant and lots of commercial stuff has been auto for a long time now. So long as you enjoy what you have who really cares

 

[dunnah01]

A week, there’s been some posts about months waiting for it to be repaired.

Only 'coz the dealers seem to do a little wee when a Comfortmatic turns up

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[aria]

It says never to park in neutral so shouldn't shift to neutral once engine is shut down. The only time you need to shift to neutral is if idling for a while just incase there is a bit of clutch drag.

It is advisable to place the gear lever in neutral (N) before starting the engine. (Pg7)

Once the engine if off it makes no difference what you do with the lever - its just pushing solenoids that are de-energised. No reason to leave it in gear.

That's what suits me. Everyone is of course free to do different if preferred.

 

[RobbyMClark]

It states this in the comfortmatic handbook and that’s what we do.
However, if I try to leave it in neutral when parking up a warning light flashes and a beeper sounds several times to let you know your in neutral.
Always leave ours in either 1st or reverse when parked up. On start up it selects neutral on brake application.
Or at least ours does.

I'm always telling people to RTFM used to be written on a lot of jobsheets when worked at a dealership.

Think I need to do it myself, been wondering what the bleeping was every time I stopped.

 

[dunnah01]

It is advisable to place the gear lever in neutral (N) before starting the engine. (Pg7)

Once the engine if off it makes no difference what you do with the lever - its just pushing solenoids that are de-energised. No reason to leave it in gear.

That's what suits me. Everyone is of course free to do different if preferred.

I learnt the hard way very early on that having it in neutral was a bad idea when I was heading to the lounge and the van started rolling forwards when I'd forgotten to put the handbrake on
Luckily jumped back into the driver's seat before any damage done

 

[aria]

I learnt the hard way very early on that having it in neutral was a bad idea when I was heading to the lounge and the van started rolling forwards when I'd forgotten to put the handbrake on
Luckily jumped back into the driver's seat before any damage done

The gearbox is not in neutral, just the lever. I can see how I wrote that badly - fully agree that the gearbox must be in gear but once the engine is off you can put the lever anywhere.

 

[TheLifeofBrian]

Just to re open this thread.....
I had the 'gear not available' episode & to cut a long story short the gearbox has now been reprogrammed sorted - hopefully!
Now I am being told 'categorically' that it should be left in neutral when the engine is turned off. I don't really agree with this - as per the manual - but I do see the benefit of putting it into neutral before starting (even though it should be doing it itself!)
Can I just ask all the people who have one of these comfortmatic gearboxes - what do you do? Leave in neutral or start in neutral or just leave in gear & start it up in the gear it was left in?

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[SpeedyDux]

Just to re open this thread.....
I had the 'gear not available' episode & to cut a long story short the gearbox has now been reprogrammed sorted - hopefully!
Now I am being told 'categorically' that it should be left in neutral when the engine is turned off. I don't really agree with this - as per the manual - but I do see the benefit of putting it into neutral before starting (even though it should be doing it itself!)
Can I just ask all the people who have one of these comfortmatic gearboxes - what do you do? Leave in neutral or start in neutral or just leave in gear & start it up in the gear it was left in?

I turn off the engine when the gearbox is in Auto 1st otherwise I get beeped at. Before I start the engine I move the gear selector to the Neutral position. The dash will still show Auto 1st until the engine starts after which it shows Neutral as selected. More complicated procedure than a torque converter autobox needs.

 

[Pausim]

Just to re open this thread.....
I had the 'gear not available' episode & to cut a long story short the gearbox has now been reprogrammed sorted - hopefully!
Now I am being told 'categorically' that it should be left in neutral when the engine is turned off. I don't really agree with this - as per the manual - but I do see the benefit of putting it into neutral before starting (even though it should be doing it itself!)
Can I just ask all the people who have one of these comfortmatic gearboxes - what do you do? Leave in neutral or start in neutral or just leave in gear & start it up in the gear it was left in?

I leave it in gear and it puts itself into neutral when I restart. It beeps at me if I forget to leave it in gear. When in storage I leave the handbrake off to stop the brakes binding. A right pain releasing the binding if you are parked on gravel.

 

[RobbyMClark]

I turn off the engine when the gearbox is in Auto 1st otherwise I get beeped at. Before I start the engine I move the gear selector to the Neutral position. The dash will still show Auto 1st until the engine starts after which it shows Neutral as selected. More complicated procedure than a torque converter autobox needs.

Same here for me, took a while to figure what the beeping was until started to switch off in gear.

 

[IRHP]

Just to re open this thread.....
I had the 'gear not available' episode & to cut a long story short the gearbox has now been reprogrammed sorted - hopefully!
Now I am being told 'categorically' that it should be left in neutral when the engine is turned off. I don't really agree with this - as per the manual - but I do see the benefit of putting it into neutral before starting (even though it should be doing it itself!)
Can I just ask all the people who have one of these comfortmatic gearboxes - what do you do? Leave in neutral or start in neutral or just leave in gear & start it up in the gear it was left in?

I'm doing what it says in the manual, leave in gear and switch off. It's just the same as parking a manual and leaving it in gear. Why wouldn't you do that?

 

[TheMachMan]

Same, always leave in gear whether that’s forward or reverse when switched off. Don’t move the lever again until I start the engine and select whatever I need.

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