shifting the automatic

[n00b on demand]

ok i need some questions answering about "shifting" the automatic......my brakes aren't the greatest so sometimes i will downshift manually according to the speed im going to slow the car down....is that really bad for the car?.....another thing...sometimes i will pop it in neutral if im crusing and just let it roll and i will do the same going downhill....and i will downshift going uphill to get more power......ive always been wondering if doing this was bad for the car

When going down a long hill, I will downshift the tranny into second gear. I will only do it if I am going about 40mph, though. Any faster and there is potential for a somewhat rough entry into second. Therefore, I will always brake into that speed before downshifting.

And if it's a really steep, long hill, I will downshift into first — but only if I am going 20mph or below. If I'm not at that speed, I'll brake until I get there.

As for going uphill, I usually let the tranny do it for me. I will sometimes put it in third just to unlock the torque converter for some extra RPMs, but that's it. If it's really really steep, I might put it into second and click the manual button. I don't have to do it very often though.

As for coasting in neutral, I've always been advised not to do it in an autobox. I've heard that it's bad for the drivetrain and for your brakes, rotors, bearings, etc. Haven't quite figured out why yet, but until I hear otherwise I may as well not do it. No real reason to.

This is pretty much the same way I've driven every car I've had. There are obvious differences like the speeds at which I find it safe to enter lower gears, but no problem from any of them yet.