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Originally Posted by MNBoxster
Redlining a car, or exceeding it, isn't the only way to shorten it's lifespan or that of the transmission. Merely the practice of keeping one's hand on the stick while driving and inadvertently applying pressure can lead to early wear to the balk rings or synchros. Shifting early or late can also have detrimental effects. And there are many others too.
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Thanks for the objective statements, Jim.
The problem is, I'm not doing anything that I consider "classic tranny killers". I'm not engine braking--I'm matching revs. I'm not leaning on the shifter like a gangster--I return my hand to the wheel after every shift. I'm not dropping the clutch from 6000 RPM--I have never launched the car. I'm not speed shifting, power shifting or otherwise driving like a hooligan.
The only thing I do that is at all a "drive it like you stole it" thing, is I use the entire power band. I would expect that to offer up less-than-stellar engine life, but nothing else and certainly not within 20,000 miles.
The fact that they WERE willing to replace both transmissions indicates to me that they DON'T have a leg to stand on. The fact that I've gone through two trannies tells me that the car had issues.
As for the brakes, I fully expected to have less-than-optimum brake life, as I am hard on the brakes--I have a daily commute that involves a fairly steeply-graded offramp that chews up brakes. That, and I brake a little hard due to my time on race tracks. I don't consider brakes a huge expenditure, so I don't treat them kindly.
Transmissions though, I'm like a mother with a newborn!