S Folinsky

If you ever shift between drive and reverse, the sojourn through neutral is very nice to both the engine and the transmission. [Come to think about this, neutral serves this purpose when shifting a manual.] As others have noted, it is not normally used in everyday driving

Bob

because slipping the stick from N to D takes oooh so long...

dunroving

Surely it's similar to depressing the clutch when coming to a halt at the lights or a junction?

S Folinsky

My mother learned to drive on a three on the floor and then drove several three in the tree cars. In the early 70's she found it difficult to drive my Type I Bug.

A three speed pattern was

R 2

1 3

With a four speed it was

1 3

R 2 4

Mom said she would just treat as if it was a three speed and I had to say "no."

She never got to drive a five speed. I know I was driven nuts because some 5's had 1 outside the H and others had 5 outside the H.

dunroving

I just learned recently that in the UK these days, you are taught not to use engine braking when coming to a stop, because of the wear on the clutch (which is much more expensive than replacing brake pads). I always useed to change down through the gears as I approached a turn, or stop, but that is apparently a big No-No these days.

I no longer use hand signals, either.

srefre

...in the same way all accidents happen in ooooh so slow motion! Plus still doesn't account for the handling and braking effects, or the fact that you might want two hands on the wheel if trying to avoid an accident.

srefre

Depends how far out or fast you are going when you do this.

Its one thing to dip the clutch to avoid stalling or change gear, its another thing to coast.

srefre

Meant to add, assuming your vehicle is not an old car or has a carb, you will use more fuel coasting.

With modern electronics, when not under load, the engine injects just enough fuel for combustion, as it is already being turned over. If you coast (clutch down) the engine now has to produce enough force to turn itself over, which uses more fuel.

shazza777

There's an 'N' on the gear shift?!

Toontje

ROFLMAO!

Englishtart

Hello you!

S Folinsky

I never downshifted while slowing down for a stop. However, I would downshift is I was slowing down for other than a stop. For example, I would downshift before a turn in order to accelerate through the turn or if I was going to be driving slower due to traffic up ahead. BTW, I have not owned a manual since 1987 and have driven stick only on rental cars.

S Folinsky

LOL when I realized the terminology! I guess the better term would be "selector" for most cars. Our BMW is labeled PRND -- and from D one can move the selector to the left for "M/S" -- if you just stay to the left, it becomes "sport" but you move it forward for "+" or back for "-" for manual -- I only use the "S" mode in the mountains -- like climbing the Grapevine going south on Interstate 5.

Awesome Welles

Stop doing this! Auto transmissions are not designed to run disengaged - and can be quite severely damaged by doing so (this is why you should never tow an automatic with it's drive wheels on the ground). Not only can the clutch bands be wrecked (which are quite expensive to replace), it can also destroy the torque converter, which relies on transmission fluid being pumped into it by the control module, only when it is in 'drive' mode. A new converter can run to $.$$$'s.

As for engine braking, I'm no fan - despite being taught to drive that way in the late 70's. Consumable brake parts (pads, rotors etc) are a damn sight cheaper to relpace than drivetrain components like transmissions, differentials and clutches/converters, which get hammered by engine braking.

chartreuse

Well then! It seems that the received wisdom has changed since I last had a car.

I guess I shall have to try to cut down on my engine braking. Perhaps I'll become a true Texan, alternately hammering the throttle and the brake pedal.