Downshift vs neutral roll
 

Which should be done and why? Just trying to pick up the best habits. :cool:

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When neutral rolling, you are technically not in control of the car, because the engine is not able to power the drive wheels, because it is not connected to it. By downshifting and thus being in gear, the gas pedal still works.

Downshifting also has the benefit of allowing the ECU to turn off the injectors completely, since the wheels will drive the engine. When you put it in neutral instead, the engine has to be kept running by using fuel.

I still neutral roll when approaching a stop. If I'm in say 5th gear and I see that I must stop at a red light or stop sign, I don't bother rowing all the gears, I just pop it in neutral and press on the brakes.

Hopefully this isn't the beginning of a thread with lots of internets. I am fearful.

Which ever you feel like. I usually leave it in gear or downshift once the RPM's get low(say under 1500rpm). My logic is, in case I have to get out of the way in a hurry, I'm already in gear. If you do it correctly (rev-match), there should be little to no wear on the clutch. I could be wrong though.

@pushrod
Its the internet. No matter what you say or do, someone will tell you that you're wrong and that their way is better lol.

I think you're wrong on that point. :D

Downshift for sure, helps you stop quicker and adds just a little bit extra to the life of your brakes because you dont need to push as hard on the pedal. These cars are so light, in fact, it's possible to come almost to a complete stop just using your gears, but thats the truck driver coming out in me lol. Plus with a nice exhaust it sounds better too :party0030:

If I am moving even a little the car is always in gear. The clutch may be in but I am in the lowest gear possible for the speed I am traveling. This has saved my bacon at least 100 times over the years when events suddenly required me to accelerate and motor out of danger. If I had needed to shift into a gear and then accelerate in at least 10 of those cases I would probably have been dead.
Rolling around in neutral takes your nice light sports car and turns it into a big heavy soapbox racer.

Thanks peeps

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In a general sense, I would much rather wear out my brake pads a little faster than unnecessarily put wear on engine internals. However I still downshift more than an average person, or I wouldn't have just added a spracing gas pedal to make my heel toeing a little easier :-)


If you have actually been in 100 situations in which your bacon needed saving while in a car, then you are either a stunt car driver, or are trying to be ...just saying :-)

40 years of driving. Six of those years in military vehicles on busy airbases or heavy trucks on well travel highways. I have clocked way more miles than the "average" driver. At least 100 times I have had to power out of danger. Only 10 of those were serious though (as I said).
You have never had to accelerate to miss some ass hat changing lanes?
I don't think that my saying I have had to do it 2.5 times a year for my driving history is overstating nor placing me in the stunt driver realm.

Somehow I don't see @Tcoat as the street racing/stunt driving/drifting type lol

Not in the last 30 years at any rate. I could still surprise you though.

Scofflaw. How do you sleep at night?

Nothing quite like drifting in an MLVW though. Imagine the surprise on the face of the Sgt beside me when young Gnr Cole decided to put the pedal to the metal mid turn on an icy road with troops in the back:burnrubber:

Oh, I can ...... @Tcoat drifting ...... back in the day ..... :D


humfrz

You see what I mean?!?!:lol::bonk:

A closer in-car view of the action....

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...f2&oe=56D83312

We called it a skid back then and it was not something you wanted to do with the cars I had.
Now mind you, there are probably roads with so many layers of rubber laid down on the that they have not had to pave them in the last 30 years.


http://epmgaa.media.lionheartdms.com...244159e005ff34

Are you sure he didn't use one of these?? ;)
http://images.fineartamerica.com/ima...vid-arment.jpg

Translation for the USA folks ..... a MLVW is like a deuce and half or maybe a 5 ton truck; a Gnr is like a private ….. :)


humfrz

This topic has been rehashed here so many times I can almost predict who will say what.


Any time now some young dude will say to coast down all hills in neutral to save gas.


One of the older guys will say that is wrong because in gear the compression is turning the engine not the fuel system and since in neural the car is still idling it is burning more gas.


Young guy will say that is not what his buddies tell him and he has seen the results himself on his mileage indicator.


Older guy will say that is impossible and go into a 1,000 word essay on the subject.


Young guy will call him a hater and that the info is garbage because he saw it with his own eyes.


Everybody will pick a side and tag team the subject to the death.

OK, @Tcoat so, NOW can the thread end ...... ??

:D


humfrz

We called sliding out, drifting is the newer version of powersliding. :burnrubber:

I just about died lauging @Tcoat

I usually neutral roll to a stop because brakes are cheap and engines, transmissions and clutches are not, but it depends on the situation as sometimes I do downshift before the stop. Most of my street driving is slow and boring, so rolling to a stop puts me in no additional danger.

Would we get along better if we all drove automatics?

Won't quote

@humfrz "Translation for the USA folks ..... a MLVW is like a deuce and half or maybe a 5 ton truck; a Gnr is like a private ….. :)"




https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...52&oe=56E6726C


Like this without the fuel pods.
And yes that is 18 year old Tcoat manning the pump.

If you roll in neutral, sell the FRS and buy a Prius
Done.
Mods close thread

The fun part is that my original draft of that post ended in:
and then @humfrz will show up and say "back in my day"....

We'd argue over the proper way to ride a bus.

*awkwardly walks into room*

Hi guys! May I join in the conversation? I drive an auto and I downshift when coming to a stop also!

:bonk:

Oh, ya .... we would have to have a flashback ...... :D


humfrz

NO!

Fist, HAHAHAHA

ok, now that thats over...

Always engine/transmission brake. Downshift to slow down until 2nd. Then you can neutral brake until 0 kph/mph. Of course, dont just let your car brake by itself, also apply brakes.

Why?

That's what todays manual car are designed to do. Plus, its the safe thing to do.

Instructions unclear bought a Koenigsegg instead. Still neutral rolling.

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I rather wear my brakes out than wear the clutch out.
$$$$$$$

Now I feel bad ...... yes, you may join in ....... but, you're on your own ..... :confused0068:

If "they" start slapping you around with their "short shifters" and kicking you with their double clutching legs and heel & toe feet ...... you may just want to slip into "D" and move on out ....... :iono:


humfrz

Whatever wear and tear downshifting will do to your clutch is negligible. Not doing it might add a week to the life of your clutch which after a couple hundred thousand miles is nothing. Same goes for the bottom end for whoever mentioned that. I'll happily compromise a tiny amount of wear and tear for good driving practices any day, but each to their own I guess :thumbsup:

I agree with pack of crows not only because she's right but because she's super cute. Call me biased...




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It needs to become second nature in racecar, imagine trying to slow down at high speed by using only your brakes. You will also keep your brakes in good condition in case you ever really need to use them. All you'll do by using your gears is burn a bit more fuel.