Quote:
Originally Posted by housecat
I've been driving stick for 6 years and I always thought it saved gas by going into neutral instead of leaving the car in gear. But now that I think about it, if the car is in gear while rolling, then the rolling of the wheels is what keeps the engine revving and perhaps this uses zero gas.
|
During engine braking the computer cuts the fuel supply. When just idling (which is what happens when you're coasting in neutral) the computer has to feed fuel to the engine to keep it running. I have my doubts that it really saves you enough fuel to make any significant difference though.
That's not why some of us downshift. A performance car actually handles differently when it's in gear. When coasting out of gear, I don't feel like I have complete control of the car, nor am I or the car ready for unexpected situations that might require immediate maneuvering. Take your car to an empty parking lot and try slinging it around a bit in gear and then while coasting, and you'll feel the difference.
There are also some good arguments regarding the way gears wear that support engine braking. If you're always applying power to gear teeth from the same direction, they can wear unevenly. Engine braking evens out the wear pattern so that the teeth last longer and bite better, or so the argument goes.