Some people have a habit of putting their vehicle into Neutral as they approach a stop. This wastes fuel as the engine would have to burn fuel to keep.
We are frequently asked what is coasting by drivers or learner drivers. The fact is, many drivers don’t even know that they are coasting. It is also a habit that learner drivers acquire on a regular basis and one that needs remedy. Excessive coasting can potentially fail a driving test as it can be dangerous. This article will describe what coasting is when driving, when stopping and the impact it has on the driving test. The correct procedure to prevent coasting is explained among other frequently asked questions. Coasting essentially means to move, either a person or vehicle, and make progress without using power or as little effort as possible. In terms of coasting when driving, it means keeping the clutch depressed so as to free-wheel and not use the engine to move. The diagram shows how the engine is disengaged when the clutch is depressed. Engine A shows when the clutch is depressed it disengages the engine, effectively making the car free-wheel. Keeping the engine engaged in Engine B allows the car to slow down using the engine, reducing wear on the brakes and increasing control of the car making it safer. Coasting in a car explained Coasting when driving The most frequent use of coasting when driving is to: Is coasting dangerous Coasting is potentially dangerous as it leads to less control of the car. Keeping the clutch depressed whilst making a left turn for example essentially turns your car into a free-wheeling go-cart as the engine is disengaged. The engine when engaged, helps to increase breaking and therefore increases control of the car. There are often times that the need to accelerate can prevent a potential accident from occurring. A car approaching you from behind at speed for example or a car pulling out just as you are passing. Coasting that involves leaving the gear stick in neutral will prevent you from using the accelerator if such a situation.
6-speed manual transmission, standard clutch-not paddle or semi-automatic or clutchless. Two ways to stop: 1) Use the brakes to brake the car: 5th or 4th or whatever gear you're in, neutral, no downshifting, coast to full stop with car not in gear. 2) Use the clutch/engine to brake the car: 55mph in 5th gear, 45mph in 4th gear, 35mph in 3rd gear, etc., downshifting through the gears to slow the car down, then into neutral-instead of into 2nd-when you're only doing 20mph or something. I've always done 1. For 25 years, no matter what gear or how fast or the RPM's, I put the car into neutral, then use the brakes to stop. I was taught that downshifting was hard on the engine and the clutch, and that the only time you want to slow down by downshifting is when icy/snowy/slippery road conditions make brakes useless b/c there's not enough traction to keep you from sliding. Today, I was going like 55mph in 5th gear when I saw a red light up ahead and did my thing:5th gear to neutral, brakes to a full stop. The guy I was driving with- a coworker that I don't know well enough to know if he or isn't full of shit, but who says he knows a lot about cars -told me that I was doing it wrong. He said that with a manual transmission, you want to downshift through the gears to slow down, then use the brakes to come to a full stop. I said he was wrong. Who's right? posted by Badger Doctor to Grab Bag (77 answers total) 8 users marked this as a favorite The theory is that you can save some brake wear by using the engine to brake you. The trade-off is versus clutch wear. So you're both right, in theory it's possible that his method could save you some brake pad wear. In practice, though, everyone driving the automatic version of your car is just braking, and it's a hell of a lot more expensive to replace the clutch or do transmission work than it is to swap out brake pads. I used to be.
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