MVPlaya

As you are gradually breaking to a complete stop, do you gradually down shift? Is this good or bad for the tranny? I would assume this wears the tranny quicker.

How about when going down hill? are you in gear when you go down hill or just use your breaks?

Jiggaman

iTrader: (1)

a healthy mix of both is what i use! :D

more clutch wear than tranny wear when downshifting..

equinox2355

I dont use my transmission to "brake" I use my brakes because they are cheaper than a new transmission

aen

i use both depending on how fast i need to slow down...

if i'm going downhill. i'm downshifting.

GammaTNT

iTrader: (8)

mostly my brake,

FLINTstone

i use both at the same time...but im assuming that using the tranny to slow you down will wear it out faster.

BZinn1

I use tranny on hills..........the motor lugging is fairly normal to slow a car.......saves the brakes a bit too.........as for the flat....just go with brakes.......but be sure to change tranny fluid very regularly........as recomended..........i do mine every 20,000 needed or not...........they run soo hot the fluid must break down and get dirty........

GarmaZed

When braking, downhill, uphill, flatland, w/e, I've always taken the transmission out of gear and into neutral. That way I can focus more on the road in front of me rather than my tachometer before my revs drop too low; that's just the way I've done it. As far as I'm told, it doesn't damage anything compared to other methods.

What NOT to do: to hold your clutch in to slow down, that's just a waste of the clutch and it serves the same purpose (putting the gear in neutral) in a damaging way.

As for downshifting vs putting the gear in neutral while stopping, I'm not sure which way is 'better' for the car, but I just assume that putting it in neutral is. Less going in and out of gears and whatnot.

MVPlaya

Holding your clutch in wears it out?

Jan06xB

If you engine brake the fuel injection shuts off and you burn less (no) gas and don't you want to save some brake for when you really need them? Don't drive down Mt Washington using only the brakes - you will cook them. You also get more brake vacuum boost if you keep the engine in gear and power steering assist too.

xIxAMxHOLLYWOODx

how do you guys not down shift? you put your car into neutral when stopping or going down a hill? you know how unsafe that is? what if someone or something pulls out in front of you? How are you going to react? you're gonna try to put it in gear and choose the wrong one...

Down shifting does not hurt your car if done correctly. And part of doing it correctly means that you dont have to have your eye on the tach constantly. You can tell where youre at by the sound. When down shifting correctly, you arent bringing the engine up to much past 4 grand, unless you're going to fast and you try to down shift too low.

But keeping it in neutral when coming to a stop is not a very good idea.

MVPlaya

Then we slam on the breaks? Or are we supposed to speed right into it or the person?

xIxAMxHOLLYWOODx

one thing you might learn, its called defensive driving. being able to accelerate AWAY from a problem. cant accelerate anywhere in neutral...

FLINTstone

exactly. many accidents can be AVOIDED ENTIRELY by swerving out of the way, instead of relying on abs to stop you.

Dispatcher138

I agree because when I'm driving I look around and see where cars are and determine if something happens I can move away from the problem. Also another problem people have is when they slam on they brakes they look directly at the car and usually hit the car. There are some situations where swerving out of the way could possibly make things worse. I realize this is a TC thread but to answer the question I use a of variety of both. more times than not I will use the brakes because they are cheaper than a new clutch or tranny.

chaseonbass

Exactly.

BigMURR

the majority of the time I will coast and use the brakes only to save some gas and clutch but when I feel like being a dumbarse I will use the tranny to assist in either slowing or stopping.

if you stay the correct amount of distance from the person in front of you and always look beyond and around that person for potential problems you should be ok to have it in neutral. Always have an escape route incase things go bad, never let yourself get boxed in, and be aware of the other lanes incase you need to get in them in an emergency.

Nick06tC

You should never coast to a stop. you should always have it in gear just in case you need to drive. Like someone said defensive driving.
The problem with most accidents is the first tendancy for someone when they see an issue is to break, alof of times, that is not the answer.

And the whole thing with I dont want to watch my tach, or it will wear out my transmission/clutch, its all about learning how to drive a stick. You should never have to look at your tach, unless accelerating to redline. Until not that many years ago ALOT of cars did not come with a tach.

It will not hurt the transmission to engine break, if you match revs decently. And obviously down downshift to a gear that puts you at redline and slows you donw. Use it as a natural break and break as needed.

Dispatcher138

Maybe this is just me but when I do coast to a stop and then have to drive I know what gear I have to engage so that isnt really an issue for me. I look at the tac every now and again but 99 times out of 100 I can shift and downshift all by sound.


BRAKE

sciondrgn

I use a combo of both breaking and downshifting. Matching the revs while slowing to not cause any unwanting jerking feeling and slowing down evenly.

You guys may want to go check out local driving laws as well.. In a Manual car here it says to keep the vehicle in gear at all times while driving/stopping and to not coast.