uh-oh, i smell another "cruising in gear saves gas" vs. "cruising in N saves gas" debate. but for those of you saying that you downshift to the light, most of you also say you rev-match. that requires some throttle, which would require some fuel. hmmmm.....

for those of you who downshift through gears(when coming to a stop), why? that just seems like more work than necessary.

 

^^ lol very good point

x3 ...i know its meant to handle it but it just seems less abusive overall on the engine...and i have heard that you save gas by keeping it in gear...but how much..?..

 

Real Reason: Its more fun.
BS Reason: I'll be able to get on the throttle a lot faster should I need to as I'm slowing down.

 

There was a discussion somewhere (dont have time to search for it now), but the difference is negligible, in real world conditions. that same thread had Doc Iso running an experiment for 5 tanks of gas i think to test the difference (i believe he normally coasts in N). there was no difference in his MPGs.

the debate was regarding "deceleration fuel cut-off", and if it actually happens. i believe it happens as long as its above 2k rpms. so you need to be coasting, IN GEAR, above 2k in order to NOT use fuel as you're coasting. i can look for the link later....

 

i glide in neutral but if the light changes while im gliding ill rev match and pop it into gear.... brakes are a lot cheaper then clutches.... also i never feel like i dont have control of the car when i do this. for what ever the reason is, if i really need power i can just quickly shift back into the appropriate gear

 

In OR it's illegal to coast in neutral. It's a safety concern.

 

x3 im most cases thats what i do, not too early though.. i put it to neutral when my speed is already slow for the gear im in.

 

x4....

 

I used to neutral coast, but as I was "teaching myself" to heal-toe I started coasting in gear, then downshifting/rev matching and the such to launch if I wasnt coming to a complete stop. then when in a hurry it was all heal-toe into the turn/stop and go.

Now ... in the little deviant I just coast in gear, then launch from the approapriate gear, typically 2nd or 3rd if rolling, depending on speed.
I honestly haven't figured out to heal-toe in the xD, I don't know if its the positioning of the seat, my legs, or how the pedals are spaced, but I just can't do it, its weird, I think I'm just retarded lol. Sooo .. its all coasting in gear for me these days

 

I just leave it in the gear I was already in until the rpm's get down to 1k-1.25k then shift to neutral.

Now if I am turning and not planning on stopping I down shift. As others have said brakes are cheaper then a clutch. Oh yeah and don't take much time to change.

 

^ yea agree

why wouldn't you? thats how you're suppose to drive a manual.... If you dont downshift , its like you're driving an auto and when you slow down you take it out of drive and put it in neutral....which doesn't make sense b/c and auto downshifts itself just like you have to downshift in a manual

 

when was the last time you felt and auto downshift while coming to a stop?

And down shifting is not how your "supposed" to drive it is one method of stopping. I don't think there is a right or wrong here.

 

So you're saying that an auto never downshifts? It just goes from overdrive into first once it hits 0? That would mean the RPM just before the shift would be at about 100 RPM. Drive an Auto that has a current gear display on it, BMW, Mazda 6...just to name a couple. Of if you want to actually feel it, drive a Jeep.

 

OK. I'm the guy that pulls into neutral without the clutch at any speed before I begin to brake. I've heard it's called "free-wheeling", gliding in neutral, and is supposedly illegal in New York state. Anybody know anything about that? Heard it years ago. Ooh well, shift to win, not shift to stop, right?

 

^^ I don't think thats good for ur tranny.

 

^ Yea man...thanks for the back up.... ...

but in all seriousness its your car and the way you drive is your problem but its Hilarious that you dont think an auto doesn't downshift....

 

No I am not saying that it goes from OD to first once you come to a stop. What I am saying that is does not progressively down shift through each gear as the car slows like one would do in a manual. It's "gears" are controlled by vacuum so when you let off the gas it should decrease the vacuum of the engine and therefore shift to OD I don't know exactly when it shifts back to first but you don't hear the rpm's jump at any point while braking so I would assume it is when the car is at rest or right before.

 

when i was learning to drive stick my friend was driving my car and i was looking at the way he drove, so we were coming to a stop and he just pushed the **** back into neutral without pushing the clutch, i was like WTF?? i've never tried it when i'm driving but, is that bad for the car?? i'd be nice to just push it into neutral

 

Heres a little info......

Here's how it works. When you select a gear, oil (or transmission fluid) is routed under pressure (created by its internal pump) through the valve body. The valve body (or brain of the transmission) is electronically and hydraulically controlled. Oil is then forced through the torque converter at high pressure, creating a fluid coupling between the engine and transmission. This fluid coupling is similar to what happens when the clutch is applied on a standard transmission. The clutch connects the engine to the transmission, and so does the torque converter through a fluid coupling. This fluid coupling is achieved by forcing the transmission fluid through a series of restrictive passages called fins (very similar in design to turbine engines on a jet).

Once there is a fluid linkup between the engine and the transmission, how do you accelerate forward and shift gears? The gears are applied by a series of mechanisms called servos and bands; engine electronics and hydraulic pressure control the application of these. For example, when you step on the gas, the engine control module sees the need to shift, so an electronic signal is sent to the transmission to downshift into passing gear. Electrical switches called solenoids are then tripped, valves within the valve body divert the flow of oil to the bands or servos, which in turn apply or disengage gears. Just like magic... the transmission shifts!

 

Thats good info. Didn't the older auto tranny's use vacuum though before the electronic ones?

My point was though that it doesn't down shift through the gears as you slow down like you would in a manual.