Driving in neutral

[Gunter]

Hi Guys,
I drive a manual Honda Civic. Sometimes when I'm approaching a red light, out of habit, I put my car in neutral and let it coast to a stop at the lights or hopping for a rolling start. Does this mauver do any damage on my transmission? Does rolling on neutral shorten the life of my trans?

[destrukshn]

no.
well in my books no, your not putting any load on the transmission.
but, you should always been in gear, 1 it slows your down quicker, and your in more contorl of your car.

[bennjamin]

any car....its best to keep in gear until almost stationary.

For safety !!!

[Mr_will]

as you would also have found out if you searched, being in gear also causes you to use less fuel than in neutral (when you are decelerating).

read this thread for starters

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54065&highlight=neutral

[ian]

if you're in gear, you're able to take your next action quicker, because you are in control.

[EK4R]

if you're in gear, you're able to take your next action quicker, because you are in control.

i doubt that. if your in 5th and u slow down your not going to have more control than say 3rd.

obviously being in the RIGHT gear gives you more control, so downshift...

[ian]

i doubt that. if your in 5th and u slow down your not going to have more control than say 3rd.

obviously being in the RIGHT gear gives you more control, so downshift...

if you're in 5th then you're out of control.

going back to the original question, i'd say the answer is: no.

[EK4R]

if you're in 5th then you're out of control.

going back to the original question, i'd say the answer is: no.

exactly so all you ppl saying "if you're in gear, you're able to take your next action quicker, because you are in control" isnt all right :)

[bennjamin]

exactly so all you ppl saying "if you're in gear, you're able to take your next action quicker, because you are in control" isnt all right :)

Staying "in gear" is assuming its relative to the speed you are doing ~ whihc is IN control , rather than NOT being in gear :p

[aaronng]

If it is a corner, then downshift. But in your situation of a traffic light, I'd downshift to 3rd or 4th, and then let car slow down. When the RPM is about 1500, then clutch in and go to neutral as you stop.

[EuroAccord13]

3. You actually use more petrol when you are in neutral....

[TheSaint]

should u always be stopped to go into 1st, sumtimes i cluch in and 1st before im stopped and while im still rolling (realy slowly) ill take off

[EK4R]

should u always be stopped to go into 1st, sumtimes i cluch in and 1st before im stopped and while im still rolling (realy slowly) ill take off

some cars wont let you get into 1st unless your really really slow.... i tend to just get into 2nd n take off if your still rolling abit. close gear ratio should let you take off just as good

[mrwillz]

^ like wot georgie sed
sometimes if the road is uphill. i stop briefly jus to chuck it back into gear 1

[DamienS]

as you would also have found out if you searched, being in gear also causes you to use less fuel than in neutral (when you are decelerating).

read this thread for starters

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54065&highlight=neutral

I have read this thread and dont agree that you use less fuel in gear than you do in neutral. My 06 Subaru Liberty I owned had a trip computer that also measured instantaneous fuel use, whilst coasting down hills even in fifth you were still using a few litres per 100k's , where as if I had it in neutral down the same hill, it was using less than 1 litre per 100k's just keeping the engine idling.

[Mr_will]

I have read this thread and dont agree that you use less fuel in gear than you do in neutral.

then you would be wrong.

look at the data logs, they mean a lot more than your liberty's trip computer. i could counter your argument by saying that ive seen an 06 golf read 0.0l/100 on downhill stretchs, off throttle, but i dont need to, because the simple fact is that under very low load conditions, the data logs SHOW CLEARLY that the injector pulse is zero. nuff said

[aaronng]

^^ Yup, there was a Hondata data log posted up a while back proving this.

[chicken8]

^ like wot georgie sed
sometimes if the road is uphill. i stop briefly jus to chuck it back into gear 1

rev match and it'll go in

[ACTI0NMAN-1]

doesnt having it in gear increase rpm which can aid stopping/clamping force for braking?

[80057]

Hi Guys,
I drive a manual Honda Civic. Sometimes when I'm approaching a red light, out of habit, I put my car in neutral and let it coast to a stop at the lights or hopping for a rolling start. Does this mauver do any damage on my transmission? Does rolling on neutral shorten the life of my trans?

when u mean neutral hoping for a rolling start do u mean i simply ride the clutch? or put it in neutral with the clutch out?

1 - if your riding the clutch, its doesnt do damage to your tranny, but riding a clutch will shorten clutch life.

2 - if its in neutral with the clutch out, then only thing which is difficult is finding the right gear and easing into a clean launch, a happy medium between hopping into a start and riding the clutch to much.

when i had a manual, i used to go 4th down the 3rd then down to 2nd (only sometimes in no traffic) when its a crawl, and i didnt change the pads ever and i did over 60clicks in it.

bigger question why do u do it?

i went down the gears to slow the car without using breaks and for the fact if i need to get a fast start im in the right gear already and the clutch is out so im not wearing that out either.

just my 2 cents...

[Mr_will]

rev match and it'll go in


true, but 1st is the hardest to rev match into, and many n00bs will find themselves doing just as much harm to their sychros due to over/under revving whilst trying this

[Mr_will]

doesnt having it in gear increase rpm which can aid stopping/clamping force for braking?



being in gear increases rpm which increases the level of deceleration which will occur when you are not touching the accelerater - ie if youre in 2nd gear, say, at 40kmh, and you stop accelerating, you will slow down, but this effect will be much more pronounced if you were doing 80km/h in second gear. the faster the engine is spinning the more it will slow the car down when you are off throttle.

[DamienS]

then you would be wrong.

look at the data logs, they mean a lot more than your liberty's trip computer. i could counter your argument by saying that ive seen an 06 golf read 0.0l/100 on downhill stretchs, off throttle, but i dont need to, because the simple fact is that under very low load conditions, the data logs SHOW CLEARLY that the injector pulse is zero. nuff said


Perhaps Subaru does things differently from Honda or VW so perhaps in the case of my old Subaru it is correct, unless of course you have data logs for subaru liberty's....so i MAY NOT be wrong as you are so quick to put it.

[Mr_will]

Perhaps Subaru does things differently from Honda or VW so perhaps in the case of my old Subaru it is correct, unless of course you have data logs for subaru liberty's....so i MAY NOT be wrong as you are so quick to put it.



there is nothing super special about your subaru. its a fuel saving feature, so unless youre suggesting subaru arent concerned with fuel efficiency, you need a new argument.

what you have said is basically like saying "well noones ever put a turbo on my specific car, make, model etc, therefore its unreasonable to say a turbo would make it faster". fuel systems do not differ from car to car as much as you obviously think they do.

[DamienS]

what you have said is basically like saying "well noones ever put a turbo on my specific car, make, model etc, therefore its unreasonable to say a turbo would make it faster". fuel systems do not differ from car to car as much as you obviously think they do.

ahh no I dont think my comment was like that all I am saying is they might be slightly different in there thinking.

I was just commenting on what the cars instruments were indicating.


there is nothing super special about your subaru

Perhaps you have never owned one to experience it :cool:

[EK4R]

true, but 1st is the hardest to rev match into, and many n00bs will find themselves doing just as much harm to their sychros due to over/under revving whilst trying this

im pretty sure this doesnt work with all trannies. even double clutching.

[Gunter]

Thanks 80057,
Answer to your question, I don’t ride the clutch. If I’m coasting to the lights and it goes green, I put it in a low gear, rev the engine a little for easy gear engagement. Most of the time, I manage to put in 3rd fairly easily without reving and take off at the lights. My 92 Civic isn’t fuel injected; I recently (12 months ago) rebuild the engine, but did not rebuild the gearbox. So I was wondering if my driving habit shortens the life of it.

The reason I put on neutral is because I feel more comfortable breaking slowing with the breaks rather changing to lower gear and may cause the car to jerk. And sometimes I just like to coast without the engine noise. Call me a fool, but sometimes, I like to listen to my car when I’m driving.

[Mr_will]

im pretty sure this doesnt work with all trannies. even double clutching.


it will work with any manual transmission that has sycnchros - which is basically all manual transmissions.

chances are if you think it doesnt work, you arent having success matching the revs.

[aimre]

I have read this thread and dont agree that you use less fuel in gear than you do in neutral. My 06 Subaru Liberty I owned had a trip computer that also measured instantaneous fuel use, whilst coasting down hills even in fifth you were still using a few litres per 100k's , where as if I had it in neutral down the same hill, it was using less than 1 litre per 100k's just keeping the engine idling.


Depends how/where ure trip computer gets its info from. If its only using VAC, then thats why its giving you those reading.

On this note, an auto VS commo, when put in first down a hill will read its trip computer as 0.0L/100km

A little test you could try, only in a manual:

1. find a nice long hill
2. put it an a gear and coast down the hill
3. Turn your car off and listen for a change in engine note.

If there is, it means when u turned off your car, injectors went off, thus ur car DOESNT save fuel.

If there isnt a change, it means your engine had ALREADY stopped fuel to save it.

To all those worried bout the dangers, ONLY DO THIS IN A MANUAL, your brakes WILL still work, as there still is vacuum and there WILL be power steering as that operated by a belt


Also, chances are a CARBY engine wont save petrol

[80057]

Thanks 80057,
Answer to your question, I don’t ride the clutch. If I’m coasting to the lights and it goes green, I put it in a low gear, rev the engine a little for easy gear engagement. Most of the time, I manage to put in 3rd fairly easily without reving and take off at the lights. My 92 Civic isn’t fuel injected; I recently (12 months ago) rebuild the engine, but did not rebuild the gearbox. So I was wondering if my driving habit shortens the life of it.

The reason I put on neutral is because I feel more comfortable breaking slowing with the breaks rather changing to lower gear and may cause the car to jerk. And sometimes I just like to coast without the engine noise. Call me a fool, but sometimes, I like to listen to my car when I’m driving.

seems ppl are going alittle off course here, but anyway,

if your more comftable with it in neutral do it, everyone has a different driving style, and you are right about sometimes being jerky, especially in second gear, do drive how u want its your car, no issues with the gear box, only the clutch if the take off isnt smooth, everyones happy medium being jerk and to much clutch riding is different to, so its all opinion i think. have fun cruisin.

[ACTI0NMAN-1]

i was refering to the power output of the engine at higher revs to assist braking force, rather than the transmission being a load on the engine to slow you down.