Crayon
Member
Everyone is free to do whatever shortcut they want. I'm just telling you the best practice. If you find downshifting such a bother, and never want to practice so that it is easy, then that's your prerogative.
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Driving manual: a few questions
- Thread starter Joel Was Right
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Everyone is free to do whatever shortcut they want. I'm just telling you the best practice. If you find downshifting such a bother, and never want to practice so that it is easy, then that's your prerogative.
Subpar Scrub
Banned
Pretty much.
Yes he does. If he wants to pass his test this is what he has to do. This is the issue Meus with not clarifying you're going to be doing a driving test in the UK. People not from here are going to give you frankly bad advice on how not to drive to pass your test.
Just worry about passing your test for now and driving how you're supposed to for it.
A lot of people seem to need automatic cars in this topic.
Because that is bad for the environment and your brakes. You need to brake on the engine.
Imagine your brakes malfunction, no gear in place means that the engine can't hold the car and decrease speed faster, conclusion you'll end up crashing into something
No it's not. You can let go of the clutch to the point the car holds itself. Then you move your foot from the brake to the gas.
not if you're european, if you want to drive, you always drive stick, automatic cars always have a hard time in the market
Yeah this is grinding my gears, people going in to neutral and braking, uuhhhhgh.
You never know when you'll need power, accidents happen quickly so you want to be prepared.
Rev matching, anyone?
Wait, people use hand-brake.....while moving, or is this a perpetuated misunderstanding in the thread? please no.
Pankratous
Member
I have a really bad habit of pressing the clutch in whenever I brake, even if I'm only braking to drop from 70 to 60. I've always known it's wrong but it's a habit I just can't seem to break. I need to actively think about it to not do it.
-Plasma Reus-
Service guarantees member status
OP you go to neutral, stop.
Thats it.
Dont worry about wearing out your breaks or whatever.
You will get in to an accident thinking about slowing down, changing to 2 then slowing down again. This could also be even more complicated if you're on a steep road. If you're in the UK it can get quite hilly, dont take the risk.
Thats it.
Dont worry about wearing out your breaks or whatever.
You will get in to an accident thinking about slowing down, changing to 2 then slowing down again. This could also be even more complicated if you're on a steep road. If you're in the UK it can get quite hilly, dont take the risk.
What?
You shift to neutral and press the brake.
wtf.
Edit: you only use the handbrake when parking, or when stopping while facing up on a steep slope.
Wait, why are some people saying you shouldn't brake in neutral? WTF?
This. Or if you have good torque, let the clutch out gently until fully engaged and the car will pull itself forward up the hill (may need to gas it a tiny bit) without needing to slip the clutch. My monster V8 lets me do this all the time, also crawls forward like an automatic in traffic with no gas needed. Using neutral for anything but stopping is bad.
Actually, the only rare use I have for neutral where letting off the gas doesn't work is rolling down steep hills on high speed freeways. My tires are extremely sticky and wide (tons of rolling resistance) and I have a super high compression motor which = massive engine braking, hence to roll down the hill without engine braking annoyingly slowing me down + being lazy, neutral can be useful to build speed down the hill. The S2000 and Evo have a similar problem, as do other high compression motors.
Opposite in America unless it's an enthusiast car.
Ideally in the city one should always be in 2nd or 3rd gear, 4th and beyond are really meant for 50-60+ mph highways.
It's a very bad habit that is decreasing the effectiveness of your braking ability and also causing you to have greatly reduced capability for movement. You have no control of the car if the throttle doesn't work.
Remember that the throttle and being able to move quickly can be the difference between life and death when it comes to driving in today's world with today's drivers. I have personally escaped many potential accidents by not braking but keeping my foot on the gas and manuevering the car away from or avoiding hazards.
Pankratous
Member
There is no reason to ever use first gear unless you are just getting moving
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
this is dumb, dangerous, and just bad driving skill all in one.
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
brake, when speed is sufficiently low, clutch down, (can change to 2nd here if you don't want to come to a stop) or continue braking to a stop and change to 1st or place in neutral.
It depends on the location. Some small climbing roads here are impossible if you don't shift to first gear, unless you got some insanely powerful vehicule.
I went automatic 2 years after learning to drive manual. It has made driving so stress free as I had a problem car before. Every time my manual would come to a stop it was a crap shoot of it stalling even though the clutch was fully disengaged. So many embarrassing moments, especially on roundabouts.
Now in an auto its like driving a cart, the only thing i miss is the rapid gear change a manual gives. Which is especially useful on motorways when you know you will need to pass another car quickly. It sucks having to wait for the computer to read your gas pedal to know what gear it needs to shift to.
Now in an auto its like driving a cart, the only thing i miss is the rapid gear change a manual gives. Which is especially useful on motorways when you know you will need to pass another car quickly. It sucks having to wait for the computer to read your gas pedal to know what gear it needs to shift to.
True Savior
Member
I think most modern cars have it but for a long time cars didnt have synchromesh gears on the 1st and reverse, so even if you wanted to, it would be resistant as fuck to downshift to 1st gear. Right now as long as you're going below the limit velocity of the gear you can probably downshift but, as a guy who mostly drive old cars, seems very redundant.
Never, ever shift to neutral whilst moving.
Christ, this thread is terrifying. So much over confidence in bad practice.
These things should not happen with a natural driver.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
The only use of neutral is when you're at a looooong red light or similar, and only after having already stopped using the clutch. Neutral while still rolling should never happen. For shorter stops just use the clutch and brakes. Some people say they put their car into neutral when parking, but I was taught (and everyone I know also does this) to put it into first gear, as an extra safety against the car rolling away on its own.
Pankratous
Member
I really hate people who leave their car in first when it turned off. They ask me to move their car and I go out and stall it.
Coasting in neutral down a hill can save a lot of fuel, especially if you don't have a tall gear ratio. Obviously not if you need the engine braking.
It depends on how good the clutch feel is and engine inertia, but I do the same for hill starts and hold the car on the brakes, let out clutch till I hear it start to grab, release the brakes and gently push the throttle. This also means a very smooth getaway which is invaluable in the winter.
You learn to do this the hard way in a cold country. A mechanical handbrake can freeze in subzero temperatures so I always, regardless of weather, put the car in gear.
John Kowalski
Banned
Uh, I've been braking in neutral to full stops all my life and I've never had any issue quickly shifting to the appropriate gear when necessary.
GamingKaiju
Member
Never coast you have no control over the vehicle.
When slowing press lightly on the brakes and shift down through the gears using the engine as a brake to slow quicker.
You can block change the gears 2nd to 4th when accelerating and 5th to 3rd when slowing as an example. Never, never stop in first gear it only causes a jolt of the engine when the gear engages. When pulling up to a stop you should be in 2nd as your speed drops the just before the stalling point press the clutch to come to a complete stop. Handbrake on!! If the car behind doesn't stop you'll be jolted further then if had the handbrake applied.
UK driver with PSV/HGV licenses.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
You ALWAYS depress the clutch when starting a car. That's one of the first things I learned.
Joel Was Right
If you smell burning, it's probably the generators acting up. Report it anyway.
New instructor today. No residential streets this time, took me right out into the roads.
Officially my 2nd proper lesson, and I struggled with shifting into the correct gear whilst driving (e.g. I'd want 2, but would shift into 4 accidentally). To combat this, he suggested I shift into neutral, then do the palm movement from that position (e.g. left, down to get to 2). I was able to do it this rather well after a while and had no mistakes following that.
Braking - I still need to improve this. Right now, I find that pressing down slowly (and holding it to that level) is not working; I'm not slowing down quickly enough, and so tend to press down on the brake a bit more causing a jolt in the car. This will my focus tomorrow.
Interestingly, he did not ask me to use a handbrake at all when stopping at junction. Nor did he ask me to shift down to 2nd gear, brake, clutch, 1st gear before moving off again. It was merely brake, clutch, 1st gear.
Officially my 2nd proper lesson, and I struggled with shifting into the correct gear whilst driving (e.g. I'd want 2, but would shift into 4 accidentally). To combat this, he suggested I shift into neutral, then do the palm movement from that position (e.g. left, down to get to 2). I was able to do it this rather well after a while and had no mistakes following that.
Braking - I still need to improve this. Right now, I find that pressing down slowly (and holding it to that level) is not working; I'm not slowing down quickly enough, and so tend to press down on the brake a bit more causing a jolt in the car. This will my focus tomorrow.
Interestingly, he did not ask me to use a handbrake at all when stopping at junction. Nor did he ask me to shift down to 2nd gear, brake, clutch, 1st gear before moving off again. It was merely brake, clutch, 1st gear.
Braking to a stop is the same as in an automatic car. The only difference is having to shift back into neutral before you do it. Otherwise, it's exactly the same...distance, pressure, everything.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
No. Breaks + clutch (once you hit low enough RPMs to need it, which you should simply feel).
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
You'll only need the handbrake when you're on a hill. Some keep the car standing on a hill using the bite point with their clutch but its clutch wear for no reason. Others press the brake pedal, problem here is you have to be quick in moving off as your car will roll as soon as you let go and can hit another behind or ahead. Just use handbrake. Safe, efficient and easy.
Which is what I said. You can go directly from 3rd to 1st. No need to granny shift like 3 -2 -1, modern cars allow block shifting.
TTOOLL
Member
Yep, "never use neutral unless you're stopped but I won't tell you why".
C'mon guys, if you are at 3rd but slow and needs to stop there's no reason to reduce to 2nd, just clutch and stop.
We're talking about braking to a stop. There's no reason to use the clutch at all, other than to shift to neutral.
Outside of the ten people that explained how this means you no longer have control over the car?
There is a reason to go to second and then to first: IT REDUCES WEAR ON YOUR BRAKES. Unless you have to do an emergency stop, always downshift first.
Wait. What? You have to shift to neutral first before braking? What?
Yeah, you guys are right. I goofed and should have proofed before posting.
Thinking about how I actually drive, I don't even do what I posted anyway. Clutch in first (while crawling but still in gear) and then into neutral after stopping. It makes so much sense I don't know how I fucked that up :S
Make a smooth application till you have reached the desired braking force instead of stomping on it. Because you're new just start braking earlier and slower than normal. As you improve you'll need to brake later and later. This way you also learn the brake pedal as they vary a lot from car to car.
Always try to improve. You WILL improve eventually, you just need practise.
Edit: Shift onto neutral while driving only when you know what you're doing and can seamlessly shift into gear from neutral.
Yeah I've always heard it was a safety thing, but I can't imagine a scenario where I'm coming to stop, likely with cars stopped in front of me, where I sense an accident about to happen, and I'm able to avoid it by accelerating away from it instantly. You can still maneuver some while coasting, and in most accident scenarios coming to a stop is the best thing you can do. Other cars aren't going to know wtf you are doing and accelerating away to avoid some accident before it happens is more likely to cause another. You're still engine braking until the RPMs drop in the current gear you're in so the window is just too small imo to be able to save or avoid anything.
Dee Dah Dave
Member
Cycle through the gears to use the engine for assisted braking. Never coast in neutral.
Be in the right gear at all times and you will lick an equivalent automatic on fuel economy.
Be in the right gear at all times and you will lick an equivalent automatic on fuel economy.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
I don't think I've ever shifted to neutral before coming to a stop. I keep the clutch depressed (once I'm going slow enough to need it) until I've stopped. If it's a very short stop I just keep the clutch depressed until I'm ready to go again (with the car now in first gear). If I'm parking, I'm gonna leave the car in first gear, so no neutral there either. Neutral really only ever comes into play in longer red light stops and such, since keeping the clutch depressed for that long gets old. But even then it only happens after I've come to a halt, never while I'm still rolling.
Nah.
It's mostly a bad habit. I know a lot of people who instinctively press the clutch down when braking even though it's redundant which really wears it down.
And if a car comes hurling behind you you're probably not able to shift quickly enough. That said, try to floor an automatic while coasting. Instead of accelerating it'll probably hang for a couple of seconds before accelerating, some much worse than others. Even if you're in a manual chances very little will happen unless you're in a low gear or have a direct throttle. Modern gas/diesel cars react really slowly when caught off guard.
If you are approaching a stop light shifting into nuetral and braking is fine. People around here are on something who keep saying to down shift all the way down. If you need more control (even though you are approaching a god damn stop light) guess what? Put her back in gear.
I drove my Honda for 13 years with the original clutch for 250k miles and rarely had to change brakes/pads (which are much cheaper than a clutch/tranny swap btw).
I drove my Honda for 13 years with the original clutch for 250k miles and rarely had to change brakes/pads (which are much cheaper than a clutch/tranny swap btw).
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