[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by netarchie

use the neutral method only and only if you are absolutely and absolutely sure that the road ahead is safe and nothing untoward can happen,

DONT USE NEUTRAL METHOD at all !!!!!!!!!!use neutral only when u at 0kph

[2fast4u]

Just a thought
In ur quest to increase Fuel efficiency by getting into Neutral fine. Do it Do it with full confidence of ur reflexes in a situation but
Please DONT TURN OFF the Engine when in Neutral to gain some more FE. i hope u know the consequences when u steer then.

[Jay]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

For the Hills ...SIMPLY NEVER GO DOWNHILL IN NEUTRAL ..even if engine on !!! . NEVER GO DOWNHILL IN NEUTRAL ..

when put to neutral while driving down a hill, the brakes wouldnt be able to slow down the car to desired safe speed limits.

Originally Posted by speedsatya

..use engine braking as much as possible ..this will give better control

Safety first...... FE next....

[revharder]

is there anything left to explain him?
i guess everything has been preached!

so lets see if he uses these lectures to his safety!

so mr. netarchie, please do tell us what you chose and why?!

[autozealot]

Never drive downhill in neutral. Use only the 2nd or the 3rd cog depending upon the inclination.

Avoid changing to neutral if your cars speed is above 20-25 kms/ hr whilst approaching a red light.

az

[karthik247]

Originally Posted by anupam00

Hi
To my opinion there is no problem regarding shifting of gears from 5th to nuetral at the speed of 80,100.. watever... Nothing happens to your car balance or ur barkes if you do it. moreover it would be good for your car mileage.

whether it is a expressway or downhill ensure that your engine is on.. that wat really matters. rest all is fine if u are comfortable in doing so.

Taking turns in neutral or in higher gears is not the best thing to do. Try hitting a curve in gear and in neutral. U'll know the result almost instantly.

Shifting to neutral suddenly will cause the car's revs to drop to idling rpm which is usually very low. When this happens u'll completely lose engine braking and will only have to rely on brakes which may not give the best results.

[Shan2nu]

I don't see any problem in shifting into neutral when approaching an expressway toll gate at a slow pace. U dont really need engine braking in such situations.

Engine braking is basically used for additonal braking power. If your car doesn't need that additional assistance, then you don't have to necessarily use it. It's not required all the time but, it's better you make it a habit.

But downshifting without revvmatching can cause more damage than shifting into neutral. Always revv match, to prevent premature clutch wear.

Shan2nu

[vivekiny2k]

I am also among the ones who use brake pads more than the engines. but hey, i don't brake much....as netarchie said, before 1000 mtrs if you prepare for stop, the rolling resistance itself is enough.

for sudden unexpected stops you have to use the brake anyways. u can't keep downshifting for the braking when you see a sudden crash in front of you.

I mean engine braking is for planned braking, while brake pad is for unplanned braking (mostly, i think).

downhill, i agree you can wear your brake pads out.

now, can somebody explain the same things for automatic drives? because that's what i am using now

[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

for sudden unexpected stops you have to use the brake anyways. u can't keep downshifting for the braking when you see a sudden crash in front of you.

I mean engine braking is for planned braking, while brake pad is for unplanned braking (mostly, i think).

Hey, Thats not true ... downshifting as a brake can save a lot of accidents . A lot of people tend to just stand on the brakes and forget the downshifting and thus leading to the wheels locking up whereas if you downshift at the same time while u break u reduce ur braking area drastically and sometimes thats the difference between an accident and a near miss !!! But yes it has to become a habit but once it does u'll feel much safer urself ... Try it out and see what I mean ...

Cheers

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

Hey, Thats not true

let me just bring some science to it.

the max retardation u can get is the limiting friction between the tyres and the road surface. doesn't matter whether it comes from the engine or the brake pad.

as long as u have brake pads which can get u past limiting friction (to level of skidding), i don't see how engine braking will be better equipped in case of a sudden crash scenario braking. the max retardation is still the same in both cases.

(waiting for comments, not giving out my verdict )

[rankoz350]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

u will have to brake much harder as the engine braking will not help

Can you explain 'engine braking' .....Are you talking about slowing down by cutting gears?

[karthik247]

Originally Posted by rankoz350

Can you explain 'engine braking' .....Are you talking about slowing down by cutting gears?

Yes...say while driving in 4th gear at 3000rpm and u suddenly downshift to 3rd gear, ur revs will shoot up but arnd 2000rpm. This will kinda create a braking effect and will help a lot if u do this while hitting a curve hard. It'll sort of make u have more control of the car. And since it creates that braking effect, it will obviously result in better braking..

Note that if u downshift suddenly from 4th to 2nd and the revs don't match, u could be looking for a blown engine/clutch/gearbox.

[Shan2nu]

the max retardation u can get is the limiting friction between the tyres and the road surface. doesn't matter whether it comes from the engine or the brake pad.

Thats true, but engine braking reduces the load on your brake pads. This prevents them from wearing out quickly.

Engine braking on a slope is a diff story altogether. If you apply the brakes constantly on a downhill section, the brake fluid might heat up to such an extent that it starts to boil. When this happens, you experience somthing called "Brake Fade". Which means that your braking efficiency reduces by a large %. Using engine braking, prevents the chances of this happening.

I engine brake for 2 reasons.

1. To save the brakes.
2. To stay within the powerband, such that i get the max acceleration out of the corner i just decelerated for.

Shan2nu

[hsmraj]

On a road without any incline, I typically use the clutch to release the engine when I know I have to stop a few hundred meters ahead. When I slow down sufficiently, I change the gear or break. This is primarily for smoother non-jerky ride. However, during normal driving, I do not put my foot on the clutch. I am not sure why this is a bad idea. Ofcourse, doing this downhill is very very dangerous and I would'nt do that.

[Surprise]

If i see a toll gate 1000 mts ahead while travelling at a speed of 80 kmph. Just i will remove my foot from the acceleration pedal & slowly apply the break, till it goes to the stage of knocking before which I press the clutch and turn it to neutral.