Whats your method when you downshift

Chuck33079 · 02-22-2017, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guyfromthere

Clutch in > slow down to your desired speed with brake pedal > put in appropriate gear > clutch pedal out. Really basic stuff that you should've been tought in driving school. You can go from 6th to 2nd it doesn't matter or 6th to neutral if going to full stop.

I've had a lot of instructors tell me this is bad advice, as you are in neutral if something unexpected occurs. You have to put the car back in gear to get out of the way. They recommended engine braking in gear instead.

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazy4oldcars

A codicil to the op's question:
When you're sitting at a red light, and you know it will be a slow one, do you leave it in gear with the clutch in, or in neutral? Also, assuming no roll, brakes on, or not?
Curiosity, as 45 years of habits aren't going to change.

Kirk B.

Put it in neutral. It's bad for the throw out bearing to hold it in through a red light. These cars have enough clutch issues without the user making them worse.

Raeshlavik · 02-22-2017, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck33079

I've had a lot of instructors tell me this is bad advice, as you are in neutral if something unexpected occurs. You have to put the car back in gear to get out of the way. They recommended engine braking in gear instead.

I heard that a lot too, back in the road-going dinosaur era of my youth.

But today's turbo-slinging less-displacement-than-a-soda-bottle engines actually have warnings against compression braking. I think this is because there's no real compression in the engine when it's not under boost, so people wind up reving the nuts off of 'em for no real reason.

My Abarth is like this; if you down shift to slow down - nothing happens other than the tach hitting 6k.

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