Coasting

macplaxton

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Okay, i'll just say that i think it's bad practise not to change down when coming to a stop at lights, you're supposed to change down through the gears to benefit from the braking of the engine as well as the brakes, also stopping in fourth would result in some serious coasting. And as for turning corners, change down well in advance to what you're doing now as you're obviously doing it too late. Good luck on thursday!;)

Disagree. That's very old school - taught back in the days of poor brakes. Coming to a definite stop in 4th would be fine.

Gears to go. Brakes to slow.

I was taught 17 years ago in the UK that brake pads were cheaper than gearboxes. The only time you would use engine braking was on going down steep descents.

If you add up all the coasting you're a doing in each gear change down, then it probably amounts to more than the slightly earlier point at which you'd depress the clutch coming to a halt in fourth.

Scottie99

wil wrote: »

Coasting is a dangerous bad habit, leads to serious accidents.
Next door neighbour wrote off her boyfs car coasting in to a pole outside the gate.
Most modern cars wont stall in any gear until you are at a quite low speed.
Main reason for changing down is to be in the correct gear for continuing or moving off again.
If you have to constantly declutch to prevent stalling, you are probably in wrong gear. Riding the clutch wears it out.
I dont think there is any one method that suits all situations, so changing down or not will be dependent on your driving conditions and situation developing around you.
Brakes are spelt "brakes", anything else is "broken"

Seems to me your neighbours boyfriends problem was a steering one

prodigal_son

I learnt quite recently, and they still want you to stop in second, however there are different reasons for it now, although engine braking is still important and even today for an emergency stop you have to wait till the last second to press the clutch as the engine assists with the braking.

Simply put, you stop in second as its easier to continue moving if the light turns green or the traffic starts moving. Youre in a "ready to go" position and they like this.

They dont like you coming to a stop in a high gear, and then snatching it into second at the last minute to keep going, they see this as potentially dangerous.

Coasting is any time you have momentum without the engine power going to the wheels. Taking too long on the clutch while changing gear is coasting.

Its not hard to do a smoother quicker gear change, just practice doing the whole lot that little bit quicker.

bonkey wrote: »

What do you consider coasting? As I said above, my car will travel less than 2m from having the clutch fully depressed to when it is at a complete standstill. That is in 4th or 5th gear.

Do you consider 2m to be coasting? I can pretty-much guarantee that no matter how fast you change gears, at higher speeds you are travelling far more than 2m with the car out of gear.

Thats coasting, Ideally they prefer you to push the clutch in at the point of stopping, not before.

In the ideal example, you go down to second, either through 3rd or by skiping it, and then gently on the brakes, as the engine struggles, thats where you stop, by pushing the brake down further with the clutch.

The first few times doing it, you will nearly panic for fear of stalling, but after you do it a few times, it makes sense, and it becomes second nature. But after a while you will be timing your stops 2m further on, and wont be coasting.

dugout16

Dr Lektroluv wrote: »

Another thing, if you are 1st in a line of traffic stopped at red lights, it's ok to have the clutch pressed in and in 1st gear (With the handbrake up) - this is not considered 'coasting' even though it is having the clutch pressed in 'unnecessarily' so to speak.

Is this definately ok?

dugout16

dugout16 wrote: »

Is this definately ok?

It is not only ok, it is what they want you to do at the head of the queue.
Coasting is moving with the clutch unnecessarily depressed.

dugout16

And what if you were the second car in the line...what is the correct procedure?

dugout16

dugout16 wrote: »

And what if you were the second car in the line...what is the correct procedure?

Handbreak and out of gear.

The reason you do it, is so that you can get away quickly when the lights turn.
The second driver has time to get ready while your pulling away.

dugout16

Thanks, and what about a situation like this....you're moving in a long slow moving line of traffic. Say you're moving a few metres at a time, then maybe stopping for a few seconds and moving on a few metres again. During the few seconds that you stop what should you do? would it be ok to stay in 1st gear with handbreak?

chris85

dugout16 wrote: »

Thanks, and what about a situation like this....you're moving in a long slow moving line of traffic. Say you're moving a few metres at a time, then maybe stopping for a few seconds and moving on a few metres again. During the few seconds that you stop what should you do? would it be ok to stay in 1st gear with handbreak?

If stopped for a few seconds just press the foorbrake and go into first only after stopping (i.e. stop in any other gear than first)

dugout16

and is it ok then just to be stopped there with the clutch pressed, in first gear and foot on brake? No need for handbrake?

chris85

dugout16 wrote: »

and is it ok then just to be stopped there with the clutch pressed, in first gear and foot on brake? No need for handbrake?

if for a few seconds. You are going to be moving in a second so would take longer engaging handbrake and all that. You dont need to apply the handbrake everytime you stop.