Driving test question

lydiabehan

Hi there,

I have my test coming up in 2 weeks and have a quick question.

What exactly is considered as coasting? I've searched through this forum but many people seem to disagree with how you should come to a stop. If I am in 3rd or 4th gear and coming to a stop and put my foot on the clutch just before the car starts to shudder, is this considered as coasting? If the car shudders, is this marked against you as bad clutch/gear control?

I'm doing my test in Wicklow which is bad enough without worrying about whether the tester is marking me down for coasting

Thanks in advance for any help!

Wishbone Ash

lydiabehan wrote: »

If I am in 3rd or 4th gear and coming to a stop and put my foot on the clutch just before the car starts to shudder, is this considered as coasting?

No that's not coasting. Many learners find themselves in the wrong gear approaching a corner for instance and, instead of selecting the correct gear, they simply apply the clutch and 'free-wheel' around it.

If you car begins to 'shudder', you've left it too late to clutch.

lydiabehan

Ah right, that clears things up a bit. Thanks for the reply!

Magenta

Basically, you only use the clutch to change gear or when coming to a complete stop. Using it any other time is coasting.

**Timbuk2**

Another question (sorry for butting into the thread, OP!).

In my instructors car, if you go slowly in 2nd gear, the car will begin to shudder and jerk forward. I don't mean when stopping, but if I am approaching a really bad bend I'd slow down, block change from 4th to 2nd, and then keep my foot fully off the clutch and start turning. But the car starts jerking slightly, so the temptation is to put your foot on the clutch, but of course you can't coast around a corner?
Is this normal? Downshifting to 1st isn't really a solution as it tends to slow the car down a lot.
Funnily, I don't have this problem with the '98 Toyota Starlet that I practice in (my mother's car). It can tolerate 2nd gear at quite low speeds. The instructor's car is an '09 Opel Corsa.

Reloc8

I'd say if its happening on a really bad bend as you describe you might need to change down to first - that is presuming that you do need to bring the speed down as much as you are, to cause the car to shudder in second. I know you say that's not an option but if the car is coming onto cutting out in the gear which you're in, you're too slow for that gear.

Could it be perhaps that the 'really bad bends' you are practicing on in the instructor's care are uphill ? Moreover, ask him/her what's going on.

ADI34722

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Another question (sorry for butting into the thread, OP!).

In my instructors car, if you go slowly in 2nd gear, the car will begin to shudder and jerk forward. I don't mean when stopping, but if I am approaching a really bad bend I'd slow down, block change from 4th to 2nd, and then keep my foot fully off the clutch and start turning. But the car starts jerking slightly, so the temptation is to put your foot on the clutch, but of course you can't coast around a corner?
Is this normal? Downshifting to 1st isn't really a solution as it tends to slow the car down a lot.
Funnily, I don't have this problem with the '98 Toyota Starlet that I practice in (my mother's car). It can tolerate 2nd gear at quite low speeds. The instructor's car is an '09 Opel Corsa.

Being an instructor myself we come across this question all the time. Coasting is considered over use of the clutch when coming to a complete stop. IE Too far from a stopline and freewheeling to a stop. It sounds like what your doing is correct and using the clutch just the car begins to "Shutter".

Another example of coasting is knocking the car into neutral before the car stops. What i recommend is at ALL times during the test the car is not to be sitting in neutral with the handbreak off.

As for the 2nd gear question. Is the car a Diesal. If so then earlier use of the clutch would be required to prevent the engine from stalling. If you are moving in very slow moving traffic and fear the car may stall you do have the option to stop and engage 1st.

**Timbuk2**

ADI34722 wrote: »

As for the 2nd gear question. Is the car a Diesal. If so then earlier use of the clutch would be required to prevent the engine from stalling. If you are moving in very slow moving traffic and fear the car may stall you do have the option to stop and engage 1st.

No, it's a petrol! Why would you have to stop in traffic to engage first? Could I not just put it into 1st while moving?

ADI34722

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

No, it's a petrol! Why would you have to stop in traffic to engage first? Could I not just put it into 1st while moving?

Well it does depend on the situation your in, but think of it like this. 1st gear is not a driving gear rather a starting gear. You should avoid driving in it for extended periods. Plus if you get the down change wrong and are travelling too fast it could cause the car to wreatch back and forward and thats the last thing you want on your test.

If the traffic is moving slow enough you should be able to put the car in second and with no power (gas), and the clutch should push you along nicely. This works in our Honda Jazz, VW Polo, My 1998 BMW and my fiance's 1994 Mini Cooper.

If you could describe in more detail the situation your finding yourself in i.e traffic, turning in a housing estate, i might be able to help more.

**Timbuk2**

Thanks for replying! I understand what you are saying, that first gear usually results in the car slowing way down (and not slowing down smoothly!).

This sometimes happens if I am driving, and approach an extremely slow queue of traffic. They are inching along, but are not stopped. I approach them in 3rd gear, change down to 2nd and start to crawl along too. Except for the fact that I'm in 2nd, and the car doesn't like going at that speed in 2nd gear, without at least putting your foot on the clutch (which would be coasting!)

ADI34722

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Thanks for replying! I understand what you are saying, that first gear usually results in the car slowing way down (and not slowing down smoothly!).

This sometimes happens if I am driving, and approach an extremely slow queue of traffic. They are inching along, but are not stopped. I approach them in 3rd gear, change down to 2nd and start to crawl along too. Except for the fact that I'm in 2nd, and the car doesn't like going at that speed in 2nd gear, without at least putting your foot on the clutch (which would be coasting!)

Yea this also happens from time to time so what i would imagine you would need to do is actually come to a stop behind the slow moving car and re-engage 1st. It will make sence if you try it.