Staying in gear at lights

swoofer

This is from the RAC and what I was told in 198....!!

1. Leave your car in gear at a red light

Admit it – if you’re stopped at traffic lights, do you wait with the clutch down, first gear engaged and your foot on the brake?

Even though you were told by your driving instructor that it’s a cardinal sin…

As well as wearing out your leg muscles, you’re also putting needless strain on the clutch.

It’s much better to put your car in neutral and apply the handbrake to keep it stationary.

When you put your car in neutral, the clutch is spared unnecessary wear and tear.

People often defend their actions by saying they leave their car in gear so they can make a quick getaway, but it only takes a second to put it back into gear as the lights change..

And the bit about getting shunted from the rear was also explained. ie when stationary put in neutral even in traffic queues.

glack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121156585#Comment_121156585

!00%. Switched to automatic earlier this year - just wish I did it sooner. Great for town/city driving. And just great in general.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121160135#Comment_121160135

Online I found estimates of 1-9% fuel saving for the journey for stop start depending on how large (fuel efficient) the engine, and long you're stopped, how heavy the traffic.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121158002#Comment_121158002

What?

You drive with the handbrake on??

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121155447#Comment_121155447

My car has a secondary battery for S/S, never been replaced in 11 years.

Larbre34

Yes, for a driving test, be in first gear, handbrake on, waiting for the light.

After that, never do it again.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121160671#Comment_121160671

I don't know how much better you'd fare with a handbrake on vs your foot on the brake in a rear end collision at a set of traffic lights.

If left in gear, the engine would cut out pretty fast if you dumped the clutch and then the car is in gear so provides resistence.

Having your foot on the brakes makes your car more visible to approaching traffic and locks all 4 wheels

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121160659#Comment_121160659

Only in turns....

Akrasia

OK...

To the OP, please don't advise your partner to do handbrake turns during her test 😂

Flinty997

No problems with progression though.

mikeecho

Personally, I'd have it in N, and handbrake on.. that's how I learned.

But almost everything is auto now, so, leave it in D with auto brake on.

Or if an EV, just keep foot on the brake./ stopped.

(Advanced driving can contradict conventional driving schools rule of thought.. I approach motorway junctions in the right lane, even if there's no traffic, blipping, vanishing points , the company is strong , etc. . Rip Mr whelan, you taught me well . If you know you know)

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121161821#Comment_121161821

(Advanced driving can contradict conventional driving schools rule of thought.. I approach motorway junctions in the right lane, even if there's no traffic, blipping, vanishing points , the company is strong , etc. . Rip Mr whelan, you taught me well . If you know you know)

I do that for junctions/merges I know to be busy and generally am proven right as there will be cars coming down the ramp by the time I'm passing under the flyover/bridge

It's also why I stay well away from the left lane on the M50 between J6 and J11... but I'm not gonna open that argument again 😂

65535

What actually happens in real life is that motorists stop at the junction and keep their foot on the brake pedal thereby showing brake lights at the rear - helping other drivers by showing them that they are stopped.

With regard to gears and clutch etc. that is really personal choice but best practice would be not to keep the clutch depressed therefore it should be out of gear.

For those of us that have moved to automatic (or electric) just brake and then go when lights change - as for being rear ended and having a handbrake - it's pointless having only the rear brakes engaged (in most cars the hand brake engages only the rear brakes) - also with the foot brake pressed the lights will show you are stopped and all 4 brake disks are engaged.

Flinty997

Brake do not show that you are stopped. But warn you that someone is braking, slowing. Hence they are much brighter than rear lights.

IMO brake lights (especially high ones) dazzling you while stopped in a queue is obnoxious.

If a handbrake is pointless. Why have it.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121168689#Comment_121168689

Please dont poke the bear(s) 🙏🙏🤣

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121155418#Comment_121155418

Stop / start can be switched off.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121176293#Comment_121176293

Stop start is ridiculously slow on one of our cars. We often turn it off. Though I've gotten into the habit of blipping the throttle at junctions to keep it on, or to wake it up.

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121176332#Comment_121176332

I could see the sense of it where you are going to be stuck in traffic for long times, but generally down the country at any rate, the stoppage times will be short. In some vehicles now, the mechanics of stop / start has changed, and the starter / flywheel is not used, but the alternator is used instead. So less wear and tear. Because, each and every time the starter is used, it wears both the flywheel and starter motor.

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121176293#Comment_121176293

Oh I switched mine off immediately...brought back PTSD of conking at the lights when learning 😂

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121176437#Comment_121176437

I really only let it do it's thing in a slow queue. I tend to avoid such scenarios.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121176582#Comment_121176582

Mine doesn't work half the time. Presuming because the car is used mostly for longer journeys and can be often parked up for a week. It seems to take a long journey to awaken it again

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121176654#Comment_121176654

No, you have a problem, and need to get it scanned to see what is causing it to behave like that. Its not normal, and needs to be checked, in case it's something more serious.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121177226#Comment_121177226

Its quite normal for stop start to take a while to start working. Several conditions need to be met before it will activate

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121178025#Comment_121178025

Yes, I understand that but the fact that its not operating as it should, means that these conditions are not being met, so therefore, there's a fault some where in the system. Its not something that I've ever experienced myself, or even heard of it TBH, but it it was happening in my car, then for sure, I'd be checking it out with an OBD scan. Anything affecting either brakes or steering needs immediate attention.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121178364#Comment_121178364

It’s not that it’s “not acting as it should “

It is acting, or not, exactly as it should.

There are multiple parameters that need to be met; engine temperature, battery charge, outside temperature, road incline, probably others. None are safety related.

Obviously different cars have different criteria, but there is never a need for diagnostics just because the stop/ start isn’t active.

Other warnings cover other issues.

jmreire

I under stand very well the problems generated by a faulty Battery, or charging system, which tends to shut down all non essential systems ( seems to be the case with the posters car) If this is the case, that would indicate to me that the car is several years old and the battery needs to be replaced, and the charging system checked. I've had two MB E class 220's. and I'm familiar about the problems and alarms that a low battery / charging system can cause. But once the underlying cause is rectified, they perform normally again.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121178364#Comment_121178364

It not due a service for a couple of months so in the meantime could I use the obd scanner I have permanently connected to my Leaf to read faults on the smax or would it be best to get a dedicated obd scanner?

jmreire

A Nissan Leaf? Is that an EV? If it is, I wouldn't touch the electric / diagnostic system. Its quite possible that it would work, especially if its plug and play type, but I cant answer that question. There's many OBD scanners out there, google and see what's available for Ford. I have an iCarsoft CR-Pro, which is mainly for MB, but you can scan most makes with it, and it has a good range of scans. Costs about €250, I think. For anyone doing a lot of work on VAG, a Ross-Tech reader would be the best one. But either one or another make should work for you. If no codes show, and the faults continue, then its time for a main dealer or an indy. They ( the indys) often have main dealership standard scanners ( under license) but not main dealer prices.