Switching to Neutral Gear when Braking in an Automatic Good/Bad?
07-14-2005, 05:36 PM
#1
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Switching to Neutral Gear when Braking in an Automatic Good/Bad?
So my brakes squeal and are otherwise pretty pathetic generic pads. I was wondering, since I got a heavy foot, someone told me they do it all the time. For those of you who want to be sure about the question, I'm asking whether it's a good idea (in terms of preserving my overall car) to shift to Neutral whenever I'm going to brake hard (or soft, give me as many views as you like). Does this actually have any affect (positive or negative), and someone did suggest this, but i'm always iffy about radical ideas...
07-14-2005, 06:21 PM
#3
Originally Posted by Xservice0183
So my brakes squeal and are otherwise pretty pathetic generic pads. I was wondering, since I got a heavy foot, someone told me they do it all the time. For those of you who want to be sure about the question, I'm asking whether it's a good idea (in terms of preserving my overall car) to shift to Neutral whenever I'm going to brake hard (or soft, give me as many views as you like). Does this actually have any affect (positive or negative), and someone did suggest this, but i'm always iffy about radical ideas...
basically think of it like this......when your drivin and your just cruisin at a constant speed......in drive Im assuming.........when you take your foot off of the gas the car slows itself down right??? Try to cruise at a constant speed and pop it into neutral, the car will coast a lot further before slowing itself down.
07-14-2005, 07:32 PM
#4
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Originally Posted by Drivin Maxima
in an auto...........yeah its bad........also, its not a good idea cause when the car is in neutral, its just a big mass of metal and whatnot that will react to gravity. If your goin say 55 and have to stop suddenly and pop it into neutral, then the car is just gonna wanna keep goin, with nuttin ither then brakes to stop it. If you think physics a lil here, a body in motion tends to stay in motion unless its acted against. If your still in drive, then the natural workings of the engine of wanting to return to idle will actually help you slow down. Its kinda like gearing down a manual when slowing down.
basically think of it like this......when your drivin and your just cruisin at a constant speed......in drive Im assuming.........when you take your foot off of the gas the car slows itself down right??? Try to cruise at a constant speed and pop it into neutral, the car will coast a lot further before slowing itself down.
basically think of it like this......when your drivin and your just cruisin at a constant speed......in drive Im assuming.........when you take your foot off of the gas the car slows itself down right??? Try to cruise at a constant speed and pop it into neutral, the car will coast a lot further before slowing itself down.
I would not do the neutral shifting though. People with autos should come to terms with the fact that it's not a manual; just let it do what it wants to do.
07-14-2005, 07:55 PM
#5
Originally Posted by godlyone
in an automatic.. i think going to drive/nuetral all the time will ruin the tranny..
in manual.. what you described is exactly what we do ..
in manual.. what you described is exactly what we do ..
shifting to neutral gives you less traction and will do nothing but harm to an automatic trans.
07-14-2005, 08:08 PM
#6
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no.. most people go into neutral and use the brakes..
downshifting is an extra wear on the clutch and is not as smooth...
so you are coming to a red light.. what would you downshift to?
you need to come to a stop.. so at most.. you would downshift to 2nd.. then to neutral and stop.. no point.
downshifting is an extra wear on the clutch and is not as smooth...
so you are coming to a red light.. what would you downshift to?
you need to come to a stop.. so at most.. you would downshift to 2nd.. then to neutral and stop.. no point.
07-14-2005, 08:11 PM
#7
Originally Posted by godlyone
no.. most people go into neutral and use the brakes..
downshifting is an extra wear on the clutch and is not as smooth...
so you are coming to a red light.. what would you downshift to?
you need to come to a stop.. so at most.. you would downshift to 2nd.. then to neutral and stop.. no point.
downshifting is an extra wear on the clutch and is not as smooth...
so you are coming to a red light.. what would you downshift to?
you need to come to a stop.. so at most.. you would downshift to 2nd.. then to neutral and stop.. no point.
07-14-2005, 08:19 PM
#8
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Originally Posted by godlyone
in an automatic.. i think going to drive/nuetral all the time will ruin the tranny..
in manual.. what you described is exactly what we do ..
in manual.. what you described is exactly what we do ..
Just as an aside, my wife had the bad habit of de-clutching from any speed when braking, and one time we were on an interstate in a VW camper, 4 speed, and the wife says "the car won't slow down", and I said the return spring had broken, as the gas pedal was on the floor,so she procedes to declutch, and the engine went to 10,000 rpm before I got to the ignition switch! Needless to say the engine needed all new pushrods, etc. Earl
07-15-2005, 12:55 AM
#11
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Some of you don't even know how to drive. Most people I see on the street what they do is as soon as the green hits they try to hurry to the next light which is red, then they brake like hell to stop. The only time I'd put the car in neutral is if I'm going down a hill which I know of and has a lot of braking distance. I went down from a hill that goes 2.5 miles. I had the car in neutral all the way down, it was like a rolling ball, no resistance whatsoever. When I was in the clear and could see 1 mile down straight i let go off the brakes and it got to 85mph in neutral. Never pressed the gas once.
07-15-2005, 03:50 AM
#12
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Originally Posted by E-CARP
A manual trans should be left in gear to below 15mph, and preferably downshifted to use all the engine braking you can to prolong the life of the brakes.
07-15-2005, 04:19 AM
#13
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Sounds like someone is on a good path to expensive transmission work. Drive an Auto in D, popping it into neutral will actually make your brakes work harder to get your vehicle to stop, thus leaving you with a situation where you'll eventually have to find a shop that services both brakes and transmissions.
Who's the MORON
who is teaching you this $hit...
Who's the MORON
who is teaching you this $hit...
07-15-2005, 04:25 AM
#14
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If this is what new young drivers are doing, I will solicit car manufactures to put the auto shifter back on the column so people will stop playing with it...
07-15-2005, 05:38 AM
#15
werd. i have a bad habbit as doing this as well.
but what i do is, when the car is at a complete stop at a light, i then put it in nuetral so i could rest my foot off the brakes? is that bad for an auto as well or no?
but what i do is, when the car is at a complete stop at a light, i then put it in nuetral so i could rest my foot off the brakes? is that bad for an auto as well or no?
07-15-2005, 06:10 AM
#16
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Originally Posted by 2 Da Max
werd. i have a bad habbit as doing this as well.
but what i do is, when the car is at a complete stop at a light, i then put it in nuetral so i could rest my foot off the brakes? is that bad for an auto as well or no?
but what i do is, when the car is at a complete stop at a light, i then put it in nuetral so i could rest my foot off the brakes? is that bad for an auto as well or no?
07-15-2005, 06:50 AM
#17
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Posts: 27
Manual and braking
Well i agree with the rest on the leave it in D if it is an auto.
For a standard if you are just putting it in neutral and braking .. ya it will save your clutch and mess your brakes alot faster. I would say learn how to drive a standard right and rev match when downshifting.. that will use the clutch but not very much if your good. that is why all the expensive cars that have that tiptronic crap do it for you.. bip the gas bring it up to the rpm it would be at if you were in a lower gear and let out the clutch. it does take some practice but i can do it as smooth as putting it in neutral.. and costing/braking.. try it!!
it is also ver good for going into a corner .. rev match as your going in and accelerate out.. just like the pros do!!
anyway .. thats my 2 cents.. take it or leave it!
For a standard if you are just putting it in neutral and braking .. ya it will save your clutch and mess your brakes alot faster. I would say learn how to drive a standard right and rev match when downshifting.. that will use the clutch but not very much if your good. that is why all the expensive cars that have that tiptronic crap do it for you.. bip the gas bring it up to the rpm it would be at if you were in a lower gear and let out the clutch. it does take some practice but i can do it as smooth as putting it in neutral.. and costing/braking.. try it!!
it is also ver good for going into a corner .. rev match as your going in and accelerate out.. just like the pros do!!
anyway .. thats my 2 cents.. take it or leave it!
07-15-2005, 11:27 AM
#18
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Wow, thanks for all the replies and sharing your knowledge Everyone! My old man, which I consult with a good 95% of my ideas with, said the same thing; basically I have more stopping power when I'm in '[D]rive', I think his basis for it was that while it's in this gear the transmission is engaged, but in neutral there's nothing there. 
Rest assured, i'll take all your advice and never do this to my Maxima, maybe to my mom's subaru...
Rest assured, i'll take all your advice and never do this to my Maxima, maybe to my mom's subaru...
07-15-2005, 11:30 AM
#19
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Originally Posted by Xservice0183
Wow, thanks for all the replies and sharing your knowledge Everyone! My old man, which I consult with a good 95% of my ideas with, said the same thing; basically I have more stopping power when I'm in '[D]rive', I think his basis for it was that while it's in this gear the transmission is engaged, but in neutral there's nothing there.
Rest assured, i'll take all your advice and never do this to my Maxima, maybe to my mom's subaru...
Rest assured, i'll take all your advice and never do this to my Maxima, maybe to my mom's subaru...
07-15-2005, 02:44 PM
#20
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Originally Posted by Xservice0183
My old man, which I consult with a good 95% of my ideas with, said the same thing; basically I have more stopping power when I'm in '[D]rive', I think his basis for it was that while it's in this gear the transmission is engaged, but in neutral there's nothing there.
Pump your brakes 2 or 3 times with the engine off and you'll see what I mean.
Your engine is basically an air pump. Keep it pumping and you get power out of it. The more air you put through it, the more power it makes.
07-25-2005, 06:12 PM
#22
Originally Posted by Mxrider52
Better hope you dont have to make a quick get go if someone flying up behind you that gonna possible hit you being in neutral aint such a good idea unless it a manual
Translation: I think what he is saying is what happens if you need to do an emergency maneuver to avoid getting rearended or possibly hitting something or someone in front of you by accelerating around it or getting out of the way? If you're in neutral and in a panic situation, you may find yourself revving, but not going anywhere since you forgot to put the car back into D.
07-25-2005, 06:20 PM
#23
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Originally Posted by Brushedpewter
Some of you don't even know how to drive. Most people I see on the street what they do is as soon as the green hits they try to hurry to the next light which is red, then they brake like hell to stop. The only time I'd put the car in neutral is if I'm going down a hill which I know of and has a lot of braking distance. I went down from a hill that goes 2.5 miles. I had the car in neutral all the way down, it was like a rolling ball, no resistance whatsoever. When I was in the clear and could see 1 mile down straight i let go off the brakes and it got to 85mph in neutral. Never pressed the gas once.
Just stick it in 3rd or what ever that gives you the proper ratio so your coasting and not engine braking.
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