I have a 5spd 2k. When i'm coming to a stop light i usually just kick it out of gear and coast until i come to a stop then put it back in 1st. My friend said that it is a bad habit and that its bad for the transmission. I don't really see how it would be but i want to make sure. I'm new to manual think so I'm not sure

 

no its not bad. i used to do that on my manual all the time.

 

whew cause i do it all the time

-IgS

 

That's the best way!!!!!!! Down shifting is hard on the tranny.

 

IMHO, its better than just pushing in and holding the clutch in. What does he do while hes at a stop light?

By constantly keeping the clutch depressed you will wear out your throw out bearing sooner. Now granted I dont think it will really make a difference in the long run.

Keep driving the way you do, your friend is wrong about your driving style hurting the tranny.

 

In the long run it actually better because you are not riding anything except the brake pedal. I do the exact same thing. just don't treat the clutch pedal like a brake pedal. If you are in neutral you are not engaging the transmission, downshifting is bad on a tranny though

 

Agree that coasting in neutral is no problem, of course. Downshifting to slow is not necessarily harder on the transmission than accelerating is--same forces on gear faces and bearings apply. The transmission "can't tell" whether the engine is pushing against the ground or the ground is pushing against the engine. On the other hand the engine mounts and your clutch can tell the difference. This is why there is a school of thought that says use the easily replaceable brakes to slow the car and save your clutch for accelerating. This is especially true of drivers who drop the clutch after a down-shift, this can create larger forces during deceleration than are created during acceleration.

 

Thanks guys, he didn't actually tell me I was doing anything wrong, he just said thats what he does but its a bad habit hes trying to stop. He didn't know I did that

 

Not only is what everyone said here true. The last benifit you get from coasting is better gas mileage. Automatics also go into a kind of neutral when braking, if they didn't their MPG would be even worse.

 

Yeah...I can't see how that would be bad for the car. I myself like to keep it in gear, whether the clutch is in or not. That way I can quickly move in case of an emergency. Just personal preference.

Tony

 

I keep it in netural all the time...
When i am at a light...going down a hill...
just costing to a stop...
I haven't had a problem yet

 

what about in the snow? i'm new to my manual also and i've been told to keep it in gear. meaning downshift etc.

~eddie

 

I'm not sure what the general rule of thumb is for snow traction, but I'd suspect for our Maximas with ABS, using the brake pedal alone might be preferable while slowing down... however I'd probably prepare for anything by holding the clutch pedal down with the trans. in gear (cycling downward through gears as I slow down), just so I'm prepared to apply force if the situation requires. The cost of doing this (holding clutch pedal down to coast) is extra wear on the Throwout Bearing.

I definitely agree that for all other situations, throw it in neutral. If I have to go, I'll tap the throttle (double-clutching so it's easier to shift into gear from neutral), push the clutch pedal, throw it in gear, release it/push gas and go.

 

Don't worrie about snow...thats what the ABS is for...
You can down shift if you want...or keep it in a lower gear for the snow so you don't have to brake as much..
Just don't keep your foot resting on the clutch pedal in the down position...
Becuas thast not putting it in netural...thats bad for the clutch

 

He might have been thinking of an automatic or jsut assumed that it was bad for a manual as well.

 

Is coasting in neutral on an automatic a problem?
If so, please explain!

 

The trans will "automaticly" go into a neutral state when braking. Only when the car has comes to a stop or you give it gas will the clutch packs re-engage, in usually the correct gear. There is no need to move the shifter info neutral when braking in an auto unless you know there is a problem with the trans that needs attention.

 

You can down shift a manual when slowing down on any road conditions if you want to. That's your choice, MPG be damned
Just remember that down shifting while braking on snow can be inherently dangerous. The lost of traction during wheel spin that will happen at some point can have you sliding out of control in a heart beat. ABS doesn't help you if you’re sideways or spinning.

 

I sometimes leave it in Neutral when braking to a stop, but most of the time I just leave it in whatever gear I'm in and brake until the RPM hits 1000RPM, then I put the gear in neutral. I guess you can do it either way.

Downshifting is not that bad if you Rav match each time you downshift.

 

the only "problem" comes when you need to accelerate and are in neutral... if something happens (a truck behind you isn't slowing down for some reason) and you have to get out of the way, if you're in neutral you're screwed.

and this isn't that far fetched... my friend almost died when an 18-wheeler didn't stop and he booted it into the median and the truck CREAMED the car that was in front of my friend.

IMO, wait until you get to the intersection before putting it in neutral. If it's a stop sign you're going to go again quickly anyway, and if it's a red light, then you can leave it in neutral and release the clutch.