Do you use your gear box when slowing down or stopping?
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Do you use your gear box when slowing down or stopping?
The following two paragraphs are from the article "On the road" by Gordon Booth, posted to NorCalAudiClub yahoo group.
"Two points worth raising are both speed and gear related. How many times do you see people approaching a stop sign and changing from 5th to 4th to 3rd and even 2nd before coming to a stop, and then selecting 1st? Brake the car to a halt using your brakes - they are much cheaper to replace than your gearbox or clutch. Brake to slow, gas to go."
I use my gearbox to slow down whether I am going to stop or not. I think it is safer to use two systems to slow down.
Note that using only the brakes requires shifting to neutral to avoid stalling the car. I wouldn't want to have a 3000 pound car approaching to a stop sign on neutral. What do you think?
I agree with the following paragraph and do as suggested.
"Further, be prepared to "block change" the gears. Go from 4th directly into 2nd if that is the right gear at the right speed for the hazard or junction. In this case, consciously miss 3rd gear."
Ali
"Two points worth raising are both speed and gear related. How many times do you see people approaching a stop sign and changing from 5th to 4th to 3rd and even 2nd before coming to a stop, and then selecting 1st? Brake the car to a halt using your brakes - they are much cheaper to replace than your gearbox or clutch. Brake to slow, gas to go."
I use my gearbox to slow down whether I am going to stop or not. I think it is safer to use two systems to slow down.
Note that using only the brakes requires shifting to neutral to avoid stalling the car. I wouldn't want to have a 3000 pound car approaching to a stop sign on neutral. What do you think?
I agree with the following paragraph and do as suggested.
"Further, be prepared to "block change" the gears. Go from 4th directly into 2nd if that is the right gear at the right speed for the hazard or junction. In this case, consciously miss 3rd gear."
Ali
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I use the gearbox to drive and brake.........You need to be able to apply power at all
times in order to be a good driver.
I understand what they are pointing out, but if you are not jamming into a lower gear so that your revs are jumping to redline, you should be fine.
I understand what they are pointing out, but if you are not jamming into a lower gear so that your revs are jumping to redline, you should be fine.
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I usually downshift and often double clutch on down shift. I happen to think you are in a much...
...better position for defensive maneuvers, etc. if you have the car in gear. I believe that what he says is true about the longevity of the tranny, clutch, etc., but I still like to downshift. I think if you do it smoothly you're not going to be wearing those parts out much faster than of you don't.
I also downshift from 6th to 4th and 5th to 3rd a lot. Probably more than I do a single gear downshift.
I also downshift from 6th to 4th and 5th to 3rd a lot. Probably more than I do a single gear downshift.
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Ever heard of a Neutral Drop =D
Auto trannies generally will shift into the appropriate gear for accell for the given speed rpm.
Auto trannies do not benefit from engine braking unless it is a setup like Tiptrnonic or similar like 225TTR's AMG SLK
Auto trannies do not benefit from engine braking unless it is a setup like Tiptrnonic or similar like 225TTR's AMG SLK
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Since I am used to using the gear box, I feel unsafe when braking in an automatic car.
[This was meant to be a response for the auto-tranny post 
]
They are always at very low revs when breaking.
]They are always at very low revs when breaking.
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This is fascinating, so if you are traveling in two identical cars....
same brakes, etc., except one has a manual and one has a traditional auto tranny (not tiptronic or like Ellen's) and you brake full force from say 70mph, only difference being that in the car with the manual trans, you down-shift concurrently, that car should stop sooner, right? Due to the addition of engine braking??? Any idea what the added gain might be, on average? 10-20-30% longer distances to come to a stop?
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I think you would have to be a tremendously accurate and agressive...
...downshifter to realize any stopping distance benefit from downshifting while braking. I would say that you are more likely to have less brake wear stopping in the same distance or even longer using engine braking.