blimey!!! is this thread still going???? i unsubcribed from this one ages ago! without wanting to spend an hour reading it again can sombody tell me what the conclusion was please??

If I change down a gear at a time, approaching a roundabout at speed, I know at every point which gear matches my speed best, and I use brakes as well, but sparingly. If I slow down using just brakes, I have to guess at the last minute which gear to grab to get moving again quickly and get the roundabout out of the way and be accelerating again. Now a lot of the time that'd be intuitive, but sometimes it wouldn't - such as if a gap appears that I can slide into without stopping, but needing to be synchronised with my arrival at the roundabout. I just prefer the extra control of being in the appropriate gear for the speed, whether going faster or slower. Not saying everybody should drive the same way, but that's my method. It's served me well over the years.

On an IaM course or similar, I'd expect to be told to change it, and for sedate IaM style driving would probably have no difficulty doing so, but when I want to have fun, I'd revert to this method. Shame on me, no doubt

@Tom, there hasn't been one yet. Didn't know people actually subscribed to threads - your mailbox must be manic! :eek:

Wow, I really can't be bothered reading all this!!

Yes I do tend to use gears to slow down, sometimes if its night time and quiet I dont brake at all when coming up to traffic lights if I can help it, just a lil bit to actually stop!! I always feel like I'm wearing my brake pads if I just brake! and I don't like showing people my brake lights! If I need to stop in a hurry then I just brake obviously!

ooh ooh!! I have another poll!!

Do you sit in 1st with your foot on the clutch when you're at traffic lights??

I don't, a) it makes my leg ache and I was told it isn't good for your clutch!

I'll put it in first when I'm expecting the lights to change though!

If I change down a gear at a time' date=' approaching a roundabout at speed, I know at every point which gear matches my speed best, and I use brakes as well, but sparingly. If I slow down using just brakes, I have to guess at the last minute which gear to grab to get moving again quickly and get the roundabout out of the way and be accelerating again. Now a lot of the time that'd be intuitive, but sometimes it wouldn't - such as if a gap appears that I can slide into without stopping, but needing to be synchronised with my arrival at the roundabout. I just prefer the extra control of being in the appropriate gear for the speed, whether going faster or slower. Not saying everybody should drive the same way, but that's my method. It's served me well over the years.

On an IaM course or similar, I'd expect to be told to change it, and for sedate IaM style driving would probably have no difficulty doing so, but when I want to have fun, I'd revert to this method. Shame on me, no doubt [/quote']

I must say I totally agree with you on this one:thumbup:

That is probably why I have never achieved more than 48mpg out of my Fabia

I cant believe I agree with you, especially as you refused my soh:rolleyes:

Wow, I'm speechless

(I'll have another think about the SOH)

Police response drives are far from stereotypical IAM sedate They are trained to brake late and firmly (so that they can pull up to a stop if needed) until the vision opens up. Once it does, match the gear to the current speed and accelerate smoothly through the roundabout. This way, there is only a single "optimum" gear change. I used to use gears to go down the box, but after seeing it done "properly" I can't go back

At the end of the day, if it works for you and you're comfortable, why change

Chris

I've been in a couple of cars driven by them

ooh ooh!! I have another poll!!

Do you sit in 1st with your foot on the clutch when you're at traffic lights??

I was told not to and I try to knock it into neutral, but it depends how fast a getaway I'm looking at

Chris

How about this one: my old driving instructor taught me to use the handbrake at traffic lights when facing uphill, but only the footbrake when heading downhill.

Re 1st gear - depends how long the wait looks like it's going to be. If it goes out of gear, the handbrake also goes on.

I put the Z into neatrual at the lights most of the time - mainly because the clutch is so fookin heavy :(

How about this one: my old driving instructor taught me to use the handbrake at traffic lights when facing uphill, but only the footbrake when heading downhill.

I was taught to hold on the footbrake if it's a "short" stop and the handbrake in all other circumstances.

Chris

I dont think I was told anything about what to do with the handbrake lol! I tend to put in neutral though if I can. Wasn't taught to slow down with gears, I just do it!

Do you sit in 1st with your foot on the clutch when you're at traffic lights??

ther's two schools of thought again but this is the way i see it.... if you are at the traffic lights in first gear with your foot on the brake what happens if sombody hits the back of your car??? your foot might slip of the pedal and the car could lurch forwards onto a busy junction.....

and as for wearing out the clutch quicker.... i dont really think it makes a lot of difference, but it will wear out the release bearing quicker tho..

How will it wear the release bearing? :confused:

Er - same as any bearing gets worn, by turning under load. :confused:

Clutch depressed - diaphragm fingers are held in tension by the release bearing on the end of the release arm. Bearing spins, with load applied - wear occurs. Ye cannae change the laws of physics, Jim!

How will it wear the release bearing? :confused:

because where the clutch is depressed the release bearing presses against the 'fingers' on the pressure plate. and if you are spending a lot of time with the clutch depressed it wears out quicker...

for some reason I thought the side with the bearing on stopped spinning when the clutch was depressed....... I've only been up for an hour and a bit :(

If stopping for more than about 5 secs neutral and handbrake, any less clutch, 1st gear and handbrake.

I almost never hold it on the footbrake stationary though.

If stopping for more than about 5 secs neutral and handbrake' date=' any less clutch, 1st gear and handbrake.

I almost never hold it on the footbrake stationary though.[/quote']

Got to say, I will put the hand brake on under almost all circumstances, but after getting rear ended once I now:

Stop at lights/junction etc

Handbrake on

Footbrake on (so the lights will wake up the driver behind me)

Neutral

When a car then pulls behind and stops I then take my foot off the brake and tap dance until Im clear to move off

Then, into gear

Out of handbrake (if I remember to do this bit!)

Bring the cluch out and go off into the wind...

Mike

Generally when driving (sensibly) on the road, I brake in gear then select the suitable gear for the speed I am slowing to at the oppertune moment.

If making progress, braking hard from speed or on track days, I always brake down through the gears! Every race-driving instructor I have ever had has taught this.

Generally slow down on the brakes, if the range is quite large I drop it through into an intermediate gear, otherwise slow down & drop into appropriate gear at near-end-target-speed.

However in my Rover 100 I had no choice, you HAD to drop it through the gears to avoid wheels locking up badly during hard braking.

It does therefore IMHO depend on the car, I was originally taught to go down the gears, these days the opposite is true..

How will it wear the release bearing? :confused:

I've also heard it said that it weakens the clutch spring, but that claim was made of a car with a coil spring, not a modern (like under 40 years old) diaphragm spring.

However in my Rover 100 I had no choice, you HAD to drop it through the gears to avoid wheels locking up badly during hard braking.

That's a surefire sign you're braking too late - anticipation is lacking, fuel economy is poor and service costs are high.

No no no! Brakes are for slow, gears are to go

Chris

Thats to pass your test at granny speeds chum - changing down is best....

Dave