OK - somthing I do a lot of the time, particarly when coming up to a red light is let the car roll to the lights in neutral. Now the missus say's this is bad for the car (although she doesn't know why), is it? :confused:

Thanks

Not bad for the car as such, but means extra wear and tear on the brakes. I will always try to engine brake as much as possible on the lead up to a set of lights, so much so I often get cars up my chuff suddenly because I'm slowing without brake lights coming on.

Also, for the vRS, and all other cars I reckon, the engine on tickover (powered by injection) is less economical than with the car's momentum "powering" the engine. So it is more economical to keep the car in gear down a hill, than to dip the clutch and coast/brake.

It's not what you're meant to do really, less control over the car I think was the 'good' reason.

Another reason is that coasting uses more fuel as the engine has to be kept running by fuelling rather than by momentum. If you leave it in gear, the fuelling will be virtually (or totally) cut.

IMHO not worth coasting in a modern car

i coast upto lights, i even do it at 40mph if i feel like it

i have big brakes and not scared to use them and the whole less control thing is rubbish i think

You should drive to the lights in gear to maintain control over the car, but not use them to slow down, brakes are for braking, gears are for going , you will have some compression braking in the gear you are in to a certain extent but if you see the lights red infront of you from a distance you should reduce your speed early and roll up to the the lights hoping that they will turn green while you are still moving. Then if they turn green select the appropriate gear and continue on your way.

i coast upto lights, i even do it at 40mph if i feel like it

i have big brakes and not scared to use them and the whole less control thing is rubbish i think

rubbish? you can't accelerate when the car's not in gear, therefore you have less control than if the car was in gear...:confused:

:P

I wouldn't say coasting is bad for the car, but it is not good driving practice due to less control. It is also more economical to use engine braking than the brakes themselves (by which I don't mean change down rapidly causing strain to the engine, but back off the gas if you anticipate stopping using brakes as necessary, and then draw up slowly in second for example). I love the way the VRS will drive itself without stalling!

accelerating towards stopped traffic and/or red lights? sounds fun :P

i was thinking more about being able to move the car in a hurry...it might only take a second or so to put the car into gear, but that could make all the difference

This is an interesting subject and seems to vary depending on how long ago you were learnt to drive.

I passed my test in the mid 80s, back then engine braking was the thing to do, and I was taught how to anticipate light changes and to use engine braking to assist the car in coming to a stop, using brakes as well of course.

Now the teaching seems to be, as mentioned a few posts earlier, brakes are for stopping and gears are for going.

Coasting, in a modern car results on more fuel consumption, because the ecu needs to fuel the engine to keep it running and not stall. However if slowing in gear, the fuelling to the engine is cutoff completely on the overun, meaning no fuel is being fed into the engine and is instead returned to the fuel tank.

Coasting in an old carb driven engine was different as fuel is always fed into the engine, so it makes no difference really coasting or not.

Yep indeed manny & also in my old Rover 100 you HAD to use the gears going down the gears as slowing down in case of a 'pretty hard slowdown' as otherwise the fronts would lock up...

Learnt to drive in 2004.. i was taught to engine brake

i learnt in 98 and i was taught to use engine breaking but it depends what car i'm in.

Actually got some serious brake fade today :eek: - first time I've experienced it but then I was making excessive progress and having to slow down for those who were not (I try not to be *too much of* a t&sser :P )

Had a bit of a laugh with an audi TT, didnt seem able to pull away up to a certain speed, he obviously didnt keep his foot down to top speed though but was giving it a fair amount of beans. Seen a few faster ones out there tho, the 3.2 quattro would have mullered me

It's not "bad for the car" as such. It is however bad driving practice due to lack of control etc, and bad for fuel economy, since an EMS car will shut the fuel off completely on the overrun over 1_200rpm or so (even on a cold engine).

Leaving work (on top of a hill) I was showing 30mpg (trip mpg mode) after 0.2miles, but up to 99.9 (highest the trip mpg mode will go) half a mile later (and down the bottom of the hill).

When I did my IAM course, I was taught to drive up to traffic lights, junctions etc but use the brakes to stop - 'It's what they're designed to do'...

That said the coasting is counted as being out of control and was a definite no no. You should be looking ahead and easing off to lose speed but on modern cars engine braking isn't necessary. It was used in the days when cars had drum brakes on the front which were rubbish.... or so I'm told

if you use engine breaking in my brothers car it pops and if you use 1st to slow down from about 30mph it pops, bangs and grumbles like mad. awesome.

Was taught way back in 69 to use engine and gearbox.

However, I do tend (i.e. not always, situation dependant) to let it coast in neutral and use the brakes - pads and discs are a lot cheaper than gearbox and engine

I'll approach the hazard in the gear I'm in, using either engine braking (if it's a moving hazard or one where only minor speed adjustment is required and people behind me won't be surprised!) or the brakes for a significant speed change, such as approaching red traffic lights. I'll then either dip the clutch just before stall point and coast if it's a short distance, or select an intermediate gear and get back on the brakes in that gear.

As you're always expecting the hazard to change, it also pays to bring the speed down earlier and keep the car moving so that when it does change, you can select a higher gear and make better progress out of the hazard than those starting from a standstill

Chris

Agreed; I'll only drop the clutch when the engine approaches stalling point, unless I'm braking hard, and need the time to actually make the downshift (which means no surprises possible, like on the entry to work where I can see 15s driving time each way along the roads, and a mile or so cross country).

And just as a follow up to that, I can highly recommend Andy Walsh's Car Control DVD where he demonstrates why you should leave the "drive" engaged as long as possible when braking!

Chris

I started driving in 2001 and was told to leave the car in gear and dip the clutch at the last minute. Since passing my test I have adopted my own driving style and use engine braking along with a bit of heel-and-toeing to reduce the stress on the clutch/gearbox.

along with a bit of heel-and-toeing to reduce the stress on the clutch/gearbox.

You heel and toe in the Octy?

Chris

I always used to.

Now I just left foot brake the Merc

You heel and toe in the Octy?

Chris

DBW?