Neutral

[PonyUp 281]

So I have a 5 speed and I usually shift into neutral down big hills, thinking I was saving on gas. I usually averaged 17 around town when I did this. But then a friend told me it wasted more gas when you put it into neutral and so I quit doing it and now i average about 15-15.5 around town on the 2 tanks that I have done it. I haven't changed my driving style at all. So is it ok to shift into neutral or should I just keep it in gear going down hills. I always do it in my neighborhood because there are big hills and I don't want to piss off my neighbors with the exhaust noise.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Steel Horse]

I'd say if it works for you go ahead and keep shifting into neutral. Not sure if this could cause any excessive wear (on the clutch or tranny) that could cost you more down the road. Depends on your driving style I guess.

 

[89302guthrie]

i recently read in a car and driver or automobile magazine that lwhen eaving the car in gear going down a big hill the computer shuts fuel down until rpms drop closer to idle, while if you put the car in nuetral going down the hill the car idles the entire time. The fuel useage is probably so little unless the hill is miles long. i say do whatever you're used to, i leave it in gear just in case i have to get outta something's way in a hurry.

 

[69mach1-409]

I don't see any issues with it.

i recently read in a car and driver or automobile magazine that lwhen eaving the car in gear going down a big hill the computer shuts fuel down until rpms drop closer to idle, while if you put the car in nuetral going down the hill the car idles the entire time. The fuel useage is probably so little unless the hill is miles long. i say do whatever you're used to, i leave it in gear just in case i have to get outta something's way in a hurry.

That's true, but if the grade isn't enough the drag from the engine will slow the car forcing you to use the go pedal to maintain your speed.

I'm not saying one way or the other is 'better' or anything. Around here (South Jersey) I can only do this on the Del Mem Bridge. If I leave her in gear to coast down the bridge she'll lose speed, if I put her in N she maintains around 55-60mph. ..so I let gravity do the work for me.

 

[ski]

So I have a 5 speed and I usually shift into neutral down big hills, thinking I was saving on gas. I usually averaged 17 around town when I did this. But then a friend told me it wasted more gas when you put it into neutral and so I quit doing it and now i average about 15-15.5 around town on the 2 tanks that I have done it. I haven't changed my driving style at all. So is it ok to shift into neutral or should I just keep it in gear going down hills. I always do it in my neighborhood because there are big hills and I don't want to piss off my neighbors with the exhaust noise.

Thanks for any input.

If that's the only thing that changed with your driving style, and the ambient temps haven't dropped considerably from one tankful to the next, then keep going downhill in neutral if maximizing mpg is your main priority. But your brake pads and rotors will take a beating, and require premature replacement. And that may wipe out any savings that you pocketed from a slightly higher mpg. Your call.

 

[GreyDiesel]

i recently read in a car and driver or automobile magazine that lwhen eaving the car in gear going down a big hill the computer shuts fuel down until rpms drop closer to idle, while if you put the car in nuetral going down the hill the car idles the entire time. The fuel useage is probably so little unless the hill is miles long. i say do whatever you're used to, i leave it in gear just in case i have to get outta something's way in a hurry.

I read this same article and thought it was poorly thought out. It depends on the length and steepness of the hill. What 69mach1 said is far more important than any computer cut-off of fuel for a hill of any signifiant length. It is rare that you have a hill steep enough to actually allow you to ride, in gear, for any amount of time without giving it gas. I live in Denver and I drive up into the mountains all the time. On the ride home, I can start at the top of the pass on I-70, near the continental divide, and then coast, in neutral the entire way home to Denver. (its tricky, but possible) If I do this, I get 99.9 mpg reading on the gauge, my engine is idling at about 700rpm and I am going 80mph for about an hour. Instead, if I put it in 5th gear, the engine is at about 2k rpms, and the drag of that causes me to use the gas to keep up with traffic quite often. Staying in gear like this, I get about 45mpg on the trip down to Denver. I dont know of much steeper/longer hills than you get coming from the continental divide down to Denver. I am sure on smaller roads you will find steeper hills, but they would be only for a very short distance. In which case, it may be better to leave it in gear for fuel saving and wear on your rotors. But if the hill is of any length, I think your better off using neutral.

 

[01White5spd]

i recently read in a car and driver or automobile magazine that lwhen eaving the car in gear going down a big hill the computer shuts fuel down until rpms drop closer to idle, while if you put the car in nuetral going down the hill the car idles the entire time. The fuel useage is probably so little unless the hill is miles long. i say do whatever you're used to, i leave it in gear just in case i have to get outta something's way in a hurry.

I read the same thing, I think it only applies to automatic tranny cars. With a manual transmission the rpms are fixed for a given gear and given speed, so putting it in neutral would theoretically help.

 

[PonyUp 281]

If that's the only thing that changed with your driving style, and the ambient temps haven't dropped considerably from one tankful to the next, then keep going downhill in neutral if maximizing mpg is your main priority. But your brake pads and rotors will take a beating, and require premature replacement. And that may wipe out any savings that you pocketed from a slightly higher mpg. Your call.

What ski said is true and I have also thought about it, was that my pads might take a beating. What I always figure is that say I am in 5th @55mph going down a hill about a half mile long, my RPM sits at about 1700-1800 but then when I shift into neutral the RPMs go down to idling which is about what 700-800 on mine. I just figured that it was common sense because the lower your RPMs are the lower gas intake is. But I have started to come to a median with it. There are times when i go down a hill and leave it in gear and sometimes when I shift into neutral. Thanks for everybody's input