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Driving on neutral

Discussion in 'General Automotive Talk' started by Gelsemium, May 5, 2014.

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  1. Gelsemium

    Gelsemium Member

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    Do you guys usually drive on neutral when there is no need to accelerate? Is it something that make us save some gas right?
     
    Gelsemium, May 5, 2014
    #1
  2. Flexin

    Flexin Admin Staff Member Founding Member Top Event

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    Depending on your speed, if your in a high gear your rims will be low anyway so there really isn't much money to be saved.

    If your in a manual and in a low gear (rims would be high) then being in neutral could save you a bit

    It isn't something I do. While driving i like to stay in gear I'd your not in gear to is harder to react in an emergency. If you forget that your not in fear you accelerate to get out of trouble.

    James
     
    Flexin, May 5, 2014
    #2
  3. lovemwaf

    lovemwaf Member Top Thread

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    I have heard this conversation many a times and i think that there is no way to tell from personal experience if it saves gas or not. I personally feel that there is not that much that you can save as long as your engine is on. But personally as a driver, i like to coast only when im in neutral as i find it easier to switch down gears.
     
    lovemwaf, May 5, 2014
    #3
  4. rashidckk

    rashidckk Member Founding Member

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    I don't know whether it's economical to drive in neutral but I always prefer to drive in gears. Otherwise I may forget to change from neutral to gear when the acceleration is required.
     
    rashidckk, May 8, 2014
    #4
  5. Gelsemium

    Gelsemium Member

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    Well, I'm off gear just for some seconds at the most when I'm going down, so far it seems pretty much impossible to forget it, but you are right, the reaction time with be slower of course, but not that much.
     
    Gelsemium, May 8, 2014
    #5
  6. Flexin

    Flexin Admin Staff Member Founding Member Top Event

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    Anything is possible. If someone is use to doing it it won't be as bad for them. But I don't see a few seconds as being worth the effort. You won't see enough of a savings if any.

    I feel you would have to coast longer. Bit this can't be done in the city. You will be speeding. So you will need to apply brakes. Will the wear on the brakes be more then the fuel savings?

    Starting off slower and slowing early to a stop can help much more I feel.

    James
     
    Flexin, May 8, 2014
    #6
  7. lamborgini8

    lamborgini8 Member

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    Technically it doesnt aave fuel, it actuqlly uses less fuel to roll along in gear and not touch anything. It uses the cars momentum to keep running instead of accelerating.
     
    lamborgini8, May 8, 2014
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  8. Flexin

    Flexin Admin Staff Member Founding Member Top Event

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    In neutral it would still use momentum. In gear the engine could rev up if you were going down hill. This is because gravaity is pulling the car down the hill faster. The higher rpms will use more fuel. In neutral it wouldn't rev up at all.

    James
     
    Flexin, May 8, 2014
    #8
  9. etcq

    etcq New Member

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    I always thought not pressing the accelerator will save gas and now that I've read these info. I might as well just speed up downhill lol. So how do we save fuel while driving anyway?
     
    etcq, May 9, 2014
    #9
  10. Flexin

    Flexin Admin Staff Member Founding Member Top Event

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    You will save just not as much ad neutral. But with neutral you have to spend more time breaking.

    To save fuel, take your time getting to speed. Don't race to a stop sign or light. If you know you have to stop then get off the skinny pedal. Make sure your car is in good running order.

    James
     
    Flexin, May 9, 2014
    #10
  11. lamborgini8

    lamborgini8 Member

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    Possibly but to leave a car running and standing uses more fuel than if you were driving it around.
     
    lamborgini8, May 9, 2014
    #11
  12. Flexin

    Flexin Admin Staff Member Founding Member Top Event

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    It would when your calculating mpg because your not moving and burning fuel. But when your moving it is a different story.

    But as far as fuel burned. You would burn less while idling for 15 mins then you would on a 15 min drive. But that fuel is wasted because it didn't get you anywhere.

    James
     
    Flexin, May 9, 2014
    #12
  13. Gelsemium

    Gelsemium Member

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    I agree, I do a much more save wise driving in the last years than I used to and that shows on the gas tank, more miles per tank. :)
     
    Gelsemium, May 9, 2014
    #13
  14. rosa

    rosa Active Member Top Contributor

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    I've never tried driving on neutral and I'm not certain either if it saves on gas. I always remember though, to place the car in neutral whenever I have the engine running but not ready to drive. Because of this practice, It made me to believe that driving with the car on neutral would actually be bad for the engine.
     
    rosa, May 9, 2014
    #14
  15. Michael Shoe Maker

    Michael Shoe Maker Member

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    When you're driving downhill, you may have the urge to drive in neutral in order to save gas. But experts say that driving in neutral while downhill is a bit dangerous. You should be driving in third or fourth gear when going downhill.
     
    Michael Shoe Maker, May 15, 2014
    #15
  16. Gelsemium

    Gelsemium Member

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    Yeah, it might be dangerous and the brakes can overheat and stop responding, so I don't do that often, just sometimes when I see there's no problem, I don't want to put myself in trouble.
     
    Gelsemium, May 15, 2014
    #16
  17. etcq

    etcq New Member

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    how about just stepping on the clutch while downhill, what is the effect on this?
    I usually do this especially if I listen to what is going on in the compartment. will this ever do something to the engine?
     
    etcq, May 16, 2014
    #17
  18. Flexin

    Flexin Admin Staff Member Founding Member Top Event

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    I tried it in my wives Corolla. At 100 km/h it was at 2500 rpm (I feel it should have a fifth gear to get that down lower and it would save more fuel), when I put it in neutral the car dropped down to idle which is about 1200 rpm. This could save fuel on that hill but you would have to have a lot of down hill slopes to make much of a difference. Plus the car seemed to slow to 98 km/h which I found odd. But it wouldn't be worth the effort for me. I keep forgetting to try it in the TL. IN that it has a lower rpm at 100 km/h so it wouldn't save as much. This isn't something I would do at all.

    In my work truck with a load on it would pick up so much speed that I would have to be on the brakes a lot just to keep the speed under control. And if I had to put it back in gear it could be going fast enough that it would be red lining even in 8th gear. In a big truck it can get dangerous.

    James
    --- Double Post Merged, May 16, 2014 ---
    I don't like holding in the clutch that long so I wouldn't do that myself. As far as the engine goes it should be ok unless your in a lower gear. You will cause the engine to rev up really fast to match the speed of the wheels.

    James
     
    Flexin, May 16, 2014
    #18
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