Stay in gear when stopping?

[wrongwheeldrive]

Perusing the Ford Owner website, under "fuel efficient driving tips" I read:

"Stay in gear when stopping
While shifting into Neutral and coasting to a stop sounds like it would save fuel, the opposite is true: Many modern fuel-injected vehicles go into a 'fuel cutoff' mode when the engine senses that the vehicle is in gear, the rpm is above idle, and the throttle is closed. Shifting to Neutral may cancel that mode, so keep it in gear."

This is news to me. What do you guys think?

 

[CivicAssassin]

I always downshift into 2nd, and basically engine brake to stop. For planned stopping, of course. Not sure if it hurts anything, or not. Just what I do.

 

[DaveSignal]

I always downshift. Stopping with the clutch pedal depressed the whole time is for novice drivers. I shift all the way down to first when coming to a complete stop. Its more immediately available power if I need to quickly start back up again. And if I am parking, it is already in the gear it needs to be to just hit the clutch pedal, turn off the ignition, lift clutch, and it is parked. Before leaving the car, I also use the parking brake for good measure.

 

[RDgolfer]

When coming to a stop, I'd rather wear my brakes than the transmission...push the clutch in, use the brakes...why would you use the engine to stop the car?....brakes are cheap...I must live in alternate universe...I am sighing

 

[tbST14]

When coming to a stop, I'd rather wear my brakes than the transmission...push the clutch in, use the brakes...why would you use the engine to stop the car?....brakes are cheap...I must live in alternate universe...I am sighing

+1 Also much smoother and saves clutch wear too.

 

[a10thunder]

Engine braking is a basic skill for driving manual transmissions. The clutch has synchros that are designed to handle this. As long as you don't downshift from near redline and cause over rev... even then, you're not stressing out the clutch, just potential massive damage to the engine itself.

The fact that Ford is recommending this means there is no harm in engine braking. All the hardware is designed to handle up and downshifts. There is nothing but positive benefits to downshifting when slowing down. You will see around 10% in fuel economy savings compared to just coasting in neutral.

The FiST is very easy to downshift in. Many manual transmissions require careful rev matching (even with synchros) to do a smooth downshift.

 

[Blackbird]

Ford's claim that engine braking helps fuel efficiency is right. If you have a COBB AP, look at the monitor Actual AFR and watch it it when stopping. Under heavy engine braking, your AFR will shoot to roughly 42.5-44.0:1. Also watch Manifold Air Pressure, as you'll see the highest amount of manifold vacuum. Obviously, you'll scrub far less speed than just applying the brakes, but it is an effective way to slow the car if you see some traffic ahead or have plenty of time and room before you come to the lights/stop.

More importantly though, the reason I don't regularly engine brake on surface streets has little to do with mythical clutch wear (If you're shifting correctly, you're not adding undue wear to the clutch), but rather other people. Most drivers drive on autopilot, and only realize someone ahead is braking or slowing down through recognizing your brake lights. This is the primary reason to not engine brake overmuch in traffic: most people around you are simply not aware enough to realize you're slowing down. In fact, most people have no idea what engine braking even is.

However, that said, on terrain where there's a lot of downhill braking zones, I'll gladly engine brake early and often. We have good brakes, but you don't want to cook 'em.

 

[iso100]

^^ sofa king true. The idiot drivers need the red brake lights to tear them away from their cell phones.

 

[DaveSignal]

Nobody said don't use the brakes. This is common driving skills. You use the brake and downshift. That way you are in the correct gear if you need to pick back up speed again. Some professional drivers even use a heel-toe shift that applies throttle blips while pressing the brake with the heel and downshifting. The car also stops faster using less braking and saves more fuel. It does not damage the engine or transmission, that claim is ridiculous. This is how a manual car is designed to work. It also doesn't wear the clutch unless you are slipping it, but this is another basic skill that anyone who drives standard should know.

 

[sikedsyko]

For the most part I only engine brake if its relevant to the gear I'm already in. Use it a lot when I'm in traffic and such. I'm not one to downshift just to brake, no need to senselessly rotate the internals just to save a tiny bit of fuel. Only time I'll actively downshift to brake is going down steep hills, which are very hard on the brakes.

 

[MKVIIST]

On the highways and through light traffic I'll normally let it coast to a stop and stay in neutral. If it's during commute I normally downshift and leave it in gear.

 

[rodmoe]

I always try and keep it in gear unless I am hypermilageing then I coast in neutral as much as possible. Reason I keep in gear otherwise is for that quick escape if a opening pops up, Or the fecktard behind me isn't going to stop.. but I kinda watch for that ever since a buddy of mine was stopped in traffic and avoided a rear ender but moving to the shoulder as a blind person behind him didn't see the stopped traffic and plowed into the rear of the person ahead of him.. Wasn't there but the guy wasn't prone to BS'n so I took it at face value and been in gear ever since rolling to a stop..

 

[Ronbo]

The clutch has synchros that are designed to handle this.

The clutch is simply a disc with friction material. The transmission contains the synchronizers which enable smooth gear changes without clashing.

 

[rodmoe]

The clutch is simply a disc with friction material. The transmission contains the synchronizers which enable smooth gear changes without clashing.

True and Our Factory clutch is SOLID or One Piece (No Springs) as the dual mass flywheel has the springs in it ..

 

[Hijinx]

When coming to a stop, I'd rather wear my brakes than the transmission...push the clutch in, use the brakes...why would you use the engine to stop the car?....brakes are cheap...I must live in alternate universe...I am sighing

Your thinking is backwards. A manual transmission is designed to be shifted up and down... Learn to rev match. There are only positives involved which include: saved brake wear, saved clutch wear, fuel savings and power when you need it. Not to mention, coasting is illegal in just about every state. Before you think you're the smartest, do some research.

 

[iso100]

Blipping the throttle to use more fuel than idling...

 

[Hijinx]

Blipping the throttle to use more fuel than idling...

Does it really? You want to think about that statement? Last I checked revving in neutral causes a lean condition. I might be wrong, though.

 

[rodmoe]

I think He was being funny
But I think the kids blip shift all the time now days as well as what we called stop light Rev. so they sound threatening .. LOL

 

[iso100]

Missed a word. It *has* to use more fuel I meant to say.

If you're accelerating the mass then it requires more fuel than just maintaining rpm and overcoming rotational friction drag. It's simple physics.

Whether or not it ultimately results in a measurable fuel use difference over the course of a full tank remains to be seen.

I wonder if a data log could solve the dispute. Anyone know what variables to look at in the log?

 

[rodmoe]

ok nevermind then LOL