Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Driving in neutral

profile picture
4mica
Posts: 1017 - Karma: 60
 when driving , if you put your car in neutral down hills and such does it make a major difference in saving gas and such ? anyone have any proof ?
Jul 22 2008 7:39PM
0 0
profile picture
KJones
Posts: 410 - Karma: 10
I have no idea if it actually makes a difference but i do it at every chance i get.
Jul 22 2008 7:40PM
0 0
profile picture
Benhamine
Posts: 1075 - Karma: 308
saves gas watch the rpms
Jul 22 2008 7:41PM
0 0
profile picture
KJones
Posts: 410 - Karma: 10
thats what i figured, but im not sure that like 200 rpm is going to make any noticable differences
Jul 22 2008 7:45PM
0 0
profile picture
Benhamine
Posts: 1075 - Karma: 308
If the faster the engine is moving the more gas it uses. You wont notice too much but it does make a difference. By putting the car in neutral you will wear out your breaks faster though.
Jul 22 2008 7:48PM
0 0
profile picture
.BaconatoR
Posts: 183 - Karma: 11
Well if your car is in neutral then its just idling, which should use less gas than if it was in gear and engine breaking.
Jul 22 2008 7:51PM
0 0
profile picture
4frnt_or_die
Posts: 780 - Karma: 3
When in neutral the car uses a lil bit of gas so that the motor doesnt choke

if youre in first gear (or any other) and youre going down a hill, just hit the clutch it uses less gas
Jul 22 2008 7:51PM
0 0
profile picture
NW_Rider
Posts: 2580 - Karma: 314

ghetto overdrive

Jul 22 2008 7:54PM
0 0
profile picture
finssidedown
Posts: 509 - Karma: 10
Modern engine uses NO fuel when coasting in gear... meaning leave that shit in gear, you're using more fuel putting it in neutral.
Jul 22 2008 7:55PM
0 0
profile picture
finssidedown
Posts: 509 - Karma: 10
There was another thread about saving gas a while ago.  I'm too lazy to look it up.  But that shouldn't stop you.
Jul 22 2008 7:56PM
0 0
profile picture
4frnt_or_die
Posts: 780 - Karma: 3
isnt that what i said?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Jul 22 2008 7:56PM
0 0
profile picture
4mica
Posts: 1017 - Karma: 60
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4230705.html

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Driving-Driving-Test-2382/Coasting-Neutral-Save-Gas.htm

really after reading up on it , it does alittle but nothing significant , specifialy  for automatic cars.

i guess for manual cars though it can save more if you are a good driver .
Jul 22 2008 7:58PM
0 0
profile picture
finssidedown
Posts: 509 - Karma: 10
I dunno I didn't really read it.

hahah
Jul 22 2008 8:03PM
0 0
profile picture
Scolson
Posts: 2904 - Karma: 92
No, leave that shit in gear and DON'T hit the clutch.  If you push in the clutch it's idling just like if you shifted into neutral.

To the guy that said more RPM's = more gas that is incorrect.  It all comes down to how much throttle you use.  If you were in 5th gear and going 25 the engine would be chugging along and you''d have to use a lot more throttle to accelerate than if you were in the correct gear and had the engine speed where it is more efficient.  You know?
Jul 22 2008 8:11PM
0 0
profile picture
Benhamine
Posts: 1075 - Karma: 308
I was talking about general rule of thumb. The thread creater was talking about coasting down a hill so he would save gas popping it into neutral.
Jul 22 2008 8:15PM
0 0
profile picture
4frnt_or_die
Posts: 780 - Karma: 3
haha thats what i meant maybe i was too drunk...........
Jul 22 2008 8:20PM
0 0
profile picture
Greenish
Posts: 2047 - Karma: 367
so you're trying to tell me that instead of putting my car in neutral and coasting 10 miles down this canyon i drive twice a week i should leave it in gear? i don't see how that would save gas when the engine is running at 2500 or 3000 rmp in 5th compared to idling at 900 rpm the whole way...
Jul 22 2008 8:50PM
0 0
profile picture
Hannah.
Posts: 4625 - Karma: 56
eh i heard of the news that it doesnt save gas at all and is better to leave in gear but whatever
Jul 22 2008 8:52PM
0 0
profile picture
potatofarmer
Posts: 2020 - Karma: 13
it makes sense. the rpms fall to around where it idles
Jul 22 2008 9:00PM
0 0
profile picture
smuggs
Posts: 6561 - Karma: 1,375
brainiacs.....its called the GAS PEDAL. if you arent pusing on the GAS PEDAL in gear or out of gear you arent using extra gas.
Jul 22 2008 9:04PM
0 0
profile picture
Itsbackfliptime
Posts: 18901 - Karma: 75
your car stays at 2500 rpms when you're coasting?
Jul 22 2008 9:06PM
0 0
profile picture
08-Line_Rider
Posts: 641 - Karma: 11
The new Camry automatically shifts into nuteral after 5 seconds at idle (Stoplight) they claim it will increase fuel economy by 8% i do this at evrey light before  get there every time i slow down.
Jul 22 2008 9:15PM
0 0
profile picture
Boodje.
Posts: 1394 - Karma: 21
my sister does that more than she puts it in drive.
Jul 22 2008 9:17PM
0 0
profile picture
Palardy
Posts: 176 - Karma: 11
If you got a newer car thats got fuel injection instead of a carb you can save a ton of gas by going in neutral and then turning off the engine.

Some people do it eveytime they can, like when coming up to a stop sign, red light or down a hill. Everytime they are coasting on idle basically, its called hypermiling and they claim to get double to MPG the cars are rated for. check it out

http://youtube.com/watch?v=v_3AABDisrc&feature=related


Jul 22 2008 9:20PM
0 0
profile picture
Reed.S
Posts: 1126 - Karma: 10
wait then whats ghost riding? im confused
Jul 22 2008 9:40PM
0 0
profile picture
Reed.S
Posts: 1126 - Karma: 10
liek isnt going nuetral going down a hill ghost ridin?
Jul 22 2008 9:41PM
0 0
profile picture
JQ89
Posts: 432 - Karma: 10
if you shift from drive to neutral watch the rpms, they actually go up cuz your car needs the engine to run a little faster so it doesnt choke out. so actually if you keep it in drive and just dont hit the gas at all technically it would save you gas per say. but honestly i dont think it makes that big of a difference
Jul 22 2008 9:43PM
0 0
profile picture
Itsbackfliptime
Posts: 18901 - Karma: 75
you have to be outside of your car while its moving to be ghost riding.
Jul 22 2008 9:44PM
0 0
profile picture
FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
I take my car out of gear every chance i get, stop sign in the distance, red light coming up, any kind of a slope...
Jul 22 2008 9:55PM
0 0
profile picture
W.o.R.d
Posts: 570 - Karma: 18
seems like there can't be anything wrong by doing that. i feel like if it really was bad someone would have some good evidence by now as to why not to do it.
Jul 22 2008 10:14PM
0 0
profile picture
MurderBert
Posts: 427 - Karma: 47
It really doesn't make THAT much of a difference
Jul 22 2008 10:15PM
0 0
profile picture
vinnyT
Posts: 349 - Karma: 10
there was a top gear episode about hyper mile-ing

something with turning the engine off on down hill grades
Jul 22 2008 10:21PM
0 0
profile picture
chickenwang
Posts: 5639 - Karma: 40
shutting it off?
that just wears down your battery. and with the car off the alternator isnt even worth having so your battery probably dies at least twice as fast. and i forget how much but doesnt it take jus as much fuel to start an engine as it does to drive like 10 miles?

i just leave it in gear. saves the engine battery brakes and probably some other fancy wingdinger
Jul 22 2008 10:24PM
0 0
profile picture
joey.
Posts: 2087 - Karma: 3,337
top gear is such a legit show, so funny at times
Jul 22 2008 10:24PM
0 0
profile picture
K2skipunk
Posts: 2837 - Karma: 111
yup, cuz the gas pedal opens up valves to put in gas, if the pedal isnt being pushed, to open up those valves, no more gas is goin in,

plus driving in neutral is illegal
Jul 22 2008 10:25PM
0 0
profile picture
GrassCutter86
Posts: 320 - Karma: 9
I don't know what kind of hill you guys are driving when you put your cars in neutral to go down hills. All I got to say is when driving in the mountains, your going to kill your brakes instead of down shifting while going down hills, and I would say, you would be spending more money on brake pads than saving on gas.
Jul 22 2008 10:30PM
0 0
profile picture
Scolson
Posts: 2904 - Karma: 92
Yep.
Jul 23 2008 12:21AM
0 0
profile picture
natedogg789435
Posts: 1177 - Karma: 9
it wouldnt matter because it not like you have your foot on the gas
Jul 23 2008 12:22AM
0 0
profile picture
landonn
Posts: 2913 - Karma: 385
my mom has a prius and every second your pressing the gas, more gas is being used,  just down put the gas on and that will be just as legit.
Jul 23 2008 1:24AM
0 0
profile picture
Mr.LemonPie
Posts: 4100 - Karma: 1,625
My dad can get 70 miles to the gallon driving on i70 coming from the mountains in his chevy aveo. It only cost 8000 new too...It looks terrible but just coast a ton and it makes up for it.
Jul 23 2008 1:27AM
0 0
profile picture
funk.
Posts: 2679 - Karma: 33
exactly.  Throwing it in a lower gear will save you the most money because it'll save you the breaking.. on a manual it might wear out your clutch a tad faster though.. but to whoever was going down the canyon that's your best bet.  Throw it in 3rd and go. Depending on your gear ratio you wont' go faster than 60 or so..
Jul 23 2008 1:31AM
0 0
profile picture
Mr.LemonPie
Posts: 4100 - Karma: 1,625
cancle that, he turned off the car from the tunnel till after georgetown....so it doesn't really count.
Jul 23 2008 2:06AM
0 0
profile picture
Santa-Cruz
Posts: 2236 - Karma: 11
i do it down hills to scare my friends its funny
Jul 23 2008 2:08AM
0 0
profile picture
funk.
Posts: 2679 - Karma: 33
and don't be stupid.  DO NOT TURN OFF YOUR CAR unless you know what you are doing.  People die from this.  Your steering locks up and your brakes aren't nearly as effective.  Eric_D's mom's friend drove off a cliff and died while doing this. 
Jul 23 2008 2:11AM
0 0
profile picture
Mr.LemonPie
Posts: 4100 - Karma: 1,625
Your steering doesn't lock up. You just don't have power steering anymore. You can still buy cars that don't have power steering and that is how they are all the time. The brakes are not as good though that is true...
Jul 23 2008 2:18AM
0 0
profile picture
FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
SERIOUSLY DONT TURN OFF YOUR CAR you still have you power braking after you turn the engine off, but only for a little while, then the brakes suddenly lose all effectiveness.

I learned this the easy way in a traffic jam when I was on a downhill, had to pull the parking brake to not hit the guy in front of me, close call.
Jul 23 2008 2:26AM
0 0
profile picture
[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
Only if you USE breaks like a pussy.
Jul 23 2008 2:27AM
0 0
profile picture
Scolson
Posts: 2904 - Karma: 92
You just turn off the car, then turn the ignition back to on (but don't start it) so the steering doesn't lock up.  And obviously this isn't something you'd do if you're gonna have to brake or steer much.
Jul 23 2008 12:21PM
0 0
profile picture
Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,354
bahahahahahahahaha
Jul 23 2008 12:22PM
0 0
profile picture
Parker.
Posts: 1637 - Karma: 108
yes.  it uses MORE gas to coast in neutral because the engine needs to supply a little gas to keep the engine running.  if it is in gear it requires ZERO gas to keep it running.  so if you're going down a hill you're better off just taking your foot off the gas and coasting in gear than popping it into neutral.
Jul 23 2008 12:44PM
0 0
profile picture
Line-Freeskier
Posts: 153 - Karma: 10
Exactly.  Coasting in gear and using your engine brake is much better than rolling and uncontrolled acceleration.  As for everyone turning off your cars, you should all have a good look at your owners manual before you give terrible advice to people and claim it saves money..hell you are better off doing to destroy your brakes its cheaper then a new catalytic converter.  No need to repeat the obvious safety issues with coasting while its turned off.  As for the RPM discussion, how many times your engine revolves per minute is obviously going to be different from when you have the clutch enganged and when you disengage it.  That doesnt mean the fuel CONSUMPTION is different.

Think about it like this, everyone remembers a tricycles? Well the pedals are like a gear that is always in.  Well when you pedal it, you use energy, but if you go down a hill the pedals (gear) will move on its own, just because in a manual tranny you can take the pedals off ( put it in neutral ) doesnt mean you are using and less energy (fuel) to make the vehicle move down the hill.  The vehicle in nuetral will coast further, but the difference wouldn't matter in a driving situation since you still need to keep your speed up unless your one of the dumb fucks that enjoys 20 below the limit on a sunny day.
Jul 23 2008 3:32PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)