So how do you drive a manual trans car?

[1QWIKBIRD]

Originally Posted by //<86TA>\\

i will usually downshift until im in 3rd, unless im already in 3rd, then let the engine slow the car down and coast the last bit. Save the brakes. clutch may be more expensive, but thats no reason to beat on the brakes and change pads every 3000 miles

If you are changing brake pads (in a mostly street driven car) every 3,000 miles there are much bigger issues at play than whether or not you are coasting or downshifting.

[MyFirstZ]

normally i downshift. If you are using the clutch properly when downshifting you arent really wearing it. Not saying i am a proffesional. By no means i just started driving stick not to long ago.

I do like hearing my car but my brakes make a little noise from being crappy quality (only a month old from when i got the car) this way i dont have to hear that.

But i like to keep my car in gear just incase for some extrordianry reason.

[1QWIKBIRD]

Originally Posted by alamantia

Clutch only wears when pressure is applied to the disc while the disc is rotating at a different RPM than the flywheel. If you tap the gas to raise the engines RPM prior to downshifting you can almost match the RPM of the engine to the disc when you let the clutch back out there will be no slippage. Now if your a rookie and just jamb it in a lower gear and let the clutch out without raising the engine RPM (which i serioulsy doubt anyone on this site is too stupid to do) then you have wear.

I'm not calling anyone a rookie either, but how many people rev match on the downshift versus dropping it in a lower gear and simply letting the clutch out?

I agree, if you rev match on the downshift, wear is minimal, but the big vrooommmm......downshifts are definitely putting some excessive wear into the clutch and the synchros both are much more expensive than brakes.

Chris

[//<86TA>\\]

Originally Posted by 1QWIKBIRD

If you are changing brake pads (in a mostly street driven car) every 3,000 miles there are much bigger issues at play than whether or not you are coasting or downshifting.

just a little hint of sarcasm in that estimate, but my point is, let the engine slow the car down. If the car is rolling at 50mph, in neutral and you just use the brakes to stop, you are putting a lot of stress on the brakes that is really not necessary

[1QWIKBIRD]

Originally Posted by //<86TA>\\

just a little hint or sarcasm in that estimate, but my point is, let the engine slow the car down. If the car is rolling at 50mph, in neutral and you just use the brakes to stop, you are putting a lot of stress on the brakes that is really no nessicairy

I hope you detected the same in my reply...

[91DropTop]

if im in town i throw it in neutral but if im on the highway where i can see a red light from like a mile away ill downshift so when it turns green i just gas and resume my driving..makes your breaks last longer

[alamantia]

Originally Posted by 1QWIKBIRD

I'm not calling anyone a rookie either, but how many people rev match on the downshift versus dropping it in a lower gear and simply letting the clutch out?

I agree, if you rev match on the downshift, wear is minimal, but the big vrooommmm......downshifts are definitely putting some excessive wear into the clutch and the synchros both are much more expensive than brakes.

Chris

Lets call mythbusters.

[1QWIKBIRD]

Originally Posted by //<86TA>\\

just a little hint or sarcasm in that estimate, but my point is, let the engine slow the car down. If the car is rolling at 50mph, in neutral and you just use the brakes to stop, you are putting a lot of stress on the brakes that is really no nessicairy

That's what kinda confused me at first. Coasting to me is tranny in neutral, car rolling, no braking (engine or mechanical) at all. Everything else is braking, whether it be engine braking or mechanical braking. I think very few people are actually coasting to a stop, but are instead leaving the car in gear and using engine as a brake until it is no longer effective, then downshifting and doing it again....That is not coasting, to me anyway. Truly coasting and using only the mechanical brakes, would be harder on the brakes.

Chris

[1QWIKBIRD]

Originally Posted by alamantia

Lets call mythbusters.

[//<86TA>\\]

Originally Posted by 1QWIKBIRD

That's what kinda confused me at first. Coasting to me is tranny in neutral, car rolling, no braking (engine or mechanical) at all. Everything else is braking, whether it be engine braking or mechanical braking. I think very few people are actually coasting to a stop, but are instead leaving the car in gear and using engine as a brake until it is no longer effective, then downshifting and doing it again....That is not coasting, to me anyway. Truly coasting and using only the mechanical brakes, would be harder on the brakes.

Chris

i think we are on the same page

[//<86TA>\\]

Originally Posted by alamantia

Lets call mythbusters.

that would be cool, and probably have an explosion worked in somehow

[//<86TA>\\]

...

[Clutch Master]

Originally Posted by MonmouthCtyAntz

I had a buddy years ago w/ a 93 Lt1 auto that shifted the car all the time...it use to drive me nuts.

wow sounds like gene in his hawk.....

[NJ346]

I'm young, have a cut-out, and 90% of the time it's just instinct to downshift. It's hard to break the habbit now as I'm breaking in a fresh clutch. Lately, whenever I've had to downshift while slowing up I've been rev matching, and it takes a few tries, but it really isn't that bad and its a lot less stress on the clutch.

[ryanfx]

it uses less gas to downshift. Proven on a full PCM scanner on multiple cars.

[DaSkinnyGuy]

A mix, coast in town, but downshift getting off the interstate. really all depends on the situation

[HeadlessNorseman]

Originally Posted by Shownomercy

I usually just brake.... oh wait, what?

Nevermind.... lol

manual noob!

I used to do it in traffic because sometimes you need to take off again. But never into first. In fact i tried to not use first gear unless i was at a dead stop. Save some synchros and tranny mounts lol

[NJ Torque]

Originally Posted by J.Reed

manual noob!

hes got an auto... lol

[1_Hot_SOM_WS6]

I ALWAYS put it in neutral...lol. It doesnt matter if I am coming to a stop light or pulling in the driveway...lol.

[Blackbirdws6]

50/50 here. I downshift sometimes and other times I just throw it in neutral and coast. Brakes are cheaper than clutch/trans. However I do like the sound of blipping the throttle and executing a smooth downshift.

[JL8Jeff]

Originally Posted by ryanfx

it uses less gas to downshift. Proven on a full PCM scanner on multiple cars.

There's no way that's true. When I'm heading to the river and I hit the downhill portion leading up to the traffic light I coast an easy half mile or more at 45 mph with the engine at idle. If you downshifted you wouldn't even make it to the light without having to give it gas.

Brakes are a lot cheaper than clutch jobs but don't forget that downshifting is putting a sudden surge to your engine which loads it up a bit and causes more engine wear than coasting does. In the long run, I'm sure downshifting causes more wear, maintenance and costs than coasting does. But it would probably take at least 150K miles to really find out so I doubt we'll be able to prove anything. It's really just a driving style thing. I bet most of the people that downshift have a cutout or Loudmouth exhaust as well.

[NastyEllEssWon]

Originally Posted by JL8Jeff

Brakes are a lot cheaper than clutch jobs but don't forget that downshifting is putting a sudden surge to your engine which loads it up a bit and causes more engine wear than coasting does. In the long run, I'm sure downshifting causes more wear, maintenance and costs than coasting does.

good stuff right there. my feelings exactly

[Jam]

i mostly downshift and try to have my engine slow me down rather than braking since my rotors are a little warped.

[BurninrubberGT]

im a coaster most of the time, you get farther with less gas, but i do down shift occasionally

really depends on the situation

Originally Posted by Anti_Rice_Guy

Coast.

cough cough lol

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

Originally Posted by BurninrubberGT

im a coaster most of the time, you get farther with less gas, but i do down shift occasionally

really depends on the situation



cough cough lol

I've probably spent more time driving manuals than you haha....so what if I've never driven a stick vehicle under 7500 lbs...