Is this a bad thing?

[ChrisBlair]

Originally Posted by 954camaro

Usually when I am at a red light I usually shift my automatic into neutral while waiting at a red light. Should I stop doing this? The only reason why I am even putting it into neutral at a red light is because I thought it decreases my wear and tear on my brakes.

Thanks guys

When you're stopped, the wheels aren't doing a lot of turning so it's difficult for me to imagine what wear you are avoiding

Brakes pads are wear and tear items. The fact that you stopped does much more to wear them out than the fact that you have remained stopped.

[C586]

Why would you even think of shifting into neutral at a light?? It doesn't even make sense why you would do that?? Any time you move something it wears. So yea. Just leave it in drive. That's why you have a torque converter.

[SPARTAN sui]

IMO, shifting into neutral (with an automatic) while driving should only be used during the winter season when you need to come to a stop at either a stop sign (light) or for a turn. It helps slow the vehicle down and you don't have to apply the brakes as much reducing the chance of skidding. It works really well, especially when the roads haven't been plowed.

Brakes are made to stop your vehicle, they don't wear that fast, I'd be more concerned about causing any potential wear on the transmission. A lot more expensive to replace.

[C586]

Originally Posted by SPARTAN sui

IMO, shifting into neutral (with an automatic) while driving should only be used during the winter season when you need to come to a stop at either a stop sign (light) or for a turn. It helps slow the vehicle down and you don't have to apply the brakes as much reducing the chance of skidding. It works really well, especially when the roads haven't been plowed.

Brakes are made to stop your vehicle, they don't wear that fast, I'd be more concerned about causing any potential wear on the transmission. A lot more expensive to replace.

Contradict much??

Slipping the trans in neutral is never a good idea. Ever. Use your brakes. That's what they are there for. If you can't slow down with your brakes you need to learn to drive or get tires meant for the situation or something. I get alot of bad snow and I am always driving on unplowed roads.

[Cheveey57]

Originally Posted by SPARTAN sui

IMO, shifting into neutral (with an automatic) while driving should only be used during the winter season when you need to come to a stop at either a stop sign (light) or for a turn. It helps slow the vehicle down and you don't have to apply the brakes as much reducing the chance of skidding. It works really well, especially when the roads haven't been plowed.

Brakes are made to stop your vehicle, they don't wear that fast, I'd be more concerned about causing any potential wear on the transmission. A lot more expensive to replace.

Shifting into neutral while driving will SPEED UP your car. Putting the car into low gear will slow down the car mechanically and would help in scenario you describe, but is still unnessasary .

[C586]

Originally Posted by Cheveey57

Shifting into neutral while driving will SPEED UP your car. Putting the car into low gear will slow down the car mechanically and would help in scenario you describe, but is still unnessasary .

Unless your going downhill that's impossible. If putting it in neutral will speed your car up ill start driving around in neutral. The car will get better mpg idling everywhere. Ya know what.. Ill even shut the engine off since I don't need it anymore. Lol.

How could a car speed up if there are no forces making it do so??

[GYac]

Originally Posted by Trentin24

What if you shift it into neutral after you stop. On a flat surface so it doesn't roll? I've done this after working out or games when my legs are tired. I have also shifted into neutral going down hills. Is that bad?

Let me a bit more precise about my previous post. With an automatic I personally wouldn’t shift it into neutral when I stop at a light, if I had too I’d put it in park so I wouldn’t role. Going down hill I would not do either, this is not a manual, re-engaging your automatic at a higer RPM if you hit the gas early or something could do serious damage. I am NOT a mechanic nor do I claim to be one.
With a manual car I use neutral a lot, in my camaro I will coast down hills and around corners. They are two different trannys. I have my own driving style, my wife asks me all the time why I shift into neutral a lot, i just tell her each person has their own way of driving a standard car, this happens to be mine, I also shift from 1, 2, 4, 6 sometimes when just cursing around town.
to each their own i will never tell anyone how to drive their car, however i just don't understand the point of shift an automatic into N at all, i cannot remember the last time i used that gear in an automatic car, but thats me. to each their own!

[GYac]

Originally Posted by Cheveey57

Shifting into neutral while driving will SPEED UP your car. Putting the car into low gear will slow down the car mechanically and would help in scenario you describe, but is still unnessasary .

I'm not tracking please explain?

[90503]

Just get up to top speed as quickly as possible...go to nuetral right away and start coasting for as long as you can...It'll save your clutch and wear and tear on the auto-trans...(If you turn off engine at this point you will really save gas, but lose power-steering, so be careful)....Re-start car as needed...lol...

[Cheveey57]

Originally Posted by GYac

I'm not tracking please explain?

If you are slowing to a stop and shift into neutral the car will actually roll faster out of gear.

[unkbd]

Originally Posted by 954camaro

Usually when I am at a red light I usually shift my automatic into neutral while waiting at a red light. Should I stop doing this? The only reason why I am even putting it into neutral at a red light is because I thought it decreases my wear and tear on my brakes.

Thanks guys

If I read this right you are already stopped at the red light. No motion with the brakes applied equals no wear and tear on your brakes. Cut it out. Just my two cents

[SPARTAN sui]

Originally Posted by C586

Contradict much??

Slipping the trans in neutral is never a good idea. Ever. Use your brakes. That's what they are there for. If you can't slow down with your brakes you need to learn to drive or get tires meant for the situation or something. I get alot of bad snow and I am always driving on unplowed roads.

Hmm, I stand corrected. I wonder why this is everywhere on the internet? I heard this first from my parents.

[C586]

Originally Posted by SPARTAN sui

Hmm, I stand corrected. I wonder why this is everywhere on the internet? I heard this first from my parents.

In their time maybe but with a modern car with modern brakes and tires and traction control its not true anymore. You paid for all that fancy crap so use it or at least give it a chance. And coasting in neutral will result in lower mpg. When the car is engine braking the injectors don't get pulsed so no fuel is used. When its idling its using fuel.

[SPARTAN sui]

That's good to know, thanks for the information.

I've only done it a few times during the season, must have been a false sense of slowing the vehicle down. I do have proper tires at least, I'd be stranded with my P-Zero AS tires.