NO, you are not hurting Your car, with time and practice you MAY learn to down shift but it is by no means neccessary.


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I know in an automatic this is a no no. But a manual I did'nt know it hurt the tranny. I always shift into neutral while coming to a stop light or sitting still. I've read many times to stay off your clutch as much as possible to preserve it. I can't imagine a car in neutral causing premature wear opposed to downshifting and increasing revs. If you're sitting at a light, being in neutral would be less strenuous on your gear box opposed to sitting there riding your clutch waiting for the light to turn green. Now on the other hand, I've read that it is illegal to drive with a car in neutral in some states. Car must be in gear at all times...

 

That's sounds pretty strange. You would have to keep the cluth depressed while waiting at the stop light. Wouldn't that put continual stress on the diagphragm spring?

 

Forgot to add... "while the car is in motion."

 

yea it is ok to have your car in neutral while at a stop light, from what Ive heard and do is downshift when i need to slow down but not stop if im coming to a red light tho i just clutch in and go to neutral once im stopped. Altho i was wondering does anyone else when backing up feather the clutch about halfway on and off with the gas slightly depressed also so as not to go to fast? I know this is probably grinding the clutch plate a little bit but i havent found a better way of going slow enough in reverse when trying to parallel park or something and is it really bad for the clutch?

 

Well I've practiced and learned to downshift while comming to a red but the thing is that everyone has mixed opinions... For instance, I asked my friends and even a honda associate and they told me that it isn't hurting the car at all to pop it into neutral and coast to a stop but then again, others have a different opinion... Has anyone actually have self-experience that the car was damaged while coasting in neutral to a stop?!

When I'm backing up I always feather the clutch... I mean, it's the only way I can actually handle the pull of the car... Unless there are other ways?!

 

I've always coasted to stops. I've had my car since 97' and replaced the clutch once so far. Over 250,000 miles on it.

 

hi man, whats up? are you driving an 06 si? if you are its normal to get that jerking motion at first. its really the characteristic of the car. i personally think that its not the best place to learn how to drive stick. i personally put my car into neutral and coast. i know it hurts the car more if you use the engine to brake. i'd rather replace my brakes than replace my tranny.

 

Naw, I'm driving a 02 dx - and that's what I always thought... I mean what cost more to fix.. the tranny or the brakes?!?!? LoL

 

No, coasting to a stop in neutral isn't bad for the car at all (with a manual anyway). I generally downshift into 3rd and get down to like 30mph before I depress the clutch and stop.

It's true that in some states the car must be in gear at all time while in motion. The reason for this is reaction, if you're coasting along in N and you for whatever reason need to speed up or manuever using the accelerator, it's going to take you 4x as long to get the car into gear and accelerate. That 4x longer could be the difference between a close call and an ambulance ride. So, try your best to keep it in gear.