Gear down?

[Northlands]

I'll do a mild downshift. Add a bit of braking if necessary. You won't find me skipping from fifth to third right off the bat on a downhill situation.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Which is pretty similar to engaging the e-brake and throwing it into reverse on most other cars. 

I don't get it

[Laconian]

In my paddle-shifted automagic I downshift, because what's the harm of one extra manual shift when it's automatically shifting hundreds of times a day anyway?

[Eye of the Tiger]

I manually down shift the Sonoma's column shift automagic just to hear the sweet gurgling sound of the exhausts.

[GoCougs]

I was on a test drive in a Kia Rio the other day, (5MT) and the salesman encouraged me to change down and let the car engine brake down the hill. I thought that was odd, because the hill isn't super long, or super steep. Usually, I kick it in neutral and control with the brake, it gives me more coasting MPH, and IIRC doesn't the motor use less fuel because the motor is near idle?


What do you typically do when going downhill? Change down? Or do you control with the brake and use neutral?



Not talking mountain grades, but normal everyday driving.

He may be just a sales weasel, but he was indeed telling you how to properly drive a M/T-equipped vehicle.

[Rupert]

But it's soooooo much more fun.

Try it in the Explorer and tell me that.

It's actually kind of a PITA in the 944, too, since the throttle response in that car is terrible. I have a cam thing that replaces the stock bit that is supposed to fix it, but I haven't stuck it on there yet.

[Rupert]

He may be just a sales weasel, but he was indeed telling you how to properly drive a M/T-equipped vehicle.

Something learned a long time ago: There is no "proper" way to drive a stick if you're not after pure performance.

[Colonel Cadillac]

This thread is making me angry. I think I encountered a hill on the way to Alabama a couple weeks ago.

The only real hills I ever encounter here are on-ramps and off-ramps, and coming off a highway I think I do put it in neutral from 5th or 6th usually and use the brakes before putting her in anywhere between 2nd and 4th gear for the next scenario.

I use engine braking most when I'm making 90 degree turns on city streets where I approach going 30-35 and pop it in 2nd or 3rd, engine brake to 20 while going through the turn and then accelerate out.

[2o6]

He may be just a sales weasel, but he was indeed telling you how to properly drive a M/T-equipped vehicle.

That hill was short and I drive it nearly everyday on my way to work.



Usually I keep it in neutral and I gain so much momentum that I typically can coast for 1/2 mile without ever touching the gas.



Automatics almost never change down, so I can assume that most people on the road don't drive right?

[Eye of the Tiger]

That hill was short and I drive it nearly everyday on my way to work.



Usually I keep it in neutral and I gain so much momentum that I typically can coast for 1/2 mile without ever touching the gas.



Automatics almost never change down, so I can assume that most people on the road don't drive right?

Keep driving like that; it saves gas, and gas is hella spensive

[68_427]

AWD is pretty efficient at scrubbing speed.

[Rupert]

Huh?

[BimmerM3]

Something learned a long time ago: There is no "proper" way to drive a stick if you're not after pure performance.

Exactly. Between this thread and "What RPM do you shift at?" thread, people worry too much about how they're driving. I just drive. Upshift when I feel like it. Downshift when I feel like it. Pop it into neutral and brake when I feel like it. Heel-and-toe when I feel like it. As long as you're not doing something that actively creates unnecessary wear on your car (like slipping the clutch on downshifts instead of rev matching), it doesn't really matter that much.

[Rupert]

I don't rev match most downshifts.

[BimmerM3]

I don't rev match most downshifts.

And your Explorer has 140k miles on the original clutch? This surprises me a little.

[Tave]

That's what the clutch is there for.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I avoid slipping the clutch as much as possible.

[GoCougs]

That hill was short and I drive it nearly everyday on my way to work.

Usually I keep it in neutral and I gain so much momentum that I typically can coast for 1/2 mile without ever touching the gas.

Automatics almost never change down, so I can assume that most people on the road don't drive right?

There is the drag from the A/T pump plus the A/T will always be in gear, and yes it will down shift as it's a function of fluid pressure.

[hotrodalex]

There is the drag from the A/T pump plus the A/T will always be in gear, and yes it will down shift as it's a function of fluid pressure.

I don't think I've ever had an automatic downshift for me when I'm coasting downhill.

[Laconian]

Exactly. Between this thread and "What RPM do you shift at?" thread, people worry too much about how they're driving. I just drive. Upshift when I feel like it. Downshift when I feel like it. Pop it into neutral and brake when I feel like it. Heel-and-toe when I feel like it. As long as you're not doing something that actively creates unnecessary wear on your car (like slipping the clutch on downshifts instead of rev matching), it doesn't really matter that much.

How often do you make use of the fan speed knob? A lot/a little/only when absolutely necessary

[Secret Chimp]

Someone change the title of this thread to "I had no idea I didn't know how to drive until I posted this"

[NomisR]

I keep the car in gar and maybe downshift because it's not a good idea to keep your car in neutral especially in case of emergency situations.  Plus, I hate people who ride their brakes down the hill.  Or people who ride their brakes, period..

[2o6]

Someone change the title of this thread to "I had no idea I didn't know how to drive until I posted this"

The long vertical one is the brake, right?

[Laconian]

The long vertical one is the brake, right?

That's the LOW/HIGH shifter. Pull it back to make your car accelerate to HIGH speeds.

[2o6]

That's the LOW/HIGH shifter. Pull it back to make your car accelerate to HIGH speeds.

OMG 18 Wheels of Steel and Daytona USA were my favorite games when I worked at Chuck E Cheese.

[Raza]

I shift down but don't clutch out until I'm ready to accelerate again. 

[Cookie Monster]

I shift down but don't clutch out until I'm ready to accelerate again. 

Why?

[68_427]

Why?

Rolling clutch dump like a baoss at the base of a hill.

[Rupert]

And your Explorer has 140k miles on the original clutch? This surprises me a little.

... Most people don't even know what rev matching is, and most people don't have problems wearing out their clutches. The clutch isn't really as fragile as you (and a lot of others) think it is.

[Rupert]

I shift down but don't clutch out until I'm ready to accelerate again. 

Yeah, me too, especially with turns in town. Who wants to clutch in-4th-3rd-clutch out-clutch in 3rd-2nd-clutch out when you could just clutch-4th-2nd-neutral-clutch out?