Stop signs: Take it out of gear and coast at it using the brakes to stop.
Stoplight: Depends. Usually I coast up to those in second if its red to try to time it for the green. If its yellow I'll generally put it in neutral and coast up.
I don't see a point in all the downshifting nonsense if you're going to have to stop anyway. Of course people our here accelerate into stop signs and stoplights. That drives me nuts.
The0retical wrote: Of course people our here accelerate into stop signs and stoplights. That drives me nuts.
I let these people beat me to the light, especially when nobody else is at the intersection yet, so they can trip the sensors. By the time I roll up it's turned green and I just keep on rollin'.
never heard them, but i used to read their column in the sunday paper just to see how horribly wrong they were..
Tis illegal to coast with a vehicle in neutral on Alberta roads for the exact reasons mentioned. It is quicker to have the car in gear in case emergency maneuvers are necessary.
What I learned from this thread is that I am not alone in thinking Click and Clack are both useless, un-funny tools that don't know too much about cars aside from what they google during the show.
That's a relief. I hate when my thoughts are original.
They are highly entertaining, but at best they are just entertainment.
I once listened to a caller describe their 1990 Acura having this clicking/clunking noise when they turned. It came from the front end, and the clicking increased with speed.
It was painful. They went through engine mounts, loose bushings, gremlins living in the engine...
They suggested EVERYTHING BUT CV JOINTS. I found myself screaming at the radio and realized, oh yeah, my radio can receive other frequencies.
It varies.
In the gas cars, coast to a stop in neutral. Going with the "brakes are cheaper/easier than clutches" theory.
In the TDI, coast to the point of near stalling in whatever gear I was in - mainly because the ECU shuts off the fuel in a TDI when coasting in gear. If coasting out of gear and idling, it's using fuel. If I'm bored in traffic, I'll shift up and down through the gears - without touching the go-pedal - since a TDI will idle at about 25mph in 5th gear, then shifting down to slow. Doesn't always work with traffic, but like I said - it's a fun game to play if you have a diesel with a ton of low-end torque and a very light and easy to modulate clutch pedal.
Whatever I do, I seem to get many 100K's out of clutches. Currently at 329K on the original TDI clutch.
As far as Car Talk goes. I don't listen to them much, but they seem to be funny. But I take whatever they say with a grain of salt.
SlickDizzy wrote: I have found them to be grossly off-base on a number of occasions, to the point where I can't listen to the show without becoming infuriated anymore. I just end up looking like a fool in the Supra, screaming "IT'S THE GODDAMN MOTOR MOUNTS YOU IDIOTS" at my radio with the windows up... In regards to the specific question posed by this thread, my grandmother always said the same thing...but brakes are a lot cheaper and easier than clutches, so I'll only downshift through the gears if I am trying to slow down FAST and then accelerate again.
but I can/and do slip it into neutral without using the clutch … so the $$$ comparison isn't alway valid
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