My parents are having an argument about the proper way to stop/slow down in a manual. As I'm taking my driver's test in four months, it's pretty important to me to find out the proper way.

My Dad downshifts to slow down, one gear at a time, and then brakes for the last bit. My Mom holds in the clutch and breaks, shifting to first just after stopping (or switching to whatever gear is necessary while moving). I prefer my Mom's way, but if it's doing damage to the car I'm certainly willing to switch.

Is there a proper way to do this? Or is it just personal preference.

 

Depends on how you're driving. It's more fun to slow down your dad's way if you're going around a racetrack and trying to save the brakes, especially if you can heel/toe on the downshifts, but your mom's way is easier and probably what you'll want to do on your driving test.

 

Depends. If you are coasting to a red light, I'll just leave it in the gear I'm already in and perhaps down shift to 2nd in anticipation of it turning green. Otherwise, I step on the clutch in the last few feet and simply shift to neutral to wait for the light.

If spirited driving, I use your dad's method.

Your mom's method is completely wrong. You never just want to coast with no gear engaged or the clutch depressed. The engine requires engagement for the cars auxillary functions such at its brakes and charging system. In fact, some cars will yield better gas mileage by leaving it in gear on deceleration because the computer knows to shut off the fuel. If you are not in gear or have the clutch depressed, the computer will continue to supply fuel thereby increasing consumption.

 

For the purposes of passing a driving test (as opposed to driving on the track), to stop completely, stay in the gear you're in, slow down with the brakes, then depress the clutch when the revs get close to 1,000 rpm to come to a stop. If you're aiming for perfection, dip in the clutch right when your RPM drop down to the idle speed (c. 650rpm in most cars). If you are a bit late on that you risk stalling, so it's preferable to dip a little too soon, rather than a little too late.

To slow down without stopping, say to make a turn, stay in gear, clutch out, and brake down to the target speed, then clutch in, change to the lower gear, clutch out. For extra points, blip the throttle to rev-match before letting out the clutch, but that takes practice, and if you over-blip, the car surges forward in the kind of way that has the instructor reaching for his clipboard.


Your mother's approach is wrong, because with the clutch in, you're essentially coasting, so if something happened and you needed to speed up, you're toast. Your dad's way is better, although the general rule is to use your brakes to slow the car (except on an extended downward slope, like driving down a mountain, where continual braking runs the risk of boiling the brake fluid). To slow the car, you're using friction. The brake pads and discs are meant to be replaced, but if you engine brake, the friction is ultimately coming from driveline components (from your pistons against the cylinder walls, then through the transmission, u-joints, and differential gears), which wears them out sooner.

 

I generally hit pedestrians, eventually one of them will stop the car.

 

I always downshift when I approach a stop.

 

rep owed

 

Thanks for all the help. From what you've said, it seems like I should be aiming for a combination of both of their methods?

 

Car should be left in gear for as long as possible for the reasons PMac stated. Unless you're just slowing down to enter a turn, then downshifting/engine braking is unnecessary. Remember, replacing brake pads is much cheaper than a transmission.

 

You should never use the clutch/downshifting to slow down in your day to day driving.

Keep it in gear as you slow do until you need to make a complete stop or select the proper gear as you need to accelerate.

Taking it out of gear at a relatively high rate of speed, into neutral, and braking is not safe. If you encounter an obstacle and need to manuever quickly you need to be in gear.