when i am going 50 and i want to slow down for a stop sign, I sometimes shift into 3rd and let the engine slow me down. Does the engine still use fuel when I do this or does it cut off?

 

Fuel cut will be in effect.

 

why not shift into neutral and coast / brake? pads are cheaper than clutches...

 

Leave it in gear & simply lift. The amount of fuel used for the throttle-blip when you downshift probably cancels any benefit from the fuel cut.

Sometimes I downshift like you say, but not forfuel use. I do it for entertainment & practice rev-matching.

 

Ditto. I used to always clutch, pop into neutral & coast, but I realized it wasn't helping me any. Sometimes I still do it out of habit, but I don't think either method is going to give you any noticeable MPG increase.

 

Downshifting is good on slippery surfaces and on hills. On dry, level surfaces it doesn't terribly matter though.

 

Wow. I guess I'm totally in the dark on this one. I'm always in neutral and gliding. Can you explain how the engine idling for a half mile while rolling down an offf-ramp or whatever can use the same amount of fuel as simply lifting off the gas pedal with the tach still reading 2 or 3K rpm?

In the summer, for everday driving - a mix of city/freeway- I regularly get 30mpg and go 500 miles on a tank. I can glide for 50 miles out of that 500, and to my way of thinking, it was like getting 10% free miles.

Help me understand, please.

 

When the rpm is substantially above idle (maybe 1300 or more?) and you completely close the throttle, the ECU willNOT firethe injectors at all. So that useszero fuel; less than idling.

But the difference is splitting hairs. And like I said, if it's a manual tranny, you'll use a gulp of fuel when you blip the gas to match revs.

 

thats is probably the most useful info to me that ive seen on here, i didnt know that. im a neutral stopper, so maybe the best way would to just not shift into neutral, but just hit the brake while in gear, say 5th for example. (ive tested this before and in 5th gear it will go to 15mph before stalling) so just wait till about 20mph and shift into neutral and stop. but even being a neutral stopper, ive had the same brake pads (raybestos ceramic) for almost 2 years now, and ive braked hard many times before and i havent noticed a difference in braking and i still have plenty of pad left it seems.

the way i brake gets the most life from your pads (and rotors im sure). this should be common sense, but i brake almost as far back as i can if its a red light, a nice gradual decel increasing brake pedal pressure slowly. and if i brake hard of course i mash it sometimes out of instinct, but if i remember to i press down very quick but gradual pressure.

that being said, as long as you brake like that regularly. your pads will last and when you do brake hard, it wont be that big a deal every now and then.

 

interesting. is this typical for most makes and models?