I have the bad habit of taking my car out of gear without using the clutch, especailly when slowing down for a stoplight. Is this harmful?

 

Considered dangerous driving practice because of no ability to accelerate if needed in an emergency, and will wear brakes somewhat more due to no engine braking, but harmless to mechanical parts (clutch, trans, etc) We almost all do it to a degree, but a bad habit to get into doing consistantly and for any distance.
JohnA

[Edited by JohnA on 03-03-2001 at 10:09 AM]

 

No more harmful than shifting to neutral normally, provided you're easing it out of gear and not forcing it.

 

If you lift your foot off the accelerator, you can shift out of any gear into neutral. It won't hurt the trans. Some performance drivers do this routinely as a modified double clutch technique. I don't recommend it however, as the normal double clutch routine is an easy habit to develop. Also, if you are doing this and just coasting, that's a definite no since you have no way to accelerate the car if needed.

 

I typically slow down (at a light for instance) by putting it into neutral (but using the clutch). Instead of engine braking and causing more clutch / transmission wear the brakes are relied upon more to slow the vehicle down. My argument is it costs less to replace brake pads than a transmission. Also, if a situation arises that demands acceleration it doesn't take much to shift into the appropriate gear and accelerate. If a situation demands IMMEDIATE acceleration you're probably in trouble even if you are in gear at the time.