First of all I'm not sure if this is bad practice so please don't kill me.

As I am slowing down to a red light I usually coast to a full stop. While I am still coasting sometimes I will put her into first(clutch pedal still down) instead of staying in neutral.

1) Is this bad for my transmission?

2) Sometimes when I do this I get a weird whirrring sound. Does your car do this?

 

I have found that with almost all of my manual transmission cars the tranny doesn't like to go into first while moving faster than about 5 mph even keeping the clutch in.

 

Riding the clutch is never a good habit. It would be better to downshift as you slow down and take your foot off the clutch. As you get under 10mph, shift to second and get off the clutch. Once you are about to stop, engage the clutch, go to nuetral stick and then at the stop, get into first. There is no point in getting into 1st before the stop if you are still keeping the clutch in.

Try not to get into the habit of sitting in nuetral at a complete stop. It's not safe. If you have to move immediately, you don't want to be in nuetral. Granted there are times you will sit in nuetral but try to always be in gear so you are ready to move.

 

That is not a good idea either. You don't want to be sitting at a light holding the clutch down, it wears out the clutch springs faster.

As for the original question, its not necessarily bad for your transmission. But it could be potentially bad for your clutch. And yes the "whirrring" sound you hear is normal when you put the car back in first while still slowing down.

 

This "whirring" sound is also heard in many manual transmission cars when you're moving in reverse.

 

In fact, when slowing to stop, you can put the stick in neutral from any gear without pressing the clutch, and without any worry or damage to the gearbox.

But as SIIK2NR said, stopping in neutral is not safe.

 

cool thanks guys