Crosswords3 mins ago
Changing Down The Gears When Slowing Down.
At the risk of being ridiculed, I need to know how to stop my car, or slow down my car without changing down the gears 4,3,2,1.
I was taught to do this when I learned to drive many moons ago.
I do a lot of town driving and I am finding that constantly depressing the clutch is actually taking its toll on my left knee. (as well as the Badminton!)
I really don't know what to do with the gears, if I just put my foot on the brake. Obviously, I don't mean an emergency stop. I mean approaching a junction and stopping without going down the gears.
What do you do with the clutch and the gears?
(Try not to take the mikey, please!)
I was taught to do this when I learned to drive many moons ago.
I do a lot of town driving and I am finding that constantly depressing the clutch is actually taking its toll on my left knee. (as well as the Badminton!)
I really don't know what to do with the gears, if I just put my foot on the brake. Obviously, I don't mean an emergency stop. I mean approaching a junction and stopping without going down the gears.
What do you do with the clutch and the gears?
(Try not to take the mikey, please!)
Answers
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My dad taught me to drive forty-three years ago, so I learned the way he drove.
He was self-taught, he learned in the RAF during the war when he was posted in the dessert in North Africa, and his way was always to brake to the speed you need, and then select the appropriate gear.
I know that a lot of driving schools taught the 'down through the gears' method, although I think they now go for the way I was taught.
As far as approaching a junction is concerned, simply slow to the junction in 4th/5th, and as you come to a halt, you depress your clutch and go into neutral. As the lights change, you go into first, and pull away.
If you want, you can skip second, and go straight to third gear, and you can avoid third and go from second to fourth if you like - these are all individual choices.
Modern engines and gear boxes will take almost any combination you care you use - hope this helps.
He was self-taught, he learned in the RAF during the war when he was posted in the dessert in North Africa, and his way was always to brake to the speed you need, and then select the appropriate gear.
I know that a lot of driving schools taught the 'down through the gears' method, although I think they now go for the way I was taught.
As far as approaching a junction is concerned, simply slow to the junction in 4th/5th, and as you come to a halt, you depress your clutch and go into neutral. As the lights change, you go into first, and pull away.
If you want, you can skip second, and go straight to third gear, and you can avoid third and go from second to fourth if you like - these are all individual choices.
Modern engines and gear boxes will take almost any combination you care you use - hope this helps.
-- answer removed --
To declutch means pressing clutch pedal down to disengage drive. Using the gears to slow down using engine braking and footbrake was advisable when drum brakes were universal and their efficiency was often unreliable and it reduced wear on linings.
Double-declutching meant holding the clutch out when moving gear lever into neutral briefly to allow engine speed to slow when engaging higher gear or to allow engine speed to be increased by blipping the throttle when engaging a lower gear to match revs and make change smoother and then de-clutching again when moving lever out of neutral to select the lower gear. Used on cars with no synchromesh on first or all gears. Needs practice!
"Heeling and toeing" meant operating brake pedal and accelerator pedal simultaneously when double-declutching up or down the box. Used by sporting drivers to speed up the process.
Assume you are now totally confused!!
Double-declutching meant holding the clutch out when moving gear lever into neutral briefly to allow engine speed to slow when engaging higher gear or to allow engine speed to be increased by blipping the throttle when engaging a lower gear to match revs and make change smoother and then de-clutching again when moving lever out of neutral to select the lower gear. Used on cars with no synchromesh on first or all gears. Needs practice!
"Heeling and toeing" meant operating brake pedal and accelerator pedal simultaneously when double-declutching up or down the box. Used by sporting drivers to speed up the process.
Assume you are now totally confused!!
-- answer removed --
