Coasting in Neutral Illegal???

[Silveredwings]

Learn how your car's steering and brake systems work. I don't think you should deviate from normal driving practices unless you've determined without any doubts what your car will do. You should be the master of the machine, not the other way around.

Originally Posted by JanGeo

if your engine stalls you loose power steering. Believe me in a lot of cars you can not steer it without power steering.

Maybe, but I think it is pretty negligent automotive engineering to assume that if the engine ever stalled, you would have no hope to avoid crashing. I've lost an engine lots of times but the difficulty of steering is inversely proportional to the rolling speed. I even had a heavy car lose P/S altogether (popped hose) and the car was difficult but not impossible to steer below 2 mph. Above 10 mph, it wasn't really that different.

As for power brakes, if I lost vacuum, I just push the pedal harder. Heck, I'd use both feet if I had to. Many times when moving a car short distances, I've coasted it w/o even starting the engine (steering column unlocked of course) so there is no vacuum whatsoever for the brake servo. Not a big deal. I know how much force the unassisted steering and brakes require.

I think you're right about leaning your car's handling and avoiding the panic. For instance, if your engine stalled unexpectedly, and being unfamiliar with this situation, you assume that you can't steer and/or you can't brake. Then you might panic and not do the right things. Don't take my word for it: Theory isn't enough, try it out yourself under controlled circumstances.

It's the same with skidding in a car on the first snow of the season. The first time I go out, I test the surface for braking ability. I don't assume that just because I can get acceleration traction, that I can stop or steer as easily. I leave that assumption for those with AWD. They're always the first ones in the ditch EVERY year. Sometimes upside down.

Originally Posted by JanGeo

How many of you have been surprised how far you can coast in neutral after years of taking your foot off the gas and slowing down a lot sooner.

I guess I've always driven a stick so I've always determined how far a car would coast w/o engine braking.

[philmcneal]

Speeding is illegal!!?? But people do it all the time lets claim the majority of drivers is going to kill us all!!!!

From my experience those who whine are the ones that have no personal experience in the subject at hand. Those that do have experience knows that their engine can be recalled within a second and THAT"S without distrubing the passenger compartment. As krousdb explained, you still have steering (those who never experinced a car without power steering...) abiet without power boosting and you have a limited amount of braking power although I"m getting used to braking without power! Honestly when was the last time where you had to "SPEED UP" to actually save your life? If I recall correctly maybe most accidents can be avoided by observing the road ahead and then using the brakes as needed? Perhaps those who may ram into you (T-Bone style), have one thought what a difference eye contact and driver experession can do?

I was once driving on the road with no engine and I saw a crazy guy willing to avoid the stop sign to turn left and cut me off. Maybe I could have speeded up to avoided colliding with him (clutch out, engine revives and pop it into gear and go, yes within a second but in this case i'll skip a few steps and burn more clutch to avoid an accident) or slow down (like slamming brakes wise) and let him speed off but instead I pointed at the guy right out my driver's window and stare. He stopped immediately and when I looked into his eyes, it looked like the person was extremely intoxicated (and banging his head to the loud music), and then he turned right instead...maybe that one time out of the 40000 km i drove is the only thing i can think of that speed would have MAYBE saved my life.

Other than that I see too many downfalls to breaking the speed limit, it gets you no where in the city and braking distances increases dramatically as one's speed gets higher thanks to the formula Force=Mass*Accerleration. As forces increases, the amount of braking power (opposing force) is needed to stop the car from colliding into something else that could be potenially fatal.

Other than that, try it before you talk about it. AND NOTE FIND A SAFE PLACE TO TEST IF YOUR CAR IS ENGINE OFF CAPABLE, there's been reports that some cars won't let you do anything like the Crystler 300C (thanks rh77!)

[philmcneal]

I also forgot to add, I was at Tim Hortons and saw three RCMP officers sitting next to my table. So I took the libertiy of asking them a few questions like is my driving style approved by policemen? I also told them about engine off coasting, timing of the red lights, not using my brakes, and how could one be caught using neutral? And their response was:

"Those who drive for mileage are usually the ones that look on the road and have to know what to expect to do next to cordinate their actions. At least what your trying to do, your giving your full attention on the road and not like other speedy drivers on the road who turn without signalling or drive like the village idiot acting if he owns the whole road. If your going down a hill in neutral its pretty hard to prove and pull over unless I'm right next to the car and I can peek into his driver window. I have pulled over guys in neutral before but most of the time its the other reasons to why we pulled them over and not for that reason alone. So yeah just continue to do what your doing and drive in the manner that you choose to do so as long as you can maintain your safety and those around you."


I even engine off on a left turn and a RCMP officer was trailng behind my butt as I pulled into the macdonalds parking lot with no engine the cop acted as if everything is still normal If others don't notice (besides the speed) what's the problem?

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by philmcneal

"At least what your trying to do, your giving your full attention on the road and not like other speedy drivers on the road who turn without signalling or drive like the village idiot acting if he owns the whole road."

Good points made phil. I feel like these procedures make me hyper aware of the road, car and traffic.

[JanGeo]

Maybe, but I think it is pretty negligent automotive engineering to assume that if the engine ever stalled, you would have no hope to avoid crashing.

It was probably more of the surprise factor that caused the actual loss of control. I remember when I first started driving my xB I was having trouble making turns at low speeds - around 20-30 mph because of the variable assist that the power steering provided I got used to the feel at really low speeds and then more effort was needed at the moderate speeds to over come the wheel drag but I was getting less power assist. It really felt weird like I was suddenly weak and couldn't turn the wheel.

[GeoMetry]

I remember a Candid Camera gag where they would coast a car into a gas station with a little old lady at the wheel ask for a fill up and check the oil (Candid Camera is an old show) when the gas station attendant opens the hood there was no engine. The little old lady plays it very straight faced saying she just drove here from some distant location and it went on from there it was quite humorous.

[MetroMPG]

that's kind of funny, actually.

[rh77]

"I heard this noise, then a bump, and then it puttered out. Is it OK? Sir..."

[thisisntjared]

Originally Posted by Popup

I remember a Candid Camera gag where they would coast a car into a gas station with a little old lady at the wheel ask for a fill up and check the oil (Candid Camera is an old show) when the gas station attendant opens the hood there was no engine. The little old lady plays it very straight faced saying she just drove here from some distant location and it went on from there it was quite humorous.

thats awesome

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by Popup

I remember a Candid Camera gag where they would coast a car into a gas station with a little old lady at the wheel ask for a fill up and check the oil (Candid Camera is an old show) when the gas station attendant opens the hood there was no engine. The little old lady plays it very straight faced saying she just drove here from some distant location and it went on from there it was quite humorous.

I remember that episode. I think they had an electric motor way down under the driveshaft hump out of sight. Some of the attendants practically climbed into the engine compartment trying to figure it out. The comment I remember was:

Attendant: "Um...ma'am your engine is missing!"
Lady: "Oh dear, is that serious?"
Attendant: "Well, yeah, it's serious!"
Lady: "Do you think you can you fix it?"
Attendant: "Um. Blink. Blink."

LOL.