7MT Driving Habits & Owners Manual

[bronco100]

I never used the brakes in neutral, mostkh because I want to keep it in gear in the event there was an emergency and I need to apply the gas quickly. Same reason why I downshifted along with the engine. If I need to apply power, quickly, I don't want to shift or worry about the proper gear...just pop the clutch and go.

I was also taught to not sit at a stop light in neutral, for the same reason.

Huh?? What do you mean, you stay in first gear and hold the clutch in the entire time you're at a stop light?

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[rugbysecondrow]

Huh?? What do you mean, you stay in first gear and hold the clutch in the entire time you're at a stop light?

Often, yes. It really depends on the place. If I am in a questionable part of town, yep.

 

[kodiakisland]

Often, yes. It really depends on the place. If I am in a questionable part of town, yep.

Yeah, it just depends on when and where. If it's going to be a long wait, then yeah I'll usually go to neutral. A short wait I just leave the clutch in. I may be 50 but I ain't decrepit and my leg can certainly do the work. Plus, you never know when you need a quick exit. Kinda like on a bike, where you always stay in first gear when stopped.

 

[bronco100]

Yeah, it just depends on when and where. If it's going to be a long wait, then yeah I'll usually go to neutral. A short wait I just leave the clutch in. I may be 50 but I ain't decrepit and my leg can certainly do the work. Plus, you never know when you need a quick exit. Kinda like on a bike, where you always stay in first gear when stopped.

Not me, on a long ride on my adv bike I'll definitely switch to neutral when stopped. Stop lights here are like 20 minutes long and my hand will get fatigued...

 

[blsbikes2]

Lots of good info above, so I will only add this: if you are not downshifting as you slow down, you could choose the wrong gear if you suddenly need to accelerate to avoid a problem, or if the traffic suddenly clears. Nothing worse than grabbing 2nd by accident when you wanted 4th. Good way to blow shit up. Like stated above, if your not in gear, your not in full control of your vehicle.

 

[kodiakisland]

Not me, on a long ride on my adv bike I'll definitely switch to neutral when stopped. Stop lights here are like 20 minutes long and my hand will get fatigued...

Statistics don't make themselves I suppose. I have too much survival instinct to be a sitting duck. Neutral on a bike makes for a nice speed bump.

 

[AlpineDescent]

Personally I usually row through them all except 1st, although if it's slowing rapidly from highway speed then I'll often skip 5th and then not bother with 2nd (or 1st as above). Then once stopped it's into neutral until the opposing light goes red (if at the front of the line) or my light goes green (if back in the line).

When I'm driving there is nothing more satisfying than a perfectly executed heel-toe rev-matched downshift while braking.

I have recently started learning to heal-toe, and you are right, it is very satisfying when you do it right and feel the engine braking kicking in.

I have had my current manual Jeep (I still refer to it as standard trans.) for 11 yrs and several other manuals and rarely use neutral. I didn't even know that was something that people did. I downshift as needed, sometimes skipping a gear depending on how quickly I am slowing down. I have never had to replace a clutch and if I worried too much about fuel mileage I would drive something other than a Jeep and be getting something other than a Bronco.

I'm with you, I have always just held in the clutch at a stop light, I rarely put it in neutral.

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