A friend of mine and I have been talking about the best ways to save fuel. Our commutes consist of driving though canyons. I mentioned to him that putting the car in neutral while going down hill saves more fuel because the RPM's of the motor are at idle and the motor does not have to work to slow the car. Where he said having the in gear is better because the fuel going in to the motor is the same and you have the breaking force of the motor to control your speed. Who is more correct in this debate?
2006-11-07 06:20:12 · 7 answers · asked by gearnofear 6 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Other - Cars & Transportation
You are correct, placing the car in neutral will save gas, but the savings will be neglible. By placing the car in neutral, you also have a higher opportunity to lose control of the vehicle due to lack of power to the wheels.
So yes it will save a little gas, maybe 25 cents a tank full. But is that worth risking your life?
2006-11-07 06:27:55 · answer #1 · answered by hsueh010 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am no expert by any means, but I would believe keeping the vehicle in gear at all times would be best for fuel efficiently. If you are constantly putting the car in and out of gear the RPMs will fluctuate a lot more and it will also wear out your transmission more quickly.
Also, keeping your car in gear helps slow the car so you do not have to use your brakes as often. By conserving your brake pads you will be saving more money in the long run, because you will not have to replace them as soon.
2006-11-07 06:30:17 · answer #2 · answered by coulter52 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yours is the best argument for fuel efficiency.
However, in cars with automatic transmissions, damage can occur as a result of rolling around in neutral. Also, this practice is illegal in many states, primarily due to safety considerations. In an emergency situation where a quick stab of the gas pedal may avoid an accident, this cannot happen quick enough if you must put the car back in to gear before doing so.
2006-11-09 09:20:16 · answer #3 · answered by Samurai Hoghead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are correct, but it is not advised to use neutral as it causes your brakes to wear out sooner.
Gas is easier to replace than brakes.
Tell your friend that even though the throttle is closed going down the hill, you are using more gas with the engine in gear, because the valves are opening and closing much faster, and the RPMS are much higher, therefore more gas is being drawn into the engine (per mile)
2006-11-07 08:06:52 · answer #4 · answered by Trump 2020 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The most fuel efficient ride is the Amish Roadster 2000..,
consisting of two horses and a buckboard wagon.
And its fast too! Before the Amish Roadster 2000, a man had to get up five hours earlier to walk to work, but with the A.R. 2000, just get up three hours early and you'll even make it to work with time to spare and choke back that extra cup of joe.
2006-11-07 06:30:57 · answer #5 · answered by Victor ious 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
In my opinion you are correct. Everyone knows that your RPMs are what uses all your gas up. That is why when you have a standard car it usually gets better miles/gallon because you can keep the RPMs down below 3,000 which is usually where an automatic car would shift.
2006-11-07 06:26:06 · answer #6 · answered by xkie07x 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
actually when you coast as in no gear then the engine still uses a tiny amount of fuel whereas with a modern engine if you use over run ie lettin the engine brake the car then theres even less fuel used
2006-11-07 06:29:43 · answer #7 · answered by jonny w 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋