a mate of mines wanted to know
if your car is ruunning out of petrol (down a hilly area) is it better to keep the car in neutral or drive it in gears
2007-01-21 23:52:24 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Other - Cars & Transportation
if going down a hill, i would but it in neutral, just let the car glide down the hill, keep the engine on of course, or u will loose the use of ur brakes and power sterring(if applicable)
2007-01-21 23:55:12 · answer #1 · answered by rfc_1st_to_50 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Depends on the type of engine control system fitted to the car.
If you have a pre-catalyst fuel injected petrol engine (e.g. Mk Golf GTi), or a newer diesel engine with electronic fuel control, then keeping the car in a high gear will be best - the car's momentum will keep the engine turning over slowly, whereas if the car was in neutral to keep the engine idling would use some fuel.
However, if your car has a carburettor, mechanical injection, or non-electronic diesel injection system, the system may not be able to cut fuel completely, so you won't get the same advantage.
Similarly, a newer catalyst-equipped petrol engine will keep supplying some fuel to the engine to keep within the emission control system's limits. In this case you would need to run a lot of tests to work out whether the small amount of fuel used was more or less than that used to keep the engine idling in neutral.
2007-01-22 01:36:08 · answer #2 · answered by Neil 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The safest way is to buy more petrol. If you were to turn your engine off completely then you would use no petrol but would lose brake assistance and aid to the power steering which would be very dangerous. To put the car in neutral would not save as much fuel but again you would not be in full control and would be driving on your brakes. Using gears would use more petrol but you could use the highest gear possible and not over accelerate which would conserve what fuel you had safely.
2007-01-22 00:01:27 · answer #3 · answered by little weed 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
In gear, because your fuel injectors will shut off on a newer car as the computer can tell you don't need any power. In neutral that is taken away. Just make sure your in final gear.
2007-01-21 23:56:45 · answer #4 · answered by lemans81 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Put it in neutral, leaving it in gear will rev up the engine and use more fuel.
2007-01-21 23:55:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Easy really isn't it. The faster the engine turns the more fuel it uses......
2007-01-22 00:07:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
legally drive it down hill in gear....me free wheel it and only use the gears when you have to . lol
2007-01-21 23:55:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋