When do you use the neutral gear in your car?

Question

Can you switch to neutral gear when you are in the middle of a skid?

Answer 1

Neutral is not a gear. This can be used for example if your car stalls while moving, you can shift to neutral, restart the engine and then shift back to drive. Also in the case of a 4WD vehicle placing the transmission in neutral allows you to shift the transfer case into 4WD low range, it disconnects the engine from the transmission, this allows the vehicle to "freewheel", works great also if your car is parked in a garage for example and you want to roll it frontward or backward a foot or 2 for example, rather than starting the vehicle and wasting gas you can place the transmission in neutral and push the vehicle.

All the above answers saying to place the transmission in neutral to coast down hill are wrong. Doing so disengages the engine from the drive wheels, so the engine can't provide engine braking to help slow the vehicle going down the hill, which causes you to over-use the brakes wearing them out quicker.

Placing the vehicle in neutral during a skid isn't going to help anything. Taking your foot off the gas and not slaming on the brakes will help more than anything.

Neutral is also used as a space between Reverse and Drive, that keeps you from accidently shifting into reverse from drive without pressing on the button on the gearshift first. Its by no means a fool-proof method though, as I've seen accidental shifts into reverse at high speeds and it causes major problems.

Answer 2

Yes, switching to neutral when skidding is a quick way to reduce power to the wheels without applying the brakes (which in a skid situation usually results in a spin out), just steer toward the direction the back axle of the car is going to maintain control when traction is recovered.

Also, if your car stalls while moving at higher speeds, a quick move to neutral will allow the ignition switch to work, allowing you to try to restart the car (only Park and Neutral will let you crank your car, try cranking in gear if automatic, nothing happens.)

If your car has to be pushed or towed, put it in neutral.

Answer 3

The neutral gear basically cuts off the connection between the wheels and engine, giving you less friction if you want to coast without using the accelerator. You would also use it if you wanted to push your car, ie. if you are out of gas. It would do nothing in a skit, taking your foot off the accelerator would do the same thing. But yes, you can switch to neutral in a skid if you wanted to.

Answer 4

No. The transmission gears will still spin in an automatic when in neutral, but unless you have something wrong in your transmission it would do no more damage than leaving it in drive to coast over a hill.

Answer 5

Absolutely not! Changes in speed (up or down) will accentuate your skid for the worse. Unless you are a professional driver, steer into the skid to straighten your car, and you need power for that. Maintain a constant speed--too much and you fish-tail, too little and you lose maneuverability. Front-wheel drive cars don't react as violently to changes in speed as rear-wheel.

Answer 6

Yes you can. Since i have a 5 speed, i use the neutral gear at stop lights, so i don't have to keep the clutch pressed in. You can also use it when coasting down a hill.

Answer 7

I would concentrate on driving it rather than switching gears. In a manual I push in the clutch sometimes before it starts a slide.

Answer 8

You won't have time. Neutral is there for distance between forward and reverse gears.

Answer 9

You can also park in neutral, but if you do you need to pull the emergency brake or you might roll.

Answer 10

You use it when you are stuck on the side of the road and need to push your car. Being in park with brakes on wont help that.