Manual tranny at light/stopped: neutral or in-gear w/ clutch depressed?

[930.engineering]

Neutral, always. Agree, it's like second nature.
.

 

[ripcord]

Compton... clutch depressed, in gear, head on a swivel.

Mayberry... in neutral, clutch out.

 

[CharlesInCharge]

Agree with the rest, if the wait is more than a few moments, neutral and clutch out and brake applied.
I was always taught that extended use of the clutch will cause it to burn out prematurely. And that's an expensive fix. Clutch use should be bing bang. One quick motion in and out. Not held in/down for long periods.

 

[supton]

Depends on my mood, how long I’ll be sitting and waiting. Not that hard to shift to neutral, not that hard to just hold my foot down either. Haven’t lost a throwout bearing yet, maybe when I do I’ll change my tune.

 

[skyactiv]

I don't think or care about it being a wear issue. I put it in neutral if I think I'll be at the light a bit of time because of comfort.
My wife does the same thing in her Audi A4 or my Elantra Sport, which both have sticks, except when she is driving in
NYC.
She grew up in Brooklyn/NYC and drives different in the Big Apple. If you don't hit the gas the second the light goes green, someone behind you will honk their horn.

 

[vwmaniaman]

I even use neutral in my automatic vehicles when I am at a long lite or drive thru lane. Front pump runs then.

 

[Hall]

UK driving schools teach their students that way as that's how it's road tested apparently.

Did you read that through ? They word it that use of the handbrake is very subjective and by no means a requirement or mandatory. They say that when you come to a stop "and if it looks like you will remain stationary for a while", use the handbrake. How long is "a while" ?

I can clarify my parent's home and they're from the UK....

 

[OppositeLocK]

I even use neutral in my automatic vehicles when I am at a long lite or drive thru lane. Front pump runs then.

I don't think there is anything to be gained from this. If anything you're putting more wear on it by doing that.

 

[Popsy]

Neutral.

 

[SevenBizzos]

Depends on how long I plan on being at the light. So I'll do either.

My state requires you to stay in gear when the car is moving. I found this out on my driving test when I was coasting up to a stop light. I'm not sure about when you are actually stopped at the light.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

My '67 Chevelle SS396 demanded I rest my left leg at a stoplight. My wife's old Honda civic didnt care. Just The weight of my leg would hold the third pedal down.

 

[Hall]

My state requires you to stay in gear when the car is moving. I found this out on my driving test when I was coasting up to a stop light.

Not doubting you but I'd like to see the wording of this. If it is actually a law, it's another unenforceable one.

 

[SevenBizzos]

Not doubting you but I'd like to see the wording of this. If it is actually a law, it's another unenforceable one.

I found it.
(625 ILCS 5/11-1410) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-1410)
Sec. 11-1410. Coasting prohibited.
(a) The driver of any motor vehicle when traveling upon a down grade shall not coast with the gears or transmission of such vehicle in neutral.

Not exactly what I was told. Maybe I was on a downslope at the time? Surprising they are worried about grade in a mostly flat state.

 

[ripcord]

I found it.
(625 ILCS 5/11-1410) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-1410)
Sec. 11-1410. Coasting prohibited.
(a) The driver of any motor vehicle when traveling upon a down grade shall not coast with the gears or transmission of such vehicle in neutral.

Not exactly what I was told. Maybe I was on a downslope at the time? Surprising they are worried about grade in a mostly flat state.

Laws like this date back to the day when cars had barely adequate drum brakes and if you rode the brakes down a long hill they would be faded to nothing when you got to the bottom. Obviously this can still happen, but it was way worse when your 5000# Packard was boiling it's fluid and had hot greasy banana peel brake shoes after going down a pass.

 

[Silver Samurai]

That's what I've always thought but I guess some people do it for safety as opposed to putting it in neutral and pulling the handbrake (I guess that's how they're taught in Europe?).

Early 90s I lived in Birmingham, England, and yes my roommates girlfriend used to pull up the handbrake while at a stop sign.

 

[mightymousetech]

Do you keep it in gear with the clutch depressed in order to have a quicker take off, or do you put it into neutral to save the throw out bearing?

Curious to hear opinions and why. I almost always put in into neutral if I'm going to be sitting for more than 5 seconds because why waste the TOB?

Depends if you want to wear out the thrust bearings on the crank or the throw out bearing first.

 

[OppositeLocK]

Depends if you want to wear out the thrust bearings on the crank or the throw out bearing first.

What's cheaper to replace?

 

[mightymousetech]

What's cheaper to replace?

A new clutch is always cheaper than a new crank.

 

[OppositeLocK]

A new clutch is always cheaper than a new crank.

So you're saying just hold it in?

 

[mightymousetech]

So you're saying just hold it in?

Let it rest in neutral.