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

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.
Like most state laws made by moronic lawmaker - put that in the IGNORE box. Like Red Left Turn arrows with a Green light.
Do you think I'm blind? I am making hundreds of decisions every few miles and using my eyeballs to drive. DO you think I can't see
if traffic is coming? If a box truck is blocking my view down the road I will sit. Coast is clear - I'm going - though I pity the driver behind me. I may wait if they look like an idiot texting, just to spare them - and foil natural selection yet again!
 
Since I've had to replace the clutch and throwout bearing on the MG, and since the thrust bearings are weak on the 1500 engine, I always put it in neutral waiting for a light.
 
Wouldn’t it be nice if we had the the traffic lights that had the yellow light that turned on a second before going green? Super handy
 
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....
I would say if you stop at a red light, shift into neutral and pull the handbrake unless you stay hard on the footbrake. You don't want to get pushed from behind into an intersection.

If you stop at a stop sign, or if you stop to make a turn and have to wait for oncoming traffic or pedestrians, stay in gear and on the footbrake. Also keep the wheels straight and not turned in. Again, you don't want to get pushed into oncoming traffic or into pedestrians.
 
My first five cars were manual transmission. I always shifted to neutral at a stop. One reason: as a young teen I helped my father change the clutch and throw out bearing on a 1960 Willys pickup truck. It was not fun.
 
Isn’t there a law in some state that mandates that you keep it in gear at a stoplight? (So people get moving quicker?)
BTW, I throw it in neutral.
I've never heard of that. The mandate should be get off the cell phone and pay attention.
 
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.

That's the rule in several states. I remember talking to a coworker who said he still did it because he thought that it saved fuel. With a modern with an ECU it won't. If it's in gear and it's moving without any accelerator, it's not going to be using any fuel, and there will be a high vacuum in each cylinder (i.e. engine braking). But it's it's in neutral, fuel is going to be needed to maintain idle.
 
I looked in California's driver handbook and can't find anything about what to do when stopped. When someone taught me how to drive a stick I was always reminded to put it in neutral at a stop. There's barely anything in there that distinguishes between a manual and automatic transmission. I took my drivers tests (yeah - I failed my first one) in automatics and learned how to drive a manual transmission later. It does surprise me that there isn't any requirement that one test in a manual transmission vehicle before being allowed to drive one. I think that's a requirement in many countries.
 
I would say if you stop at a red light, shift into neutral and pull the handbrake unless you stay hard on the footbrake. You don't want to get pushed from behind into an intersection.
Do you set the brake at a red light when driving an automatic transmission ? Or put it in PARK ?
 
Do you set the brake at a red light when driving an automatic transmission ? Or put it in PARK ?
Not directed at ME, but I usually put a MT in neutral and pull on the handbrake at a light - if only to rest my feet and maybe move my legs around to a different position than what they were in whilst driving. Get some circulation going.

I would say setting a hand brake will not stop you from being pushed into an intersection if you are hit from behind, though it may keep you from being "eight-balled" WAY out into the intersection. For this reason I try to have one eye ahead, and one in the rear view. I have had to Snagglepuss "Exit, Stage Right" a few times to avoid being rear-ended. I felt bad about the driver in front of me, who got creamed.

Now, I just imagined this is a scenario where I could be sued by the driver in front of me by putting him in peril, knowingly!
 
I will be the outlier here. Until retiring 5 years ago I drove 18 wheelers for almost 50 years. About 10 years ago automatics in 18 wheelers was the exception to the norm. The class 8 trucks I drove for years had a clutch brake that took several seconds to slow the reciprocating weight of the transmission and clutch components for the transmission to engage smoothly without grinding gears. My “habit” of sitting at a light with the clutch depressed/disengaged spilled over to my manual transmission vehicles including my motorcycles. I also typically let the clutch out to just before engaging the friction zone so when the light changes all I need to do is feather the throttle and clutch and I’m on my way. At least to me, waiting for a driver in front of me to fiddle with the shifter while the surrounding traffic is already accelerating away from a green light is irritating to say the least. YMMV
 
I would say setting a hand brake will not stop you from being pushed into an intersection if you are hit from behind, though it may keep you from being "eight-balled" WAY out into the intersection.
Agreed. The handbrake may prevent the worst if your vehicle gets bumped from behind. it also prevents rolling, which often happens unnoticed.
 
Throw out bearings are sealed bearing units these days. If the light is gonna be more than 30 seconds then I'll put it in neutral, have a 13 GT500 so the clutch is a little stiff to hold for long periods of time.
 
I'm probably long overdue for a few throwout bearings - I almost always sit stopped at a light with foot on clutch, car in 1st, unless I know it's going to be longer than the average stoplight. Never noticed any ill effects.
 
Like the 928 rolling into the lake in Risky Business?



Who’s the U-boat commander?

Always wondered how that happened as the 3 cars used in the movie were 83 models, and in the US market, they were mostly 4 speed automatics.
 
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