Putting the AT in N at lights

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
For stoplights? No. But I do select Neutral when waiting in line at the commercial lane at the bank or waiting for a train.

Quote:
Hopefully I'm never in front of you at a light when you're in neutral off the brake. You'd be the hazard, to me.


If the car behind us is travelling fast enough crash through the 3, 4, or 5+ cars behind me then you were going to get hit anyway whether I was in Drive or not.


Yea OK, and if you were hit just hard enough to push me a few feet into an intersection that would be OK? The difference could have been you having your foot on the brake, and me not getting pushed into an intersection.

IIRC in some states if you are stopped in traffic, brake lights must be illuminated. That's the law in many states.

Bottom line is this: a foot on the brake at a light is safer than a foot off the brake, why is that so difficult to understand?

 

[Trav]

Quote:
Another reason to put your AT into N at a stop light is so you can release the brakes, and thereby not flat-spot the brake rotors

I have never heard of this phenomenon. Some cars use paring/E Brake that applies pressure to the calipers. Even using the park brake every day does not cause a flat spot.

Please explain how holding the brake can flat spot a non moving rotor.

 

[45ACP]

Ok... what about putting it in "D" when it is still going "R" with NO application of the brakes, rather accelerator.

She does that, too.

 

[mahansm]

On my car (Honda Odyssey), the fuel flow rate drops by about .3 gallons/hour when I shift from D to N while idling at a stop with the engine fully warm.

 

[demarpaint]

Lets think about this, you're coming up on a stopped vehicle that has no brake lights on. Do you assume he's stopped, or for a split second think he's taken his foot off the brake and is taking off? That split second might cost you enough braking distance or cause you to use less brake pressure than you should have and possibly rear end that car. All because he didn't have his foot on the brake while he was stopped.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: 45ACP
Is she TRYING to kill the truck? Also, every other car with an AT.

How bad for trans? 144,494 miles. Was 144,000 2 days ago.


no


not very

 

[dwcopple]

I do it constantly in the leased Civic. The RPM's drop to 7-800 which is definitely burning less fuel than hovering at 2500-3000. I do it from the top of the overpass by my house to the entrance of our subdivision. Coast the whole way. At intersections, no I don't.

 

[45ACP]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
If you don't see someone coming up behind you, perhaps you should hang up your cell phone and pay attention. Or ride the bus.


Sir, if they rear-end you, they are automatically at fault.

 

[45ACP]

So, general concensus is there is NOT more "wear" shifting backinto "D" as well as out of?

What about the "putting it in D while it coasts R?"

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: 45ACP
So, general concensus is there is NOT more "wear" shifting backinto "D" as well as out of?

What about the "putting it in D while it coasts R?"


Yeah, that one isn't good.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: 45ACP
So, general concensus is there is NOT more "wear" shifting backinto "D" as well as out of?


Going back in at speed I have a bad feeling about, just by how it feels (shudders). It may not be used to going straight from neutral to top gear and can be doing several things at once. At a stop, well, maybe okay because it's got low line pressure, low speed, etc as well as a planned smooth operation into first.

 

[johnachak]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Lets think about this, you're coming up on a stopped vehicle that has no brake lights on. Do you assume he's stopped, or for a split second think he's taken his foot off the brake and is taking off? That split second might cost you enough braking distance or cause you to use less brake pressure than you should have and possibly rear end that car. All because he didn't have his foot on the brake while he was stopped.


I have to agree with you on this point! I see no problem with the neutral thing but brake lights are important.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: johnachak
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Lets think about this, you're coming up on a stopped vehicle that has no brake lights on. Do you assume he's stopped, or for a split second think he's taken his foot off the brake and is taking off? That split second might cost you enough braking distance or cause you to use less brake pressure than you should have and possibly rear end that car. All because he didn't have his foot on the brake while he was stopped.


I have to agree with you on this point! I see no problem with the neutral thing but brake lights are important.


I'm glad I'm not alone on this. If I stop and wait for a train or a very long light I use N also, foot on the brake though.

 

[cchase]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Quote:
Another reason to put your AT into N at a stop light is so you can release the brakes, and thereby not flat-spot the brake rotors

I have never heard of this phenomenon. Some cars use paring/E Brake that applies pressure to the calipers. Even using the park brake every day does not cause a flat spot.

Please explain how holding the brake can flat spot a non moving rotor.


I don't know about flat-spotting, but surely you've experienced pad deposits on rotors from hot pads sitting on a hot rotor after you've stopped from 50 mph, for example.

 

[SaturnIonVue]

If a driver is coming up behind you at a traffic signal that is red, then he/she should be looking at/for the signal light, not checking out the absence of lights, or the shades of red on the brake lights on your car! Even then, if their vision is so poor that they can't tell if you're stopped or moving at a light then we all have an at risk problem.

I consistently shift to neutral and take my foot off the brake-on flat ground. Why? Less stress on the transmission, lower fuel consumption, and most importantly, it allows the brakes to cool down without binding the brake pads or shoes against the disc or drum. It has been said by some brake experts that there are very few real instances of a brake disc or drum actually being "warped." Rather, some believe, that brake pad/shoe friction materials become bonded (deposited)to the disc/drum during hardstops which causes the "warp." So it reasonably follows that if a big foot is NOT mashing the brake pedal down for a few minutes at a stop light, then bonding of brake friction materials has less chance to occur.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: SaturnIonVue
If a driver is coming up behind you at a traffic signal that is red, then he/she should be looking at/for the signal light, not checking out the absence of lights, or the shades of red on the brake lights on your car! Even then, if their vision is so poor that they can't tell if you're stopped or moving at a light then we all have an at risk problem.



Tell you what you do.
Get a friend and both of you go to a busy big intersection, have him sit there foot off brake and you stand on the curb with a video camera.
Post the resulting video on youtube then BITOG because in the words of Turtle man its gonna be live action!

PS, Please check the price of a replacement rear bumper and lights from a local yard before doing this.LOL

Make sure you come to NY and try it.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
For stoplights? No. But I do select Neutral when waiting in line at the commercial lane at the bank or waiting for a train.

Quote:
Hopefully I'm never in front of you at a light when you're in neutral off the brake. You'd be the hazard, to me.


If the car behind us is travelling fast enough crash through the 3, 4, or 5+ cars behind me then you were going to get hit anyway whether I was in Drive or not.


Yea OK, and if you were hit just hard enough to push me a few feet into an intersection that would be OK? The difference could have been you having your foot on the brake, and me not getting pushed into an intersection.

IIRC in some states if you are stopped in traffic, brake lights must be illuminated. That's the law in many states.

Bottom line is this: a foot on the brake at a light is safer than a foot off the brake, why is that so difficult to understand?


Okay, let's suppose for a moment that someone could make the 90° turn into the bank commercial line with enough momentum to slam the 2 or 3 cars behind me forward far enough for my passenger car to push your giant box forward. OH NO!!!!! You have to reach back an extra 8" to get your deposit receipt. NOOOOOOO!!!!! Not 8" with your rotator cuff! That's just cruel! Nevermind the guy who took the brunt of the impact from the guy who was able to whip through the 90° corner at 60mph.

and then at the train... in some countries you have to shut off your engine when a train is crossing. I honestly don't see how having my car in Drive and my foot on the brake is any safer than having the car in Park with the parking brake set. The line of cars behind me know that I'm stopped. I would hope that even if they didn't see the cars behind me THEY WOULD SEE THE FREAKIN' TRAIN! Not to mention the flashing lights and bells at the crossing.

I don't select neutral at stoplights. Let's review:
Quote:
For stoplights? No.

But I don't live in constant fear either.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog

But I don't live in constant fear either.


No fear here. I just use common sense, and follow the law. Tail lights are on when stopped in traffic. I've used park at railroad crossings too, and drive through windows, hows that for living on the edge?

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: cchase
Originally Posted By: Trav
Quote:
Another reason to put your AT into N at a stop light is so you can release the brakes, and thereby not flat-spot the brake rotors

I have never heard of this phenomenon. Some cars use paring/E Brake that applies pressure to the calipers. Even using the park brake every day does not cause a flat spot.

Please explain how holding the brake can flat spot a non moving rotor.


I don't know about flat-spotting, but surely you've experienced pad deposits on rotors from hot pads sitting on a hot rotor after you've stopped from 50 mph, for example.


Sounds like another poor soul is replacing rotors that are not really warped. I cannot tell you how many pro techs I know who have never heard of pad material deposition. It's actually quite common.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: cchase
Originally Posted By: Trav
Quote:
Another reason to put your AT into N at a stop light is so you can release the brakes, and thereby not flat-spot the brake rotors

I have never heard of this phenomenon. Some cars use paring/E Brake that applies pressure to the calipers. Even using the park brake every day does not cause a flat spot.

Please explain how holding the brake can flat spot a non moving rotor.


I don't know about flat-spotting, but surely you've experienced pad deposits on rotors from hot pads sitting on a hot rotor after you've stopped from 50 mph, for example.


Sounds like another poor soul is replacing rotors that are not really warped. I cannot tell you how many pro techs I know who have never heard of pad material deposition. It's actually quite common.


Yes it does sound that way. When breaking in high performance brakes and rotors they suggest some hard stops to heat them up and transfer some pad material onto the rotors. Pad deposits and warped rotors are two totally different things.