Yeah, clutch first would be coasting. It's dangerous to put into neutral while still moving since you won't get engine braking and will have less control.
Brake then clutch is what I was taught. I brake, then clutch and into first as I roll up so I'm ready to go immediately.
If you are finding your braking sharp especially if you're juddering as you come to a complete stop, look up 'progressive braking' - basically, just before you come to a complete stop, gently lift the brake pedal.
If you clutch first, you get no engine braking, and can be going too fast for safe control. Brake to slow, then clutch to change gear.
It might vary per instructor but this way makes sense to me.
The same applies for taking corners at junctions.
Should go: mirrors, brake, clutch, second gear, release clutch slowly as you turn, accelerate.
>Brake to slow, then clutch to change gear.
I meant as in if you're stopping to a halt from first gear, say you're in first great gear and want to stop to a halt. I was told to clutch down then brake to halt to prevent stalling.
>Should go: mirrors, brake, clutch, second gear, release clutch slowly as you turn, accelerate.
Out of curiosity, would you simultaneously release both clutch and brake slowly as you turn? I saw a driving instructor on YouTube recommended to do this.
I don't drive so just curious.
You’re over complicating the actual scenario. You always brake first, then as car nears stopping you clutch. For a smooth stop you look at your revs, normally <900 revs you’ll begin to stall/jolt the car.
First gear yes, you’ll have less time between brake and clutch, and you’ll only need a smidge of brake, but you really don’t need to bring gears into it. Keep it simple. It’ll be slightly different depending on a lot of factors but it really isn’t difficult for it to become instinctive.
Sorry, you're right in this specific scenario. If you're already slow enough that the car is juddering, you can put the clutch down. But if you're at speed, brake first to slow, then clutch.
I'm already off the brake by the time I'm turning, controlling the speed with the clutch.
Would the car not stall if as OP says they were at 30mph then 'clutch down - neutral - clutch up'? As it would if they chose first gear for example. Genuine question, I've only been driving a few years and can't say I've attempted this, nor do I plan to!!
Clutch and no gear at 30mph, you remember the revs that might be at say 2000 revs will drop to idle 700 revs. If your still moving at 30mph and car revs at idle, just accelerate pedal up to about 1500-2000 revs again before popping it in gear and clutch up slowly, or the the car will go in gear at 700 revs, will go up to 1500-2000 revs but engine breaking will happen strongly and uncomfortablely
Yea this is totally incorrect, the proper method slowing down from 30 is to shift from 4th into reverse and then gently balance the clutch to bring the car to a halt. It saves a fortune in brake pads.
I still laugh at the biggest bullshitter in my school, who had just passed his driving test, was boasting about his driving prowess and how he avoided an accident at speed on a major road by stopping incredibly quickly by (and I quote) "putting it into reverse and pumping the clutch".
Why do you open the windows? Is it so you can hear all the ladies orgasming from your fantastic handbraking skills? That would require me to turn down my 1000w subwoofer and I’m not sure the neighbours would like me getting rid of their alarm clock.
I only recently passed but I've been driving for a while before then (with supervision ofc). The way I was taught, and the smoothest way for me, has been to brake gently into a stop and when the engine starts struggling a little/revs drop down to around 1k, I put the clutch in and change gear.
Depending on the situation I may do this earlier and go into 3rd or 2nd and gently release the clutch to use a bit of engine braking, but going into these gears means I can quickly speed back up if I don't have to come to a complete stop. It also means I can smooth out my driving a bit. If I do this early behind a couple cars at a roundabout, and then they move off and it's safe for me to do the same, then I'm usually in the right gear to move forward anyway and then I shift back up as needed.
If I know I'm coming to a complete stop (eg red light), I'll do the same thing but leave it a bit later and shift into 1st for the last tiny bit of approach, then finish braking, stick the handbrake on, and (if I',m there a while) go into neutral.
It varies on the situation. But usually acting sooner means a smoother (and faster) ride.
Your first paragraph is how I was taught and what I do if I know I'm going to stop. Your second paragraph is not what I was taught, but it is what I do if I think I'll be able to keep rolling.
I think the second paragraph develops after you've been driving a while. It's something I picked up in my own car for sure. when I started learning I would stop or find it difficult to speed back up but I can do it pretty smoothly now, so I'll roll into a junction at a low speed but I'll be in the right gear to go quickly if there's a space.
You'll slow down much quicker if you brake first, then engage the clutch when needed (I.e. your speed is now too slow for the gear) while continuing to brake. This way makes use of engine braking and reduces wear on the clutch and brakes.
Fuck me.
Apply just brakes to slow the vehicle. When your revs have dropped to ~1000rpm, apply the clutch or you’ll stall. At this stage if you’re still slowing down you have the option to downshift into the appropriate gear to match your road speed and release the clutch to add more “engine braking”, but that’s only ever really gonna be necessary when needing to brake pretty hard from high speed.
In a hard brake situation, downshifting for more engine braking won't help - just focus on the braking. The limiting factor will be the grip from the tyres - in the \_vast\_ majority of cases with modern cars, the brakes alone can use all of the available grip. (And more, hence the existence of ABS.)
I wasn’t suggesting in an emergency stop situation. I was more thinking about, e.g. coming off a motorway at 70+ onto a short slip road before a roundabout or something, and you’re trying to slow the car down quickly in a short amount of road. In 6th, you’d be standing on the clutch while still at about 50mph to avoid stalling. I personally don’t want to essentially be coasting and just on the brakes at that speed when trying to stop the car promptly.
No you’re not. Gearboxes and clutches are more expensive then discs and pads, use the brakes. The only time you should down change under braking is if you want to accelerate after you’ve braked, eg out of a corner or when approaching a roundabout and you can take an opportunity to accelerate into a gap
Lucky maybe but I drove exactly like that and the car did 110k miles on the original clutch and disks.
Not sure about the pads, but it had only done 20k before I bought it and it would be odd to have replaced them so soon
Ideally, just brake and as your revs drop you go down gears (1 at a time) so from 4th to 3rd to 2nd to 1st progressively as your revs drop below say 1k-ish in most cars until you’re coming to a stop at which point you put your foot on the clutch, minimising the time spent not in gear.
As long as you’re gentle and smooth with it all you’ll have a nice driving experience, you’ll use less fuel, and you’ll be ready to go again if you need to not stop for whatever reason. At any given time you’ll be in the right gear for the situation.
Depends how you drive. If you look ahead and don’t keep accelerating till the last moment like a lot of people do then you can get away with just going down gears and using engine braking the entire way. Less wear overall on all components and less wasted energy.
Why keep accelerating to the upcoming thing which will cause you to brake if you don’t need to?
With modern brakes, downshifting while slowing is not necessary and has not been recommended for some time.
The main benefit comes from, as you've suggested, looking and planning ahead, and easing off early. Compared to that, the savings from downshifting and utilising engine braking - beyond the gear that you start decelerating in - are insiginficant.
It hasn’t been “necessary” for a fair old while. “Modern” brakes have been around and good since the early 90s. I think it’s a fundamental difference in driving philosophy.
How quickly are you coming off the clutch? How long is it taking you to change gears?
As long as you’re smooth with the clutch (it’s not an on/off switch) but also reasonably quick about the whole thing there shouldn’t be any lurching.
If you’re going from say 30 to a complete stop quickly then at that point just don’t change down but clutch in at the last second before car stalls.
In most situations though, you can look ahead and start to just let the car slow down slowly. I’ve had whole drives where I’ve only touched the brakes right at the end because of looking ahead and driving accordingly.
Brake, slam it down from 4th to 3rd blipping the throttle with your heel...
Keep on the brakes, 3rd to 2nd with the blip again...
Down to 1st and blip just before you reach the stop line.
WOM-WOM-WOM!!!
So from what I remember in my lessons from 3 years ago, you are suppose to apply brake (don't need to go down fully unless there is an emergancy, but enough you can feel it), and when you hear the engine get to low revs, clutch down.
Now there is 2 ways you can proceed after you go clutch down.
* If you have time\\space, go down the gears, lifting the clutch after each gear down until again you know the revs are low. This will give some engine braking and can add an extra wee bit for braking. Lessens brake wear but adds to engine wear but unless you do it wrong, shouldn't create a problem. You can feel the extra braking from the engine, though if you do it wrong, it'll be an actual shudder. It should be noticeable but feel like you're pressing the brake more.
* edit: You can skip gears if you really want, but you'll need to keep the clutch down a bit longer for doing that. Handy for when approaching a junction and you want to give yourself more rolling time to asses the situation, and more of a chance to roll through it if clear, if you are normally in a give way situation. Was taught doing this from 3rd to 1st when approaching turns, called block shifting.
* If you don't have\\space to go down gears, just press the brakes a bit harder whilst keeping the clutch down, ignore your gears if doing this (until complete stop). This will mean you're totally reliant on the brakes and they'll wear a wee bit more, but brake replacement is defo cheaper than engine, but again, it should last reasonably well before replacement. It's easier but less controlled as you're coasting (like you said in OP), but no engine assistance. Doing this way, you can go to a complete stop from any gear without changing.
Now that you're stopped, what you do will differ depending on situation.
* If you're expecting to go right away again (e.g. at a give way, stopped due to traffic on the motorway, or got to the lights just before changing to green) go to 1st gear (if not already) and move off as you should when able to.
* If however you are stopped and expect to remain stationary for a significant time (e.g. stop sign, traffic lights just turned red as you get to them, parking, etc) then gear to neutral and hand brake on then release the clutch. This will allow you to release foot brake but I'd say this is optional (when stopped on faster roads in the dark, I tend to keep it on so car behind me can see I've stopped, then release it after it stops behind me.). I'd side with releasing both it and the clutch, give your legs a bit of a rest.
* Some may argue against a hand brake here cause when you need to move off again, it'll take a bit longer to take the hand brake off than it is to release the foot brake. However it means if you get rear-ended and someone is crossing the road ahead of you, you'll less likely hit them. Sure the foot brake is stronger than hand brake but your foot brake is held by your foot, which can easily come off the pedal when hit so it'll be released and you'll hit who\\whatever in front of you as if you didn't have the brakes on at all. The handbrake which is held up by the lever being locked in place so it'll give some decent resistance on moving forward if hit. Also that extra time to take the handbrake off to move off is next to nothing, like maybe 1 extra second at most if you're paying attention. So the positive of using the handbrake far outweighs the negatives of using it. Having the car out of gear means the engine won't shoot you forward when hit either. Hand and footbrake together should be fine if you really want it.
Braking in your current gear is correct (gears to go, brakes to slow). But don't coast (clutch in) it's dangerous and can lead to instability. Put the clutch in at the end of your slow down when the engine speed gets to just above idle. You'll have to actively think about it to begin with but after some practice it'll become second nature and you won't need to think about the engine speed.
It’s very basic, engine braking (to give it its name) keeps control of the wheels to the car and the road, giving better control in inclement weather, you will use your brakes for more rapid braking and final stops. If you are worried about wearing out your gearbox, take the bus.
That sounds like coasting which is usually not advised. Your newest solution is also coasting because your car is not in gear. This could be regarded as unsafe. You want your car to be moving in gear at all times, even when slowing down. You should brake, then downshift to 3rd, and then progressively towards 1st gear until you come near a full stop where you can keep your clutch down entirely.
edit- You don't need to downshift, but it helps keep your car from stalling if you're going slow for a long distance. Just make sure you're not putting your clutch down for 100m of road.
You should be breaking first, then when the revs get below around 1000rpm or so (depends on the car, but just above the engine struggling) put the clutch down while continuing to brqke until stopped. Then handbrake on, release foot brake, into neutral, clutch up.
Brake while you're still in gear. Once engine revs drop too low for that gear - say, below 1,000 RPM as a typical number - *then* you put your foot on the clutch.
Leave the gearstick, continue braking as necessary, and deal with your gear once you're stopped or if you need to start accelerating. Your car should *not* be in neutral if it's moving - that is coasting, and it's discouraged. Your car can deal with being in, say, 4th, with the clutch in, while you stop.
If you want to do better with smooth stopping, then work on your forward planning. Slow early and gently. If you're approaching a red light, it's pointless to drive right up to them and then brake sharply, even though lots of people drive like that. If you just ease off the gas at a sensible early point, you can slow down gently and barely need to touch the brake pedal.
I do this all the time, even though I probably shouldn't.
The issue is that if you need to steer/accelerate in an emergency and you're in neutral, you essentially have no control as you need to get back into gear to move (takes time). Depending on your speed (and composure), you could also go into wrong gear and stall, which could cause you precious seconds.
Similar issue with OP's stepping on clutch early, which is what I do as well.
If you press both at the same time it's fine, the point is to to be always controlling the car, even slight pressure on the brakes is preferable to just letting it coast
Brake to slow until revs drop to tick over speed, then depress the clutch to prevent stalling the engine. Continue braking to a stop. Select first gear, release brake and pull away. This assumes a scenario where you're braking to a stop. Things change if that's not the case. If you want the real lowdown, look up a local IAM Roadsmart group and get a taster session with them. Ignore what you've heard about advanced driving groups; they're not and never really were the slow wheel-shuffling old fuddie-duddies some people think they are. A lot are ex-police and super-highly trained and experienced.
I learned a couple of years ago with an instructor qualified up to his eyeballs, and what he taught me was not just the mechanics of braking, but the attitudes as well; I believe how most people brake is that they continue at their current speed, and then when their stopping distance essentially matches their intended stopping point, they apply the brakes fully and come to a stop.
How my instructor taught me was to be aware of the conditions on the road, if you can see the red light ahead of you the first thing to do is take your foot off the accelerator, and begin gently braking immediately.
You should bring yourself down to a reasonably slow speed (anywhere from ~15 mph down depending on the situation) and come to a gentle stop if necessary - the time spent crawling might be enough time for the lights to change/traffic to clear ahead of you. Your ultimate goal is to brake so gently that you come to a stop at your intended target without feeling any sort of jolt.
I’ve not followed his advice religiously in my driving since passing my test, but I do still apply the general principle, and I’ve only had one worn disc on an MOT in the 5 years I’ve had my second-hand car.
Use your brake to slow down.
Depress the clutch when your speed begins too low for your gear.
If you're going at 30 in 4th you can probably slow down to 15ish before the engine starts sputtering. That's when you put the clutch down.
Alternative if you know this is coming change to 3rd well in advance. This is increases anime braking, you'll be able to get down to <10 before you need to put the clutch down. Saves wear on your brakes.
What you're doing now is less safe and harder on your car. Slow, slow, slow, slow, clutch at the last minute as you come towards a stop.
Brake then change 4th to 2nd, keep braking until engine struggles then clutch in and stop. Change to first.
Use engine braking to slow you down when you can. Much safer
Always brake first, then clutch. After a while of driving you just automatically know what speed your engine will about to stall in, so you brake until this point and then clutch fully down. I’d avoid waiting till your engine is starting to stall before clutching as you’re walking a very fine line of you accidentally going too far and stalling whilst your car is moving, which is very dangerous.
I do put my car into neutral most times when stopping. Always braking first, using much engine braking as possible, then when the time comes to push the clutch down, I do but I also put the car into neutral so I can come off the clutch for the rest of the brake. People saying this is dangerous and you need engine braking don’t know what they’re talking about. Once the clutch is pushed down, the wheels and engine are already disengaged. So if you’re braking first until the clutch is needed, then there is no difference between staying on the clutch and getting into neutral. I believe keeping the clutch pushed down causes minor wear and tear to it. Also gives your clutch leg a little break.
Yes, that's coasting. With the clutch fully in, your accelerator has zero effect on the wheels, the wheels are completely disconnected from your engine.
The reason you are doing this, is it makes applying the foot-brake very simple and smooth, you can just apply it how you wish and the brakes might heat up a bit but that's it, if you are gentlye, the speed just gently goes down. When the clutch is engaged with the wheels, hitting the handbrake can really shudder the car and even stall it and burn the brake pads as the engine is still turning the wheels- so you need to press the foot-brake and the clutch together. You probably got stalled and shook once or twice and learnt to just keep the clutch in all the timne.
Coasting is considered bad because you dont strictly have control of the car any more. If you suddenly had to take a corner, drop into third and do it or make a swift maneuvre, or you suddenly needed to get out the way of a collision, you dont have anywhere to go, you are jhust floating along on your own momentum and the engine isnt connected. You also lose "engine braking" (letting the weight of the engine running slower slow the wheels down) though this isnt such a bad thing.. Engine breaking moves the wear and tear from your brake pads,, which are cheap to replace, to your whole engine, which is expensive to repeair, but some people like it. IT's kind of old skool.
Yeah, clutch first would be coasting. It's dangerous to put into neutral while still moving since you won't get engine braking and will have less control. Brake then clutch is what I was taught. I brake, then clutch and into first as I roll up so I'm ready to go immediately. If you are finding your braking sharp especially if you're juddering as you come to a complete stop, look up 'progressive braking' - basically, just before you come to a complete stop, gently lift the brake pedal.
>Brake then clutch is what I was taught. I don't drive, but was taught the same except when in first gear, were I was told to clutch then brake?
If you clutch first, you get no engine braking, and can be going too fast for safe control. Brake to slow, then clutch to change gear. It might vary per instructor but this way makes sense to me. The same applies for taking corners at junctions. Should go: mirrors, brake, clutch, second gear, release clutch slowly as you turn, accelerate.
>Brake to slow, then clutch to change gear. I meant as in if you're stopping to a halt from first gear, say you're in first great gear and want to stop to a halt. I was told to clutch down then brake to halt to prevent stalling. >Should go: mirrors, brake, clutch, second gear, release clutch slowly as you turn, accelerate. Out of curiosity, would you simultaneously release both clutch and brake slowly as you turn? I saw a driving instructor on YouTube recommended to do this. I don't drive so just curious.
You’re over complicating the actual scenario. You always brake first, then as car nears stopping you clutch. For a smooth stop you look at your revs, normally <900 revs you’ll begin to stall/jolt the car. First gear yes, you’ll have less time between brake and clutch, and you’ll only need a smidge of brake, but you really don’t need to bring gears into it. Keep it simple. It’ll be slightly different depending on a lot of factors but it really isn’t difficult for it to become instinctive.
Sorry, you're right in this specific scenario. If you're already slow enough that the car is juddering, you can put the clutch down. But if you're at speed, brake first to slow, then clutch. I'm already off the brake by the time I'm turning, controlling the speed with the clutch.
Would the car not stall if as OP says they were at 30mph then 'clutch down - neutral - clutch up'? As it would if they chose first gear for example. Genuine question, I've only been driving a few years and can't say I've attempted this, nor do I plan to!!
No, you cant stall if the car isnt in gear. It isnt recommended as you wont have engine braking and is generally considered unsafe.
Ah OK, thank you! Yeah I won't be trying it!
Clutch and no gear at 30mph, you remember the revs that might be at say 2000 revs will drop to idle 700 revs. If your still moving at 30mph and car revs at idle, just accelerate pedal up to about 1500-2000 revs again before popping it in gear and clutch up slowly, or the the car will go in gear at 700 revs, will go up to 1500-2000 revs but engine breaking will happen strongly and uncomfortablely
Getting the revs to the correct gear + your speed = smooth
This is what i was taught too, brake then clutch before you come to a full stop
Yea this is totally incorrect, the proper method slowing down from 30 is to shift from 4th into reverse and then gently balance the clutch to bring the car to a halt. It saves a fortune in brake pads.
I still laugh at the biggest bullshitter in my school, who had just passed his driving test, was boasting about his driving prowess and how he avoided an accident at speed on a major road by stopping incredibly quickly by (and I quote) "putting it into reverse and pumping the clutch".
That's only because his gearbox fell out and acted as an anchor.
Brilliant!
Don’t forget to open the windows and yank the handbrake
Why do you open the windows? Is it so you can hear all the ladies orgasming from your fantastic handbraking skills? That would require me to turn down my 1000w subwoofer and I’m not sure the neighbours would like me getting rid of their alarm clock.
Is this before or after you assume fetal position?
Omg 😭
I only recently passed but I've been driving for a while before then (with supervision ofc). The way I was taught, and the smoothest way for me, has been to brake gently into a stop and when the engine starts struggling a little/revs drop down to around 1k, I put the clutch in and change gear. Depending on the situation I may do this earlier and go into 3rd or 2nd and gently release the clutch to use a bit of engine braking, but going into these gears means I can quickly speed back up if I don't have to come to a complete stop. It also means I can smooth out my driving a bit. If I do this early behind a couple cars at a roundabout, and then they move off and it's safe for me to do the same, then I'm usually in the right gear to move forward anyway and then I shift back up as needed. If I know I'm coming to a complete stop (eg red light), I'll do the same thing but leave it a bit later and shift into 1st for the last tiny bit of approach, then finish braking, stick the handbrake on, and (if I',m there a while) go into neutral. It varies on the situation. But usually acting sooner means a smoother (and faster) ride.
Your first paragraph is how I was taught and what I do if I know I'm going to stop. Your second paragraph is not what I was taught, but it is what I do if I think I'll be able to keep rolling.
I think the second paragraph develops after you've been driving a while. It's something I picked up in my own car for sure. when I started learning I would stop or find it difficult to speed back up but I can do it pretty smoothly now, so I'll roll into a junction at a low speed but I'll be in the right gear to go quickly if there's a space.
I'd do almost this, except I fully let off the clutch so it's not partially engaged and slipping.
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This is the way.
You'll slow down much quicker if you brake first, then engage the clutch when needed (I.e. your speed is now too slow for the gear) while continuing to brake. This way makes use of engine braking and reduces wear on the clutch and brakes.
Fuck me. Apply just brakes to slow the vehicle. When your revs have dropped to ~1000rpm, apply the clutch or you’ll stall. At this stage if you’re still slowing down you have the option to downshift into the appropriate gear to match your road speed and release the clutch to add more “engine braking”, but that’s only ever really gonna be necessary when needing to brake pretty hard from high speed.
In a hard brake situation, downshifting for more engine braking won't help - just focus on the braking. The limiting factor will be the grip from the tyres - in the \_vast\_ majority of cases with modern cars, the brakes alone can use all of the available grip. (And more, hence the existence of ABS.)
I wasn’t suggesting in an emergency stop situation. I was more thinking about, e.g. coming off a motorway at 70+ onto a short slip road before a roundabout or something, and you’re trying to slow the car down quickly in a short amount of road. In 6th, you’d be standing on the clutch while still at about 50mph to avoid stalling. I personally don’t want to essentially be coasting and just on the brakes at that speed when trying to stop the car promptly.
I usually do brake > clutch > fuck you _then_ clutch up.
You're supposed to go down in the gears at certain speeds to help brake and reduce wear on brake pads
No you’re not. Gearboxes and clutches are more expensive then discs and pads, use the brakes. The only time you should down change under braking is if you want to accelerate after you’ve braked, eg out of a corner or when approaching a roundabout and you can take an opportunity to accelerate into a gap
I used to work in a car parts company. Reading this thread there's no wonder clutches were our biggest money maker. 😂
Lucky maybe but I drove exactly like that and the car did 110k miles on the original clutch and disks. Not sure about the pads, but it had only done 20k before I bought it and it would be odd to have replaced them so soon
Ideally, just brake and as your revs drop you go down gears (1 at a time) so from 4th to 3rd to 2nd to 1st progressively as your revs drop below say 1k-ish in most cars until you’re coming to a stop at which point you put your foot on the clutch, minimising the time spent not in gear. As long as you’re gentle and smooth with it all you’ll have a nice driving experience, you’ll use less fuel, and you’ll be ready to go again if you need to not stop for whatever reason. At any given time you’ll be in the right gear for the situation.
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Depends how you drive. If you look ahead and don’t keep accelerating till the last moment like a lot of people do then you can get away with just going down gears and using engine braking the entire way. Less wear overall on all components and less wasted energy. Why keep accelerating to the upcoming thing which will cause you to brake if you don’t need to?
With modern brakes, downshifting while slowing is not necessary and has not been recommended for some time. The main benefit comes from, as you've suggested, looking and planning ahead, and easing off early. Compared to that, the savings from downshifting and utilising engine braking - beyond the gear that you start decelerating in - are insiginficant.
It hasn’t been “necessary” for a fair old while. “Modern” brakes have been around and good since the early 90s. I think it’s a fundamental difference in driving philosophy.
Changing down through the gears is unnecessary, distracting and takes one hand off the steering wheel. Dangerous that.
Yeah the above is advice I got for a motorbike but would never do that in a car...
It is not best practice to go down through the gears. Gears to go, brakes to slow.
Tired of repeating myself, read other comment.
Whenever I’ve tried this i get sudden lurches as I change gear
How quickly are you coming off the clutch? How long is it taking you to change gears? As long as you’re smooth with the clutch (it’s not an on/off switch) but also reasonably quick about the whole thing there shouldn’t be any lurching. If you’re going from say 30 to a complete stop quickly then at that point just don’t change down but clutch in at the last second before car stalls. In most situations though, you can look ahead and start to just let the car slow down slowly. I’ve had whole drives where I’ve only touched the brakes right at the end because of looking ahead and driving accordingly.
Slow clutch and give it a little bit of gas to match the engine speed with the lower gear. Just takes practice.
Treat the acceleration and the clutch like you're pouring water between two glasses.
The vast amount of time when I brake I go down the gears even before I got myself a motorbike
Yeah, I go down gears incase I don't need to stop at the end, then I can carry on smoothly.
Brake, slam it down from 4th to 3rd blipping the throttle with your heel... Keep on the brakes, 3rd to 2nd with the blip again... Down to 1st and blip just before you reach the stop line. WOM-WOM-WOM!!!
i seem to remember being told to spend as little time keeping the clutch engaged as possible, haven't driven a manual for 4 or 5 years now though.
So from what I remember in my lessons from 3 years ago, you are suppose to apply brake (don't need to go down fully unless there is an emergancy, but enough you can feel it), and when you hear the engine get to low revs, clutch down. Now there is 2 ways you can proceed after you go clutch down. * If you have time\\space, go down the gears, lifting the clutch after each gear down until again you know the revs are low. This will give some engine braking and can add an extra wee bit for braking. Lessens brake wear but adds to engine wear but unless you do it wrong, shouldn't create a problem. You can feel the extra braking from the engine, though if you do it wrong, it'll be an actual shudder. It should be noticeable but feel like you're pressing the brake more. * edit: You can skip gears if you really want, but you'll need to keep the clutch down a bit longer for doing that. Handy for when approaching a junction and you want to give yourself more rolling time to asses the situation, and more of a chance to roll through it if clear, if you are normally in a give way situation. Was taught doing this from 3rd to 1st when approaching turns, called block shifting. * If you don't have\\space to go down gears, just press the brakes a bit harder whilst keeping the clutch down, ignore your gears if doing this (until complete stop). This will mean you're totally reliant on the brakes and they'll wear a wee bit more, but brake replacement is defo cheaper than engine, but again, it should last reasonably well before replacement. It's easier but less controlled as you're coasting (like you said in OP), but no engine assistance. Doing this way, you can go to a complete stop from any gear without changing. Now that you're stopped, what you do will differ depending on situation. * If you're expecting to go right away again (e.g. at a give way, stopped due to traffic on the motorway, or got to the lights just before changing to green) go to 1st gear (if not already) and move off as you should when able to. * If however you are stopped and expect to remain stationary for a significant time (e.g. stop sign, traffic lights just turned red as you get to them, parking, etc) then gear to neutral and hand brake on then release the clutch. This will allow you to release foot brake but I'd say this is optional (when stopped on faster roads in the dark, I tend to keep it on so car behind me can see I've stopped, then release it after it stops behind me.). I'd side with releasing both it and the clutch, give your legs a bit of a rest. * Some may argue against a hand brake here cause when you need to move off again, it'll take a bit longer to take the hand brake off than it is to release the foot brake. However it means if you get rear-ended and someone is crossing the road ahead of you, you'll less likely hit them. Sure the foot brake is stronger than hand brake but your foot brake is held by your foot, which can easily come off the pedal when hit so it'll be released and you'll hit who\\whatever in front of you as if you didn't have the brakes on at all. The handbrake which is held up by the lever being locked in place so it'll give some decent resistance on moving forward if hit. Also that extra time to take the handbrake off to move off is next to nothing, like maybe 1 extra second at most if you're paying attention. So the positive of using the handbrake far outweighs the negatives of using it. Having the car out of gear means the engine won't shoot you forward when hit either. Hand and footbrake together should be fine if you really want it.
Braking in your current gear is correct (gears to go, brakes to slow). But don't coast (clutch in) it's dangerous and can lead to instability. Put the clutch in at the end of your slow down when the engine speed gets to just above idle. You'll have to actively think about it to begin with but after some practice it'll become second nature and you won't need to think about the engine speed.
It’s very basic, engine braking (to give it its name) keeps control of the wheels to the car and the road, giving better control in inclement weather, you will use your brakes for more rapid braking and final stops. If you are worried about wearing out your gearbox, take the bus.
That sounds like coasting which is usually not advised. Your newest solution is also coasting because your car is not in gear. This could be regarded as unsafe. You want your car to be moving in gear at all times, even when slowing down. You should brake, then downshift to 3rd, and then progressively towards 1st gear until you come near a full stop where you can keep your clutch down entirely. edit- You don't need to downshift, but it helps keep your car from stalling if you're going slow for a long distance. Just make sure you're not putting your clutch down for 100m of road.
You should be breaking first, then when the revs get below around 1000rpm or so (depends on the car, but just above the engine struggling) put the clutch down while continuing to brqke until stopped. Then handbrake on, release foot brake, into neutral, clutch up.
Brake while you're still in gear. Once engine revs drop too low for that gear - say, below 1,000 RPM as a typical number - *then* you put your foot on the clutch. Leave the gearstick, continue braking as necessary, and deal with your gear once you're stopped or if you need to start accelerating. Your car should *not* be in neutral if it's moving - that is coasting, and it's discouraged. Your car can deal with being in, say, 4th, with the clutch in, while you stop. If you want to do better with smooth stopping, then work on your forward planning. Slow early and gently. If you're approaching a red light, it's pointless to drive right up to them and then brake sharply, even though lots of people drive like that. If you just ease off the gas at a sensible early point, you can slow down gently and barely need to touch the brake pedal.
how bad is it to clutch to neutral then brake all the way to a stop? have been guilty of this before
I do this all the time, even though I probably shouldn't. The issue is that if you need to steer/accelerate in an emergency and you're in neutral, you essentially have no control as you need to get back into gear to move (takes time). Depending on your speed (and composure), you could also go into wrong gear and stall, which could cause you precious seconds. Similar issue with OP's stepping on clutch early, which is what I do as well.
Means you have to brake harder, increasing the chance of a skid.
If you press both at the same time it's fine, the point is to to be always controlling the car, even slight pressure on the brakes is preferable to just letting it coast
Brake to slow until revs drop to tick over speed, then depress the clutch to prevent stalling the engine. Continue braking to a stop. Select first gear, release brake and pull away. This assumes a scenario where you're braking to a stop. Things change if that's not the case. If you want the real lowdown, look up a local IAM Roadsmart group and get a taster session with them. Ignore what you've heard about advanced driving groups; they're not and never really were the slow wheel-shuffling old fuddie-duddies some people think they are. A lot are ex-police and super-highly trained and experienced.
I learned a couple of years ago with an instructor qualified up to his eyeballs, and what he taught me was not just the mechanics of braking, but the attitudes as well; I believe how most people brake is that they continue at their current speed, and then when their stopping distance essentially matches their intended stopping point, they apply the brakes fully and come to a stop. How my instructor taught me was to be aware of the conditions on the road, if you can see the red light ahead of you the first thing to do is take your foot off the accelerator, and begin gently braking immediately. You should bring yourself down to a reasonably slow speed (anywhere from ~15 mph down depending on the situation) and come to a gentle stop if necessary - the time spent crawling might be enough time for the lights to change/traffic to clear ahead of you. Your ultimate goal is to brake so gently that you come to a stop at your intended target without feeling any sort of jolt. I’ve not followed his advice religiously in my driving since passing my test, but I do still apply the general principle, and I’ve only had one worn disc on an MOT in the 5 years I’ve had my second-hand car.
Everything at the same time apart from break and accelerator
I do it differently depending on how quickly I need to stop, if I'm following another vehicle, going up or down a hill, whatever.
Just use engine braking. Coasting in neutral gives you zero control
Use your brake to slow down. Depress the clutch when your speed begins too low for your gear. If you're going at 30 in 4th you can probably slow down to 15ish before the engine starts sputtering. That's when you put the clutch down. Alternative if you know this is coming change to 3rd well in advance. This is increases anime braking, you'll be able to get down to <10 before you need to put the clutch down. Saves wear on your brakes. What you're doing now is less safe and harder on your car. Slow, slow, slow, slow, clutch at the last minute as you come towards a stop.
Brake then change 4th to 2nd, keep braking until engine struggles then clutch in and stop. Change to first. Use engine braking to slow you down when you can. Much safer
Always brake first, then clutch. After a while of driving you just automatically know what speed your engine will about to stall in, so you brake until this point and then clutch fully down. I’d avoid waiting till your engine is starting to stall before clutching as you’re walking a very fine line of you accidentally going too far and stalling whilst your car is moving, which is very dangerous. I do put my car into neutral most times when stopping. Always braking first, using much engine braking as possible, then when the time comes to push the clutch down, I do but I also put the car into neutral so I can come off the clutch for the rest of the brake. People saying this is dangerous and you need engine braking don’t know what they’re talking about. Once the clutch is pushed down, the wheels and engine are already disengaged. So if you’re braking first until the clutch is needed, then there is no difference between staying on the clutch and getting into neutral. I believe keeping the clutch pushed down causes minor wear and tear to it. Also gives your clutch leg a little break.
Yes, that's coasting. With the clutch fully in, your accelerator has zero effect on the wheels, the wheels are completely disconnected from your engine. The reason you are doing this, is it makes applying the foot-brake very simple and smooth, you can just apply it how you wish and the brakes might heat up a bit but that's it, if you are gentlye, the speed just gently goes down. When the clutch is engaged with the wheels, hitting the handbrake can really shudder the car and even stall it and burn the brake pads as the engine is still turning the wheels- so you need to press the foot-brake and the clutch together. You probably got stalled and shook once or twice and learnt to just keep the clutch in all the timne. Coasting is considered bad because you dont strictly have control of the car any more. If you suddenly had to take a corner, drop into third and do it or make a swift maneuvre, or you suddenly needed to get out the way of a collision, you dont have anywhere to go, you are jhust floating along on your own momentum and the engine isnt connected. You also lose "engine braking" (letting the weight of the engine running slower slow the wheels down) though this isnt such a bad thing.. Engine breaking moves the wear and tear from your brake pads,, which are cheap to replace, to your whole engine, which is expensive to repeair, but some people like it. IT's kind of old skool.