Coasting in neutral? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

wkrewson · 07-03-2006, 04:22 PM

Is it harmful to coast while going downhill in neutral? It would seem to improve gas mileage. But I wonder if it's bad for the transmission once you put it back in gear, or bad for handling....

touringcamry · 07-03-2006, 04:36 PM

If you have an automatic, you will fuck up your car.

drunken_panda · 07-03-2006, 05:16 PM

^How?

I would think coasting in gear would get better milage. IN neutral the engine has to idle, but in gear, momentum will keep the motor turning.

JetspeedCamry · 07-03-2006, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by touringcamry

If you have an automatic, you will fuck up your car.

I don't believe this to be true, unless you re-engage a drive gear without being stopped.

***Your Uncle Moe*** · 07-03-2006, 08:03 PM

It shouldn't harm the tranny. You could blip the gas pedal before you engage back into gear. Like Rev matching.

marc780 · 07-03-2006, 08:26 PM

Coasting in neutral: for manual trans: Ok to do. Auto? No no no!

I'm with touringcamry on this one - you could ask Toyota, except i'm sure what their answer would be. I think if you do this to your auto trans you will eventually break something, something expensive! It's not designed to do this and what happens when you go to put it back in Drive, at speed? I'm not doing it, because when you get right down to it, why?

JetspeedCamry · 07-03-2006, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc780

Coasting in neutral: for manual trans: Ok to do. Auto? No no no!

I'm with touringcamry on this one - you could ask Toyota, except i'm sure what their answer would be. I think if you do this to your auto trans you will eventually break something, something expensive! It's not designed to do this and what happens when you go to put it back in Drive, at speed? I'm not doing it, because when you get right down to it, why?

Please provide some technical evidence of this. Toyota designed the shifter so that it can be knocked (if by acciedent) into neutral. If this was the case, then they would be digging there own grave no? What mechanical part of the transmission is going be "stuffed" by having it coast in neutral? I can understand if you re engaged a gear before being stopped..but yeah.

Klutch · 07-03-2006, 09:22 PM

Should you do it at every hill you come to? Absolutely not and truthfully it's an assinine question. Will it hurt anything putting you car in neutral while moving and then back into gear? No, as long as it's as simple as that.

I remember seeing a thread a while back of a guy that turned his car off YES, OFF at every traffic light. Seriously, some of you need to get off the internet and go play outside for a while and stimulate your brain.

ToyotaToday · 07-03-2006, 09:25 PM

Coasting in neutral downhill, don't know if it will damage the tranny but I dont think so, but more importantly coasting in neutral is not a good idea as you may lose control of the car. I would not recommend it. Safety first... its not worth saving a bit just to put yourself or others at risk

Lord_Anarchy · 07-03-2006, 09:54 PM

Coasting in neutral wouldn't hurt crap so long as it's just that.. COASTING. Not gunning the engine like a psycho. Also, dropping it back into drive is fine, so long as your aren't neutral dropping at 6K.

Now, I've been stupid and have done neutral drops and everything and truthfully, this Camry takes the drops alot better than plenty of mopar cars I've done it too.... Neutral drops in those sounds like something is bound to snap. In anycase, it's illegal to coast in neutral (DC Law) and if you are slow at reacting to stuff or panicky about situations (Eg... mashing the gas instead of the brake because your reaction was to STOMP but not to think through and say "stomp... the brake")

***toyomoho*** · 07-03-2006, 10:07 PM

When motor home owners tow a Camry, they need to add an external oil pump to keep the transmission oil circulating. The car is towed in Neutral. If the engine is on, the transmission oil pump is working and will do the same thing. Driving in neutral will not harm the transmission.

marc780 · 07-04-2006, 02:14 AM

Quote:

What mechanical part of the transmission is going be "stuffed" by having it coast in neutral?

no offense mate, you may have a point...but again i say, why?

Novice_cardude · 07-04-2006, 02:43 AM

I have to ask the same question. Why? It really is not going to save you any substantial amount of gas.

Putting it in neutral when you're coasting fown hill will not harm anything. It's illegal in a lot of places, but there's really noway a cop can tell if you're coasting or not.

Now dropping it into drive when you're moving ... that's not really a good idea.

I coast a hell of a lot in my car, but all I gotta do is push the clutch in. Automatic trannys scare me because I dont understand them fully. If you're gonna coast, don't put it back into gear until you've stopped.

JetspeedCamry · 07-04-2006, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc780

no offense mate, you may have a point...but again i say, why?

No offence ... but thats not the question. The question is "will it do damage to the transmission", not "why would you want to do that"...hence, if you can't back up your statement, then don't change the question. If you wish to have that question answered, create a new thread. Now...do you have any proof for your statement? I ask you.

marc780 · 07-04-2006, 04:22 AM

Quote:

No offence ... but thats not the question. The question is "will it do damage to the transmission", not "why would you want to do that"...

I have been working on cars, ripping them apart and fixing other peoples mistakes for 30 years. Nope, I have no evidence, at all. Bottom line, fixing your own cars gets old, fast, especialy when you know you could have done or not done, something to avoid it.

Can you run your engine with no oil using an additive? Maybe so, for a little bit, for a while. Would you do this? And should you be surprised if your engine has problems afterwards? My answer's no.

The final word from me...It is not something i will do, to my Camry. Not now, not ever. Come on bloke. Are you really on the level.