What Does Neutral Gear Mean?
2 Answers
Neutral gear refers to the state where the car's gearshift lever is not engaged in any forward or reverse gear, and the transmission is completely disengaged from the drive wheels. Below is a detailed introduction about the neutral gear in cars: 1. Overview: For manual transmissions, neutral gear means that the gears on the input shaft of the transmission are free-spinning on the shaft and cannot bear loads or transmit power. For automatic transmissions, it means that the degrees of freedom of the gear train are not restricted, so it also cannot transmit power. In terms of the power transmission route, the engine's power is transmitted to the transmission, but since there is no gear ratio inside the transmission, the power is interrupted, and the vehicle cannot start moving. 2. Precautions: The neutral position for manual transmission models is in the middle, while for automatic transmission models, it is marked with an "N". For driving safety, coasting in neutral is not recommended. Once the gearshift lever is placed in neutral for coasting, the drive wheels will lose driving force, and the connection between the engine and the drive wheels will be lost, causing the car to coast forward by its own inertia.
To be honest, I often use neutral gear when driving a manual transmission car, which means pulling the gear lever to the middle position to disconnect the drivetrain from the engine. At this point, the car has no power at all, and no matter how much you press the accelerator, it won't move, relying solely on external force to push it. When waiting at a red light or temporarily stopping, I'm used to shifting into neutral and pulling the handbrake to avoid wear from prolonged idling with the clutch partially engaged. This is also necessary when pushing the car into a car wash machine, otherwise, the transmission might suffer impact damage. However, it's important to avoid coasting in neutral on slopes, as once you lose engine braking, the risk of losing control of the car's speed increases significantly. Using neutral frequently can save some fuel, especially in urban traffic jams, making it quiet and economical. A reminder to beginners: don't mistake it for the parking gear—the P gear in automatic transmissions is what truly locks the wheels.
