What is coasting in neutral and what is the correct operation?
2 Answers
Under normal circumstances, coasting in gear is correct because the electronic throttle will take the vehicle speed into account, regardless of whether it is in neutral or not, and coasting in gear is safer. When the vehicle speed drops and you feel like it's about to drag, shifting into neutral and lightly braking is not a big problem, but keeping the clutch depressed or in a semi-engaged state can damage the clutch. If the light turns green while coasting in neutral, press the clutch and shift into different gears according to the vehicle speed. For example, shift into third gear at 20-30 mph, and fourth gear at around 40 mph.
Coasting in neutral means shifting the gear lever to the neutral position while driving, allowing the vehicle to glide by inertia. Many experienced drivers consider it a fuel-saving trick. However, after 20 years of driving manual transmission cars, I personally experienced the dangers of coasting downhill in neutral—I nearly rear-ended another car because the loss of engine braking caused the brakes to fail. Now that I drive an automatic, I wouldn’t dare try it, as coasting in neutral can starve the transmission of oil and cause damage. The correct way to coast is simple: for manual cars, either maintain the current gear while coasting or downshift to use engine braking; for automatics, never shift to neutral—just stay in Drive (D), as the system will automatically assist with deceleration. This approach is both safer and more fuel-efficient, as modern car computers cut off fuel supply during coasting, resulting in zero fuel consumption. In everyday driving, lightly applying the brakes while coasting on flat roads is sufficient, while using lower gears to control speed is preferred when going downhill. Developing the habit of regularly checking the brake system and transmission fluid can help prevent accidents.
