Which Gear is Neutral?
2 Answers
Generally speaking, the neutral gear for a manual transmission is located in the middle position, while for an automatic transmission, it is at the position marked with an 'N'. Here is more related information: 1. Neutral Gear: Neutral gear usually refers to the state where the gear lever of a motor vehicle is not placed in any forward or reverse gear, and the transmission is completely separated from the drive wheels. 2. Coasting in Neutral: Coasting in neutral is not recommended, mainly for safety reasons. This is because once the gear lever is placed in neutral for coasting, the drive wheels will lose driving force, and the power connection between the engine and the drive wheels will be lost. The car will coast forward relying on its own inertia. If an emergency arises at this time and braking is required, all the braking force will have to be provided by the brakes alone, which requires the brakes to provide a large amount of braking force in a very short time. However, the braking force provided by the braking system is also limited. Therefore, this will affect the braking effect and extend the braking distance. If the speed is relatively low, if there are no potential emergencies around, and if the driving environment is very safe without any interference, you may consider coasting in neutral appropriately to so-called 'save' a little bit of fuel. However, when the speed is relatively high and the surrounding driving environment is more complex, you must not coast in neutral just to save fuel.
Neutral gear is the 'N' position on the car. When I encounter a red light while driving, I usually shift to neutral, which temporarily disconnects the car from the engine, preventing the wheels from moving with power. On an automatic transmission gear lever, you typically see letters like P, R, N, D, with 'N' being the middle position. For manual transmissions, it's even simpler—just move the gear lever to the middle position for neutral. However, always remember to engage the handbrake or foot brake when in neutral, otherwise, the car might roll away on a slope. I've seen cases where someone forgot to pull the handbrake while parked, resulting in the car rolling and hitting a wall. Also, avoid coasting in neutral at high speeds—it doesn’t save fuel and can make the brakes fail. Neutral is most suitable for situations like queuing in a parking lot or using an automatic car wash.
