Downshifting?

[DarkWing6]

I do it as much as possible. I'm still practicing, and still getting it down, but I'm getting better.

qft

EDIT - Talking about myself as well.

[CleanAzzE30z]

All I know is that for a few weeks I stopped downshifting and I saved a noticeable amount of gas.

Mariano

[EWAustin]

I always downshift, but it's always rev-matched (clutch in, neutral, clutch out, blip throttle, clutch in, next gear, clutch out)

And sometimes I throw some braking in there too. Gotta love the heel-toe action...

[808BMW]

Clutchless rev matches to me sound like they have to do some kind of damage to the driveline.

Only if you grind it. Watch a big rig driver, the good ones only use the clutch coming from a complete stop.

[beamR X]

I
Unless you are running straight-cut gears, your tranny and dif (pretty much the entire drivetrain) are designed to transmit torque in one direction. Just my $.02 :D

Ha, ha!
I think you and Nando are the only people who caugth on to my R&P hill and toe statement. Most I think, thougth I was talking about pedals...

I cannot believe how many guys slow the car down by downshifting... :crazy:Whatever...

[808BMW]

A lot of automatics here have a problem with warping rotors. I've replaced the rotors on my cousins 04 tacoma twice. Their 02 suzuki has been 2 or 3 times. Like I said earlier, I just replaced my first set of pads in 4 years.

I bet they wish they could downshift.

[M42Technik]

Anyone here with a stock 318is motor can answer yes, we downshift constantly, because the motor STRUGGLES if you don't.

Haha, low rpms, a/c blowing, and a hill are three things 318iS's don't do at the same time.

[beamR X]

Anyone here with a stock 318is motor can answer yes, we downshift constantly, because the motor STRUGGLES if you don't.

Haha, low rpms, a/c blowing, and a hill are three things 318iS's don't do at the same time.

Understandable. That's different. You do down shift to a lowr gear to get more acceleration... Of course you will do that, espetially with a 1.8:p
The original question was about "using engine as a break" kinda thing...

[erik325i]

All I know is that for a few weeks I stopped downshifting and I saved a noticeable amount of gas.

Mariano

Accually your car will use less gas if you keep it in gear or downshift.
If you simply put the car in nuetral and coast to a stop, your motor is using a little bit of gas. If you keep the car in gear until you stop, your car isn't using any gas.

-erik

[uofom3]

i just about always match rev downshift at all times... and sometimes left foot brake for fun.

[markseven]

Accually your car will use less gas if you keep it in gear or downshift.
If you simply put the car in nuetral and coast to a stop, your motor is using a little bit of gas. If you keep the car in gear until you stop, your car isn't using any gas.

-erik

What? If you are in neutral, the engine is at idle - if you down shift, your engine doesn't shut off, does it? Fuel is consumed in both scenarios.

[808BMW]

What? If you are in neutral, the engine is at idle - if you down shift, your engine doesn't shut off, does it? Fuel is consumed in both scenarios.

In neutral, the injectors are firing a small amount of fuel to keep your car on.
If you downshift, the engine cuts all fuel (to slow you down). If it kept pumping fuel, downshifting wouldn't do anything, it would coast like a diesel.

[vivalegreg]

What? If you are in neutral, the engine is at idle - if you down shift, your engine doesn't shut off, does it? Fuel is consumed in both scenarios.

your car is always consuming fuel when its on!!

when i am slowing my car down, i used to downshift all the time...till killed my new clutch....but that was in a 3000gt vr4...and improper shifting came into play too...
that car is awd too, just like my ix...and those vr4s tend to have a lot of tranny issues....so in my case driving awd cars i like to save my clutch as much as possible...also cause its not cheap replacing a clutch and i have yet to do one...and those drivetrains have lots of parts in em

my ix is being put together and i just got a new clutch installed....i believe i will not be downshifting very much and using the brakes more often...but i will still be practicing r3v matched downshifts..when coming out of corners and stuff or to accelerate if neccessary...but mostly will be using brakes until i can really get the downshifting, down


anyone here have a clutch stop ?? im pondering getting one....but cant really think how it works?? is it where you kinda set it at a certain engagement point and prevent the pedal from going all the way to the floor, for quicker shifts? wouldn;t that increase wear on a clutch?

also who here when comming to a stop, before rolling off, keeps their car in gear with the clutch pushed in...even sitting at a red light....does that create any wear on a clutch?? as opposed to just putting it in neutral...until the light turns green then putting it in gear??

[markseven]

In neutral, the injectors are firing a small amount of fuel to keep your car on.
If you downshift, the engine cuts all fuel (to slow you down). If it kept pumping fuel, downshifting wouldn't do anything, it would coast like a diesel.

So what you are saying is the engine knows you have downshifted and cuts fuel delivery?

No fuel = engine not firing = no power steering, no power brakes...

I think you are mistaken

[vivalegreg]

In neutral, the injectors are firing a small amount of fuel to keep your car on.
If you downshift, the engine cuts all fuel (to slow you down). If it kept pumping fuel, downshifting wouldn't do anything, it would coast like a diesel.

oh damn my bad, really? i never knew that...so are you saying when you let off the accelerator...your not using any gas? i thought engines had to inject fuel and a spark in order to rev....