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Is Downshifting Necessary?

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  #21  
Old 09-03-2010, 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Black01
I like those Yaris Hatchback's. I've seen a modified Yaris. Visually it has 17" wheels, lowering springs, and exhuast. That thing looks good and it is the two door version. I'm guessing that the 4 door version will look better when modified.
The yaris looks good maybe (not so much) but the echo, witht he same engine, is a million times better.

Originally Posted by Krimson_Cardnal
broody - rolling stop signs in 2nd gear is called a 'Texas Stop' in my small world - not sure why??

My daughters BF once told me that Maine has a law that says you only need to come to a complete stop when the sign has no white border around it_LOL!

Didn't realize you guys had similar habits....
Maybe in USA you call them texas stops, but in Canada we just call them american stops

But it's not legal. Some cops tolerate, some don't. Once I got a ticket (150$ and 3 points) but I was in 3rd gear, so I can say I didn't make the stop at all...
I prefere european system with priority to the right and the round things (rond point in french, don't know in english).
 

Last edited by broody; 09-03-2010 at 05:03 PM.
  #22  
Old 09-03-2010, 05:16 PM
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Funny here it's called a California stop.

Running thru the gears, (i.e. 5/4/3/2/1) as you stop is just going to wear the clutch, synchros, and engine more. This is physics you can't honestly argue against it. How much is debatable but brake pads are cheap and easy to replace.
 
  #23  
Old 09-10-2010, 02:45 PM
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Odd. I don't understand the argument against shifting to neutral. The second I realize I need to stop (yellow light in the distance, line of cars, etc.) I gauge ho fast I'm going and usually start coasting in neutral, ready to shift into gear if the situation changes.

I'm having trouble thinking of any situation where sitting in a higher gear would be safer than being ready to shift to the *right* gear for whatever maneuver is required. I guess if you can't react quickly, but you're pretty much screwed in either situation if that's you
 
  #24  
Old 09-10-2010, 03:27 PM
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i dont see why you'd want to shift into neutral while your car's going more than 10mph. first you're wasting fuel because your ecu is sending fuel to idle instead of fuel cut-off, next you're wasting your brakes because you're putting all the braking on the brakes instead of the brakes + drivetrain.

and shifting from gear to gear and neutral to gear... there's no delay.
 
  #25  
Old 09-10-2010, 07:52 PM
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I downshift because I always like to be in gear in case something happens. I would still have the option of accelerating. I'm not to concerned about replacing pads or clutches as I do all the work on all my cars myself.
 
  #26  
Old 09-10-2010, 08:26 PM
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I rev match downshift every time i can. if not i just throw it in 4th or 3rd and brake.
 
  #27  
Old 10-01-2010, 11:15 PM
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i dont see why you'd want to shift into neutral while your car's going more than 10mph. first you're wasting fuel because your ecu is sending fuel to idle instead of fuel cut-off, next you're wasting your brakes because you're putting all the braking on the brakes instead of the brakes + drivetrain.
I agree with this statement. Brakes will get beat up that much faster if the full job of stopping the car is soley on them.
 
  #28  
Old 10-01-2010, 11:42 PM
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Originally Posted by kenchan
i dont see why you'd want to shift into neutral while your car's going more than 10mph. first you're wasting fuel because your ecu is sending fuel to idle instead of fuel cut-off,....
My impression has been that this applies to AT's or MT's in top gear. kenchan can you clarify? I'm not clear on how the Fit handles the fuel cut-off.
 
  #29  
Old 10-01-2010, 11:54 PM
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I just checked out the pads on my car, about 85% left.... I put 53,000km on my car so far. I credit downshifting in combination with light braking towards stops for the longevity of them. I usually downshift as far as 2nd right up until I stop... I never into 1st to slow down.

I will probably get 200,000 kms easy out of the clutch, I have never worried about it going prematurely because I downshift... sounds like kind of a stupid thing to worry about, if you are a good driver your clutch will last longer, never mind downshifting.


Originally Posted by z06dustin
Funny here it's called a California stop.

Running thru the gears, (i.e. 5/4/3/2/1) as you stop is just going to wear the clutch, synchros, and engine more. This is physics you can't honestly argue against it. How much is debatable but brake pads are cheap and easy to replace.
lol, I call them "Taxi stops"

I don't know, brakes seem to go pretty quickly if you only use them to stop. I can usually get 4 times the life out my pads compared to somebody driving an auto. At a couple of hundred bucks a pop for pads and rotors I think it does outweigh the cost of a clutch easily.

The clutch is designed to engage and disengage under the load of acceleration... downshifting is not nearly as hard on it as accelerating so I wouldn't be concerned about it. Most people that prematurely kill their clutch do so by dumping it at every light, I have never heard of a car wearing it's clutch out prematurely because the owner downshifts.

I will credit you for at least worrying about the right parts, it drives me nuts when people start claiming it is prematurely ruining their engine... lol.

Originally Posted by kenchan
i dont see why you'd want to shift into neutral while your car's going more than 10mph. first you're wasting fuel because your ecu is sending fuel to idle instead of fuel cut-off, next you're wasting your brakes because you're putting all the braking on the brakes instead of the brakes + drivetrain.

and shifting from gear to gear and neutral to gear... there's no delay.

This is 100% true as well, you actually use more gas by throwing it in neutral! People have tested and proven this a number of times even here on FF.
 

Last edited by Sugarphreak; 10-02-2010 at 12:03 AM.
  #30  
Old 10-02-2010, 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Sugarphreak
I just checked out the pads on my car, about 85% left.... I put 53,000km on my car so far. I credit downshifting in combination with light braking towards stops for the longevity of them. I usually downshift as far as 2nd right up until I stop... I never into 1st to slow down.

I will probably get 200,000 kms easy out of the clutch, I have never worried about it going prematurely because I downshift... sounds like kind of a stupid thing to worry about, if you are a good driver your clutch will last longer, never mind downshifting.
Couldn't agree more. My question is how the fuel cut-off woks in the Fit. Do you know if it's tied to gear selection in the MT GE?
 
  #31  
Old 10-02-2010, 11:28 AM
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Your fuel cuts off in all but 1st gear and all other gears down to about 10MPH... The ignition also retards to 22 degrees after TDC when the fuel cuts off while coasting.
 
  #32  
Old 10-06-2010, 10:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Texas Coyote
Your fuel cuts off in all but 1st gear and all other gears down to about 10MPH... The ignition also retards to 22 degrees after TDC when the fuel cuts off while coasting.
Is that from your scan tool? Sounds about right!

The parameter line for this function is usually called something like CoastingFuelCutOffset in most ECUs.

Some cars do it by rpm/mph, others do it off rpm/tps voltage or a combination of all 3.

In cars with UEGOs you can see the gauge peg the lean side of the scale during these conditions.
 
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