Neutral

[StreetDragster]

Morning all
Probably a very obvious question this but I'm not used to Automatics and this is the sort of thing that keeps me awake at night.
When driving, say on a motorway, can you put the car from drive into neutral with the gearstick? Does anything bad happen?
Can you then reselect drive and continue as normal without slowing down?

I'm not planning on doing this, but I'm interested to know what would happen if i have a brain fade.

V8S auto with the mcshift.

 

[Zep]

You can put every car I have ever owned into neutral whenever you want, so I doubt it would result in carnage of the gearbox variety.

But given that you are asking about something that wouldn’t happen on a regular basis you are likely to get opinion rather than answer, but do report back if you ever do it. Maybe start at low speed?!

 

[midlifecrisis]

4200/GS drivers were often known to pull both paddles to engage neutral blip the throttle and re-engage a gear by pulling the right hand paddle.

It was observed as a mating call to fellow Aitch-pipe owners...

 

[Harry]

Even I managed to do a little rev in neutral going through the under tunnel onto the Silverstone track. I am a complete scaredy cat, but the urge to do it was too strong.

 

[Ebenezer]

I've done it on my QPV Auto. So that I can be childish while on the move and in convoy, I move to N so I can rev the engine without shooting up the rear end of the the Maser in front!


Eb

 

[Erlingtheyounger]

I've done it on my QPV Auto. So that I can be childish while on the move and in convoy, I move to N so I can rev the engine without shooting up the rear end of the the Maser in front!


Eb

I do it (drop into neutral) in my QPV on descents (that I know well when no traffic in front of me!!!) to try and improve the MPG and allow me to have more guilt free fun when I’m trying!!!

My daily (a 2002 Audi A2 1.2tdi) does this automatically when in ECO mode which is part of the reason it achieves over 80mpg real world.

 

[Sam McGoo]

Morning all
Probably a very obvious question this but I'm not used to Automatics and this is the sort of thing that keeps me awake at night.
When driving, say on a motorway, can you put the car from drive into neutral with the gearstick? Does anything bad happen?
Can you then reselect drive and continue as normal without slowing down?

I'm not planning on doing this, but I'm interested to know what would happen if i have a brain fade.

V8S auto with the mcshift.

So clearly, in answer to your real question - yes you can, while driving, put it in N, rev the tits off it to impress the kids, then put it back in drive and carry on.

 

[zagatoes30]

So clearly, in answer to your real question - yes you can, while driving, put it in N, rev the tits off it to impress the kids, then put it back in drive and carry on.

Standard practise on every car I have had, manual or auto - we are all children underneath

 

[allandwf]

So clearly, in answer to your real question - yes you can, while driving, put it in N, rev the tits off it to impress the kids, then put it back in drive and carry on.

More impressive if you turn the ignition off too, then turn it back on, the resounding bang would really impress them!

 

[Zep]

I’m not sure if anyone has done the “impress the kids” thing at motorway speeds, but if you have, well done!

 

[midlifecrisis]

More impressive if you turn the ignition off too, then turn it back on, the resounding bang would really impress them!

Used to do that in my old SEAT Ibiza to reset the turbo issue, no bang though it was a diesel.

 

[Sam McGoo]

I’m not sure if anyone has done the “impress the kids” thing at motorway speeds, but if you have, well done!

Motorway tunnel.

 

[Zep]

Motorway tunnel.

Ah. See I just drop three gears and floor it…

 

[midlifecrisis]

Ah. See I just drop three gears and floor it…

Isn't that THE LAW? windows down optional

 

[doodlebug]

Isn't that THE LAW? windows down optional

Not if you are following Conaero, as I found out to my cost.

 

[Zep]

Not if you are following Conaero, as I found out to my cost.

Yeah, then you wind the windows up. But it’s fine inside the car.

 

[Scaf]

From gearbox perspective you can certainly select neutral on the move, but I wouldn’t want to be “coasting” at motorway speeds.

But “on the road” through tunnels, on the high street, outside the neighbour you want to annoy, is fine and to be encouraged.

With he MC box you just have to be careful of your are “nearly stationary” as it may not select a gear without you stopping and putting your foot on the brake (ask me how I know).

 

[happydaze]

When coasting downhill, truckies call neutral "Angel Gear"...