Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Does going into neutral wear down tranny?

Whoops · 02-25-2008, 06:27 PM

[/QUOTE]I don't know why, and I don't know how come, but I slow down when I put it into neutral. If I'm going 55 at the top of a hill, at the bottom I will be going over 65 while in gear, but only hit 60 while in neutral. Both tests I have done on the same hill. It makes me wonder whether my engine uses the same amount of fuel whether it's in neutral or in gear

[/QUOTE]

This is not your imagination. I think the cause of this is something that the car manufacturer is doing, that he's not telling about. I have a similar phenomenon on a Chrysler Town & Country Minivan. I think that what they do is to open the throttle, or something, just a little bit, so that the car appears to coast farther when you have your foot off of the gas pedal. My feeling is that they are trying to give folks the impression that the car coasts a lot farther, so obviously it must be doing that because of the phenomenal increase in the new aerodynamic shape.

The really bunk down side to this is that the engine holding power, coming down a hill, with a trailer on, absolutely is terrible. Consequently, I have to use the brakes more frequently, to keep from picking up to much speed.

I have seen a controller that you can purchase, which replaces the original controller, as I recall. It allows you to put the car into a gear and then once you blip the gas, so the engine rpm matches the right number, for the gear and speed selected, it will shift into that gear, from 4th, which is where it starts out. Once it goes into gear, it stays in gear, instead of upshifting and all of the other frustrating things the factory controller uses.

02-25-2008, 06:27 PM	#20 (permalink)
Whoops EcoModding Apprentice Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ventura, Ca Posts: 112 Whoop's Wheels - '89 Honda Civic Wagovan 90 day: 39.09 mpg (US) Thanks: 1 Thanked 9 Times in 7 Posts	[/QUOTE]I don't know why, and I don't know how come, but I slow down when I put it into neutral. If I'm going 55 at the top of a hill, at the bottom I will be going over 65 while in gear, but only hit 60 while in neutral. Both tests I have done on the same hill. It makes me wonder whether my engine uses the same amount of fuel whether it's in neutral or in gear [/QUOTE] This is not your imagination. I think the cause of this is something that the car manufacturer is doing, that he's not telling about. I have a similar phenomenon on a Chrysler Town & Country Minivan. I think that what they do is to open the throttle, or something, just a little bit, so that the car appears to coast farther when you have your foot off of the gas pedal. My feeling is that they are trying to give folks the impression that the car coasts a lot farther, so obviously it must be doing that because of the phenomenal increase in the new aerodynamic shape. The really bunk down side to this is that the engine holding power, coming down a hill, with a trailer on, absolutely is terrible. Consequently, I have to use the brakes more frequently, to keep from picking up to much speed. I have seen a controller that you can purchase, which replaces the original controller, as I recall. It allows you to put the car into a gear and then once you blip the gas, so the engine rpm matches the right number, for the gear and speed selected, it will shift into that gear, from 4th, which is where it starts out. Once it goes into gear, it stays in gear, instead of upshifting and all of the other frustrating things the factory controller uses.