4 ms·

E.g., going down hill in the winter commonly requires putting the transmission in neutral since just the torque to the drive wheels from the engine idling or th

E.g., going down hill in the winter commonly requires putting the transmission in neutral since just the torque to the drive wheels from the engine idling or the engine braking can overwhelm the very tiny traction available. There's a really short description for self-driving cars -- hyperhype.

notatoad 8y ago
What? I've been driving in the mountains in Canada for 15 years and have never heard of anybody doing this.
- graycat 8y ago
  I do it every winter going down my driveway. Otherwise my tires would slide instead of roll; I'd lose directional control; my car from just some bump in the driveway could turn sideways; and I could roll upside down, over and over, the rest of the way down the driveway. And I'm in two wheel drive and not 4 wheel drive because the extra torque it takes to turn the machinery for 4 wheel drive is too much for the poor traction. I stop at the top of the driveway, make sure I'm in 2 wheel drive, hold the transmission selector so that I can get into neutral quickly and easily, just slightly get the car rolling, go for neutral, mostly just let the car roll down at most just touching the brakes very lightly or not at all, let the car get to the level, bottom of the driveway and a start on the back yard, and then stop the car, go into reverse, backup a little, and then take a left turn into the garage. Losing directional control and having the car turn sideways and roll over is a big risk. The driveway is not very long, but it's steep.
davchana 8y ago
I have always heard it in opposite; that it will be hard to brake & stop if in neutral as compared to if in appropriate gear.
- graycat 8y ago
  There can be cases in two wheel drive where the engine is just idling with the transmission in Drive, touch the brakes just a little, and have the drive wheels turning and moving the car while the other two wheels, with so little traction, are not turning but sliding with no directional control.

notatoad 8y ago

What? I've been driving in the mountains in Canada for 15 years and have never heard of anybody doing this.

graycat 8y ago
I do it every winter going down my driveway. Otherwise my tires would slide instead of roll; I'd lose directional control; my car from just some bump in the driveway could turn sideways; and I could roll upside down, over and over, the rest of the way down the driveway. And I'm in two wheel drive and not 4 wheel drive because the extra torque it takes to turn the machinery for 4 wheel drive is too much for the poor traction. I stop at the top of the driveway, make sure I'm in 2 wheel drive, hold the transmission selector so that I can get into neutral quickly and easily, just slightly get the car rolling, go for neutral, mostly just let the car roll down at most just touching the brakes very lightly or not at all, let the car get to the level, bottom of the driveway and a start on the back yard, and then stop the car, go into reverse, backup a little, and then take a left turn into the garage. Losing directional control and having the car turn sideways and roll over is a big risk. The driveway is not very long, but it's steep.

davchana 8y ago

I have always heard it in opposite; that it will be hard to brake & stop if in neutral as compared to if in appropriate gear.

graycat 8y ago
There can be cases in two wheel drive where the engine is just idling with the transmission in Drive, touch the brakes just a little, and have the drive wheels turning and moving the car while the other two wheels, with so little traction, are not turning but sliding with no directional control.