Using the brake pedal at traffic lights?

almillar

Bikers - yeah, OK, you're allowed to keep your foot on the brake. I've also got no problem with you filtering through past me in a queue, but you also don't have 3 bright lights glaring out.

Auto drivers - going into neutral increases wear on the gearbox?! Sure does, same for manuals. See also - using your car at all. Stopped for more than a moment, you should be in neutral with the handbrake on, manual or auto.

Road Hog - You can get away at exactly the same speed if you're paying attention to the traffic. Slowing down in gear - this reduces wear on brakes, and yes, energy is being transmitted through the gearbox, but you should also be burning zero fuel. When's the last time you broke a gearbox? I've emptied lots of tanks of petrol at great expense, and replaced plenty of brake pads, but never gearboxes - I think it's your advice that's out of date. Stopping distances - yes these are for a Ford Anglia I believe, and brakes are much better these days, yet, there is FAR more traffic on the road, and also, an observation, people still crash into things, and, of course, what about those people that are still driving around in Ford Anglias?!

Lum

Regarding autos. Surely not switching into neutral means more heat generated by the torque converter since that energy has to go somewhere, and we all know (hopefully) that heat is what kills autoboxes.

Road_Hog

almillar wrote: »

Slowing down in gear - this reduces wear on brakes, and yes, energy is being transmitted through the gearbox, but you should also be burning zero fuel.

Sorry, but you're mad if you use gearbox in this day and age of discs and pads. Especially when you can buy a set of pads for £20 from a motor factors and fit them yourself.

marleyboy

My instructor used to say I only needed to rely on the handbrake if ahead in the queue at traffic lights. Particularly with modern day cars where you dont have to rely on the handbrake when at the red lights.

I tend to only rely on the handbrake when in the front of the queue (as advised), else I hold my foot on the brake with the car in gear, much as the drivers ahead of and\or behind me. It may have been more essential with older vehicles but nowadays its a common practice used by many drivers that does not have any severe effect on the braking system.

Some modern day cars turn themselves off at the lights, I guess the handbrake might be used more in those cases.

Tiddlywinks

kingstreet wrote: »

Automatic car driver here.

If at lights and expect to be there for no more than a couple of minutes, I follow the advice in my Saab owner's manual and remain in drive, with foot on brake.

If any longer, I would engage park and handbrake.

I'd like to apologise to any manual drivers who haven't a bloody clue what's going on.

And yes, with PRND21, an automatic driver selecting drive after park, would indeed give you a quick burst of the reverse lights as they go through "R" on the way to "D."

Another auto driver here. Quoted post shows why I use the brake pedal at lights... as per Volvo handbook .

marleyboy

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Another auto driver here. Quoted post shows why I use the brake pedal at lights... as per Volvo handbook .

I still cannot get used to automatics, I am constantly mistaking the brake for a clutch causing me to bunny hop down the road

anatomical

I passed my driving test two years ago and was taught to apply my handbrake when stopped in traffic. I also know someone who ended up with back injuries when she was rear ended when stopped at a junction and had her foot on the brake. The force from the crash was transferred up her leg and jarred her back. That reason alone makes me use my handbrake when stopped in traffic.

I've also been told that leaving your car in gear uses a small bit of petrol, so if I'm stopped for more than 10 seconds I will put it into neutral.

colino

I wouldn't manually put an auto into neutral or park in anything apart from a lengthy stop, so long in fact that you'd be better switching the engine off too. Manually changing the auto gear is the only time you are externally (hamfistedly) interfering with the boxes clutch/brake bands and you are unnecessarily introducing wear. The torque convertor and its hydraulic buddies are more than capable of slipping enough to keep the car at bay on the handbrake if you need to, or more usually on the footbrake at lights. Good old slushpumps!

Road_Hog

marleyboy wrote: »

I still cannot get used to automatics, I am constantly mistaking the brake for a clutch causing me to bunny hop down the road

That statement suggests to me, that you are using your left foot?

You should only be using your right foot, your left foot should be sitting to the lefthand side of the footwell (where some cars have a small foor rest) doing nothing other than relaxing.

marleyboy

Road_Hog wrote: »

That statement suggests to me, that you are using your left foot?

You should only be using your right foot, your left foot should be sitting to the lefthand side of the footwell (where some cars have a small foor rest) doing nothing other than relaxing.

I guess being left handed and left footed may play a part, but tend to think that an automatic has no clutch pedal, Ergo my feet are subconsciously looking for an extra pedal that isn't really there.