Coasting

Bought myself a new car last week, the same as I had before which has been really good so basically its just an upgrade.

The car is an A1 Automatic and in the 3 years since I bought the old one things have moved on a tad and I find among other things the Auto box not only has the std Auto and Sport modes but now has an E mode.. This does what you would expect by changing gear a bit earlier but also when you take your foot off it disengages the clutch and coasts.. This is quite effective and needs a slight change in driving style or you end up going around corners faster than you intended without the engine braking effect you normally experience.

but my question is this..

Back in the days when TRex roamed the moors and the unlimited speed sign meant exactly that I learned to drive, and I am sure that I was taught never to coast/free wheel, in fact I am also sure it would be a test fail for doing it..

My grandson has just passed his test and he had no idea what I was talking about, now my memory isn't brilliant, so can anyone back me up on this?

I remember it as being illegal to coast, along with having your headlights on whilst parked. It seems the highway code has been dumbed down somewhat these days.

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/general-rules-techniques-and-advice-for-all-drivers-and-riders-103-to-158

Rule 122

Coasting. This term describes a vehicle travelling in neutral or with the clutch pressed down. It can reduce driver control because

 

• engine braking is eliminated
  
• vehicle speed downhill will increase quickly
  
• increased use of the footbrake can reduce its effectiveness
  
• steering response will be affected, particularly on bends and corners
  
• it may be more difficult to select the appropriate gear when needed.
  

Its not new tho. Two stroke NSU was so uneconomical it freewheeled rather than applying engine braking...( two strokes have less engine braking to start with but NSU engaged a freeweel arrangement... I believe it centres around car not being under control and not necessarily freewheeling being illegal. Dad always called it freewheeling fifth ( in 4 forward speed days) which could be deemed not I control.( ie you have to physically engage gear) It happened automatically on NSU and I don't think it could be disengaged. ( mind many removed the 2 stroke and stuck in a ford engine) Think it was NSU Prince ) or Prinz) memory erosion and apparently faulty logic these days...

 

I,ll bet its one of those things nobody was ever prosecuted for..having said that I once got stopped for speeding whilst in freewheeling fifth. Officer exclaimed " you were shifting a bit "

My stupid reply

" you should see it when its in gear!!!?"

Never been blessed with much sense....typical leave voter ?( before OG gets back)

IIRC, the idea that you shouln't coast was based on the idea that you would'd have control of the power. That's not a problem for your car because it reengages the power instantly in the correct gear.

 

Edit: just read rule 122. That's basically wat they're saying. They include that you might not have good control and it can lead to brake problems, but your car has been designed to coast, so one would assume that the braking system has been appropriately designed for it.

I thought it was because back then the brakes needed all the help they could get. And you are correct it re-engages in the most appropriate gear when you touch any of the controls or it starts accelerating too quickly. Still feels wrong, but not in a bad way.

I seem to remember it was frowned upon when I passed my test in the 60s.Something about no drive to the wheels made them lose grip ?

I remember a neighbour of ours had an early Saab and that had a coasting feature he used to tell us. I coast on my e bike all the time !

It was called the free wheel, Saab And Rover had it.

 

The police did not approved of their officers using it in their Rovers.

A bit of a bugger if you could not get the engine started.

I run a Skoda ,which has a DSG gearbox, essentially this has 2 clutches ,one for upshits, one for down, I reckon that it is one of the smoothest gearbox going, it drives slightly different to torque converter boxes, but sure is economical,

I run a Skoda ,which has a DSG gearbox, essentially this has 2 clutches ,one for upshits, one for down, I reckon that it is one of the smoothest gearbox going, it drives slightly different to torque converter boxes, but sure is economical,

This is the same vw box as is in mine. Is yours a newish one.. do you have the E mode with coasting?

This is the same vw box as is in mine. Is yours a newish one.. do you have the E mode with coasting?

No ,mine is the six speed wet clutch one, not tried the modern 7 SPD dry clutch ,some. Say it isn't as reliable .

I run a Skoda ,which has a DSG gearbox, essentially this has 2 clutches ,one for upshits, one for down, I reckon that it is one of the smoothest gearbox going, it drives slightly different to torque converter boxes, but sure is economical,

 

That DRAG device must sure cure constipation!

That DRAG device must sure cure constipation!

Who or what is constipated?

Pretty sure that now your told to coast when approaching a red light etc, back in the day I was taught to drop down the gears as you approached the red light, I also got taught how to go round a roundabout which is something of a lost art!!

Who or what is constipated?

Reread your posting. .. there was an f missing.

Pretty sure that now your told to coast when approaching a red light etc, back in the day I was taught to drop down the gears as you approached the red light, I also got taught how to go round a roundabout which is something of a lost art!!

To be fair tho. Some roundabouts can be confusing. We have one in Lawkholm lane that is a tight T junction and it was turned into a mini roundabout that you can't go around and arriving from town centre at it to turn right, the oncoming traffic which used to have right of way now has to give way and not all do!

Reread your posting. .. there was an f missing.

Still none the wiser, must be because your from the old country?

Got some figs and cod liver oil on order should it be me,but I feel fine!

Back in the days when TRex roamed the moors and the unlimited speed sign meant exactly that I learned to drive, and I am sure that I was taught never to coast/free wheel, in fact I am also sure it would be a test fail for doing it..

 

That definitely was the case in the early 1960s and before, the era you're referring to. Coasting out of gear was regarded as not having control.

.

Still none the wiser, must be because your from the old country?

Got some figs and cod liver oil on order should it be me,but I feel fine!

 

It is very difficult to edit your own work. But if you read it carefully you omitted the letter f in the word upshifting.......

It's not something I would want, I prefer it going downwards.

It is very difficult to edit your own work. But if you read it carefully you omitted the letter f in the word upshifting.......

Oh! Err! Just when you want autospellcheck computer inserts the wrong word anyway systems botheration,.

 

Hadn't taken the cod liver oil or castor oil, system operating normally, not in overdrive, (pun intended)

Definitely shouldn't be coasting around corners. No engine control. Just the breaks. And you don't want to be breaking on a sharp corner at speed.

Seems dangerous to me?

I wouldn't say dangerous exactly, but it certainly goes against the grain.. It reminds me of being a passenger with a young driver as they seem to leave braking to the last possible moment. We used to call it driving on the brakes!

This system is now in Audi, VW and Skoda cars as std with the Automatics..The system is called Audi Dive Select and on the more up market cars it alters the suspension and steering to suit.