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Freewheeling – is it worth using neutral gear?
Freewheeling is still popular with drivers, especially those with many years of experience behind the wheel. It used to make sense – older cars were built completely differently than those produced today. Nowadays, however, using the idle gear can cause faster wear of important components. Check out what you need to know about freewheeling.
- In neutral, the engine runs at minimum speed and is not connected to the wheels.
- Driving without a gear does not save fuel in modern cars. It can accelerate clutch and brake wear.
- Driving in neutral means less control over the vehicle and less braking effectiveness.
- Driving at idle speed does not mean lower fuel consumption. Check your car's average fuel consumption, use our fuel consumption calculator!
- Idling – what is it?
- Easygoing and old practices
- What are the dangers of freewheeling?
- Idling and safety
- When can you use neutral gear?
Driving without a gear is possible regardless of the type and year of manufacture of the car. In most cases, however, it is completely inadvisable. It only made sense in cars manufactured before the 90s, which are now very rarely on the roads.
Idling – what is it?
Neutral gear is the gearshift position in a car where the engine is not directly connected to the wheels. In this mode, the drive unit operates at minimum speed and the vehicle does not move. Neutral gear allows, for example, stopping at traffic lights or in traffic jam without having to turn off the engine. In the manual gearbox gear neutral is a neutral gear, while in an automatic it often means the "N" position on the lever.
Also read: A guide to the different types of gearboxes – automatic and manual
Easygoing and old practices
Let's start from the beginning, is it possible to drive freely? You can, but it won't make much sense. Young drivers used to be taught that easy going causes a reduction in fuel consumption. This was indeed the case, but modern cars are manufactured in a completely different way. Many drivers have retained this habit, which is why they still use idle as often as possible. However, this can cause excessive wear of important vehicle components.
Important: If you don't want your car to need more frequent visits to the mechanic, never use neutral gear for driving.
What are the dangers of freewheeling?
Driving without a gear these days not only doesn't save fuel, but can also lead to increased fuel consumption. What's more, this practice is hard on the brakes. When in gear, the car is able to brake on its own - with the engine.
Frequent idling it can also cause the clutch to wear out faster, especially when you're driving around town. Regularly changing gear to neutral and vice versa is very taxing for this component. It also affects the engine, and it's worth remembering that replacing this component is extremely expensive.
Warning: Damage to important components increases when idle gear is used at high speeds – for example, when rolling downhill. Regular repetition of this behaviour can result in very rapid destruction of expensive and important car parts.
Idling and safety
You wonder what would be better – freewheeling or running? When you're driving in neutral, you don't have full control over your car. This can be a problem especially when the only way to avoid a collision is to press the gas pedal. It's easy to do this in gear, but in neutral it takes much longer. The fractions of a second it takes to get into gear can mean you don't have time to avoid a collision. Taking all this into account, driving in gear is a better option.
Engine braking, which is essential when going downhill, cannot be used while idling. Continuously pressing the brake pedal causes it to overheat, which reduces the vehicle's stopping power.
When can you use neutral gear?
Neutral gear can be used when you know you won't be moving for a while. However, it's not worth using it when you're stopping your car on a hill. It protects not only the handbrake but also the entire drive system from rolling away.
In conclusion, simply driving in neutral is not advisable. Many people still do it, but it is mainly due to their old habits. Is driving in neutral good? There is currently no situation in which driving without a gear would be justified. On the contrary, it can be dangerous and harmful to the vehicle. After all, it reduces braking efficiency.
See also:
- You often drive on reserve - check why you shouldn't do it
- EGR valve – what is it?
- I filled up with the wrong fuel. How do I drain the fuel from the tank?
