2 Questions - Help needed.

Doyler92

Hi. I'm only starting off drovong here and have a problem. My driving instructor told me I'm not allowed to 'coast' ie drive while using the clutch. For some reason I always 'coast' when going around a corner and when slowing down and stopping. I think it's the fear of cutting out. Does anybody have any tips to deal with this?

Thanks

Doyler92

Sorry cannot remember the other question will reply with it when I remember.

Devia

You won't cut out if you shift down the gears. Assuming your observation is ok, when turning corners you need to slow right down, clutch in, drop to appropriate gear, clutch out and take the corner. When coming to a stop on a straight its ok to coast the last few meters in a high gear.

Im surprised your instructor criticised you for this and then didn't explain how to fix the problem

DriveSkill

Hi,

Well the first thing you should do is prove to yourself how slow you can go without the car cutting out. Find a long quiet road (or large car park) and move off and into 2nd gear, then take your foot off the accelerator and let the car drive under its own power - DO NOT PRESS the clutch as the car naturally starts to slow down. Let the car drive forward and you will find that it will continue at a very slow but constant pace - it will not stall unless you come across something like a speed ramp etc, remember do not be tempted to depress the clutch.

Once you prove to yourself that the car will happily drive along very slowly in 2nd gear you can use this knowledge when driving around junctions etc. The key is to get the speed down, gear change to 2nd and then off the clutch well before the junction. You can then drive around the corner with very gentle acceleration. With practice you will be able to leave the gear change to just before the junction but initially try and do it a little early so you have plenty time - the main aim is to have the gear change done and be off the clutch before you get to the junction.

Good Luck!

LookBehindYou

Doyler92 wrote: »

Hi. I'm only starting off drovong here and have a problem. My driving instructor told me I'm not allowed to 'coast' ie drive while using the clutch. For some reason I always 'coast' when going around a corner and when slowing down and stopping. I think it's the fear of cutting out. Does anybody have any tips to deal with this?

Thanks

Your driving instructor should have explained to you WHY.
Its not good enough to be told you cannot do it, you should be given a reason why not, and be shown the correct way, and a reason why that correct way is best and safer.

brian076

When changing down gears try coming off the clutch a little slower than you would going up the gears. When you change from 4th to 3rd or 3rd to 2nd or even 4th to 2nd, (remember you don't have to come down in sequence), count 1001-1002-1003 as you release the clutch. This should prevent the car from lurching, and will also prevent you from coasting.

Degag

I was under the impression that coasting was changing straight from example 4th to second gear in one gear change when infact you should change from 4th to 3rd first and then from 3rd to 2nd.

Alanstrainor

Degag wrote: »

I was under the impression that coasting was changing straight from example 4th to second gear in one gear change when infact you should change from 4th to 3rd first and then from 3rd to 2nd.

No not at all. That is what's called block changing and is the best way to change down gears. There is no need to go from 4th to 3rd to 2nd, you can just slow down in 4th and change straight from 4th to 2nd in one movement.

Degag

Alanstrainor wrote: »

No not at all. That is what's called block changing and is the best way to change down gears. There is no need to go from 4th to 3rd to 2nd, you can just slow down in 4th and change straight from 4th to 2nd in one movement.

Well that's what i do. But my driving instructor told me that this was wrong and i didn't do it in my test.

Permabear

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