Gear change: 4th to 2nd

SpitfireIV · 14-09-2012 9:55pm #1

Ok,

I have my test coming up this Thursday (nervous as hell!!

) Have a couple of refresher lessons booked, one was today. Been a few months since I completed my lessons, in which time it seemed I picked up some bad habbits, most notibly the dreaded.....coasting!

So, I've been working on correcting this!

Take for example your average roundabout, when approaching, say, in 4th gear, I used to:

-Brake gently
-Clutch in
-Change to 2nd and then gradually lift the clutch while moving onto the gas if I seen it was safe to proceed. If not, I'd brake fully, stop and into first.

I would, in essence, be making the turn while still gradually coming off the clutch in 2nd.

I think thats coasting though!

What I was told to do was, again say I was approaching roundabout in 4th:

-Come off accelerator
-Brake gently while doing the below:
-Press in clutch
-Drop to third
-Let clutch up
-Clutch in again
-Drop to second
-Let clutch up
(matching gear to the speed)

And again, like above, if coming to the line and its safe to proceed away you go, but this time the clutch is fully up.

Working from 4th to 3rd to 2nd seems like a lot of work and I find I'm jumping and chucking a bit. I can however get away with a smooth 4th to 2nd and complete the turn with my foot off the clutch now. I'm pretty happy with it.

My question is though, on test day would the tester expect me to drop through gears one by one, or is it acceptable to drop from 4 to 2 if you can do it nice and smoothly and complete the maneouvre in 'full' control of the car, ie foot off the clutch.

Cheers!

Soby · 14-09-2012 9:59pm

Your perfectly allowed to from 4th to 2nd , however you should be in 2nd as your coming up to the roundabout not going around it .

Drafty122 · 14-09-2012 10:03pm

4th to 2nd is grand, i just passed my test a couple of weeks ago and that wasnt a bother

SpitfireIV · 14-09-2012 10:09pm

Cheers guys!

Soby, yeah, I'd be in second, ie have all the gear changing done before coming to the line thus I'm totally free to look around and simply stop if needs be.

Glad I got that one sorted!

MascotDec85 · 15-09-2012 6:07am

Aim to be in 2nd with your foot off the clutch by the time you reach the keep left arrow at the splitter island before the roundabout.

arleitiss · 15-09-2012 1:52pm

Is it ok to take huge roundabouts in 4th without even dropping to 3rd or 2nd when it's at say 2 AM at night and you are 100% sure no one is there because it's peripheral area?

MascotDec85 · 15-09-2012 2:14pm

arleitiss wrote: »

Is it ok to take huge roundabouts in 4th without even dropping to 3rd or 2nd when it's at say 2 AM at night and you are 100% sure no one is there because it's peripheral area?

Drop to 3rd at least. It's not just who is on the roundabout but the fact you have to negotiate the curves of the roundabout whilst staying in your lane. In short, no.

Gear change: 4th to 2nd

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