Pulling away when not quite stopped
Discussion
Assuming a torquey diesel manual car.
You are approaching a set of lights and braking to roll to a stop just behind other traffic. The lights turn green just as you are easing off the brakes and gracefully rolling to a stop.
You have not quite stopped - still rolling at approx 3mph
To pull away, do you:
1. Put it into second and engage the clutch swiftly - WHEN THE CLUTCH IS IN in you probably need to give a bit more revs to pull away.
2. Put it into first and pull away even though you are not quite stopped.
What is the most mechanically sympathetic to the car (lower bills)?
Many thanks,
You are approaching a set of lights and braking to roll to a stop just behind other traffic. The lights turn green just as you are easing off the brakes and gracefully rolling to a stop.
You have not quite stopped - still rolling at approx 3mph
To pull away, do you:
1. Put it into second and engage the clutch swiftly - WHEN THE CLUTCH IS IN in you probably need to give a bit more revs to pull away.
2. Put it into first and pull away even though you are not quite stopped.
What is the most mechanically sympathetic to the car (lower bills)?
Many thanks,
It depends...
In my wife's Polo GT (1.9, 130bhp) pulling away in 2nd as you describe is easy
In my Scenic (1.6, 130bhp) to try pulling away in second needs extra revs and slipping the clutch.
In your scenario, the turbo's not helping out so the engine won't have much torque
So in either car, I'd prefer to be in 1st to pull away from a crawl
In my wife's Polo GT (1.9, 130bhp) pulling away in 2nd as you describe is easy
In my Scenic (1.6, 130bhp) to try pulling away in second needs extra revs and slipping the clutch.
In your scenario, the turbo's not helping out so the engine won't have much torque
So in either car, I'd prefer to be in 1st to pull away from a crawl
Depends on the car, some of mine did not like going into first if still moving and would happily pull away in second.
You could also try looking out for the lights on the pedestrian crossing and other traffic poles changing to give you warning that you will be able to move off shortly.
You could also try looking out for the lights on the pedestrian crossing and other traffic poles changing to give you warning that you will be able to move off shortly.
Second if the car (Volvo D5 in my case) is moving at all. One of the more satisfying things to do in urban traffic, especially when a gap opens up at a mini-roundabout where I was expecting to have to stop.
One minor frustration with the equivalent manoeuvre in my automatic is that the car can't read the traffic and waits in its cruising gear, usually third, for me to move from brake to accelerator before thinking 'Ooh 'eck, he's off, better change down'. It pulls away OK, of course, but it's a little hasty and undignified compared with a rolling start in second in the manual.
One minor frustration with the equivalent manoeuvre in my automatic is that the car can't read the traffic and waits in its cruising gear, usually third, for me to move from brake to accelerator before thinking 'Ooh 'eck, he's off, better change down'. It pulls away OK, of course, but it's a little hasty and undignified compared with a rolling start in second in the manual.
I drive a diesel manual and this annoys me to. In most petrol cars you can easily just pop it in 2nd and away you go, but with my diesel the gearing's too long for that, so I'm faced with a choice of 2nd and clutch slip, or a delicate rev match into first and accelerate away. I always choose the rev match into 1st option as it feels like the most mechanically sympathetic to me.
pistonheadforum said:
Assuming a torquey diesel manual car.
You are approaching a set of lights and braking to roll to a stop just behind other traffic. The lights turn green just as you are easing off the brakes and gracefully rolling to a stop.
You have not quite stopped - still rolling at approx 3mph
To pull away, do you:
1. Put it into second and engage the clutch swiftly - WHEN THE CLUTCH IS IN in you probably need to give a bit more revs to pull away.
2. Put it into first and pull away even though you are not quite stopped.
What is the most mechanically sympathetic to the car (lower bills)?
Many thanks,
Try using both methods and then make a decision based upon which method you feel is kinder to the car.You are approaching a set of lights and braking to roll to a stop just behind other traffic. The lights turn green just as you are easing off the brakes and gracefully rolling to a stop.
You have not quite stopped - still rolling at approx 3mph
To pull away, do you:
1. Put it into second and engage the clutch swiftly - WHEN THE CLUTCH IS IN in you probably need to give a bit more revs to pull away.
2. Put it into first and pull away even though you are not quite stopped.
What is the most mechanically sympathetic to the car (lower bills)?
Many thanks,
Or, you could buy an automatic, that would avoid having to make these tricky life changing decisions.
Edited by The Mad Monk on Thursday 23 April 09:13
RobM77 said:
I drive a diesel manual and this annoys me to. In most petrol cars you can easily just pop it in 2nd and away you go, but with my diesel the gearing's too long for that, so I'm faced with a choice of 2nd and clutch slip, or a delicate rev match into first and accelerate away. I always choose the rev match into 1st option as it feels like the most mechanically sympathetic to me.
That's interesting. With the tractor-engine torque at the bottom end of the rev range, I generally find this less of a problem in diesel engined cars than petrol.SK425 said:
RobM77 said:
I drive a diesel manual and this annoys me to. In most petrol cars you can easily just pop it in 2nd and away you go, but with my diesel the gearing's too long for that, so I'm faced with a choice of 2nd and clutch slip, or a delicate rev match into first and accelerate away. I always choose the rev match into 1st option as it feels like the most mechanically sympathetic to me.
That's interesting. With the tractor-engine torque at the bottom end of the rev range, I generally find this less of a problem in diesel engined cars than petrol.Thanks very helpful.
It's a big diesel tourer and it does feel as though dropping to second and pulling away is a lot more mechanically sympathetic to first where you can feel it stand on it's nose if the revs are not matched and first is selected.
Of course the secret is to never let the car completely stop! Keeping the moveing momentum the secret to a reasonable MPG when hypermiling in a large barge!
I was always told (rightly or wrongly) that you should only select first when stopped. A pet gripe other than pulling on the handbrake without pressing the button (shooting offence!) is people who slow down for a junction and have already rammed it into first before coming to a stop - ie getting ready to pull away.
It's a big diesel tourer and it does feel as though dropping to second and pulling away is a lot more mechanically sympathetic to first where you can feel it stand on it's nose if the revs are not matched and first is selected.
Of course the secret is to never let the car completely stop! Keeping the moveing momentum the secret to a reasonable MPG when hypermiling in a large barge!
I was always told (rightly or wrongly) that you should only select first when stopped. A pet gripe other than pulling on the handbrake without pressing the button (shooting offence!) is people who slow down for a junction and have already rammed it into first before coming to a stop - ie getting ready to pull away.
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