Clutching at stoplights...
 

My coworkers and I are at a bit of a disagreement over whether is it is better to sit at a stoplight with the car in neutral (ie, shifter in the middle position no clutch) or with the clutch depressed either in gear or out of gear.

This got me wondering... what do you guys think?

I always stop with car in gear, clutch depressed. I have never had to change it, four years now.

I typically leave it in neutral when I'm sitting at lights. no sense sitting there for 2+ minutes with my foot engaging the clutch.

either method works, just boils down to preference

I've been rear-ended twice while stopped at red lights. I keep it clutched in, just in case I need to move my ass out of the way quickly. lol

yeah it really is up to the driver
i am the netural at the stoplight kind
but i have friends who leave it in gear

i had a similar debate on whether or not to leave the car in gear when parking

Better how?

In gear: better to escape from carjackers attacking you at a stoplight.

In neutral: better to not look like an idiot in front of your friends when you forgot you left the car in gear at a stoplight and let out the clutch while leaning over to pick your phone out of the passengers footwell.

this still surpises me. in gear when parked, period. people don't park auto's in neutral. what if your ebrake fails, why not have it in hear to prevent it from rolling!!

to the op, i think jedi said it best...it doesn't really matter, but unless you might take off momentarily, why leave your pedal depressed for that long...it's tiring!!

I just leave it in neutral. sometime I know its gonna be red I even coast in neutral.
wanna rest my leg as much as possible.

Most people I know leave there car in neutral with the ebrake when parked on a level surface. For that matter most dealers I've been to do the same thing.

Why would you not throw it in gear when parked? Makes no sense.

I just leave it in gear when parked to let the brakes cool down. very important if you track or autocross. and also in winter time below freeze temperature.
if on a slope, both. dont feel like putting too much stress on the transmission and clutch.

idk i guess it has something to do with the way i was taught to drive stick
but the only time i remember to leave it in gear is when i am on a really steep incline, but even if the brake fails its no guarantee that the car still won't roll even if its left in gear.

I leave the car in neutral unless I know the light will change soon.

unless your clutch is slipping, no way it would move.

If the hill was steep enough, it might. Of course, you would have trouble opening/shutting yoru door in that case, and I doubt you could walk that hill without using your hands, but that is not my point.

if you can drive up that hill, you can park on that hill. its simple as the grip of the tires.

No. It is a matter of compression. Have you ever jump started your car?

maybe i will change my ways lol.......probably not b/c i am use to parking that way

push/dump start, not jump start. you use another battery to jump.

then again you rarely use 1st gear to push start but 2nd cuz 1st gear is too easy to lock up.

you can try using the highest gear ration gear such as a reverse to magnify the effect of engine brake.

heh. Yeah. Thanks.

Depends on who you ask really. If you go to the BMW driving school they actually tell you to leave the car in gear. Their whole philosophy is that you should always be ready and always make sure that the car can stop you before anything else. I.E. if your car is in gear, and you get slammed from behind, not only is the brake there to stop you, but the transmission. Or if you need to move out of the way of impending danger asap.

Personally I hate holding down my foot on the clutch as I grew up under my dads philosophy of "let the car rest at stops" i.e. leave the stick in neutral and the clutch pedal up to prevent wear.

There really is no "right" way

Hahaha. 25 years, and I have yet to be carjacked. But the other has happened more than once.

Or, in some states like NY, it's illegal to be in neutral at a stop light/sign, period :)

leaving in gear when stop and a red to slow the car down if someone hit you in the back makes no sense. unless you clutch out stalling the engine and hit the brake when the car behind has hit you.
I ride motorcycle I was told to stop in gear so youre ready to take off if the car behind you didnt see you.

I put mine in reverse at lights. It keeps people from getting too close.
















I kid, I kid. I leave mine in gear at a stop. There are a couple lights that I know are really long that i'll put it in neutral for a bit if there is no traffic behind me.