Sigma

You won't find anyone who will give you a straight answere on this one.

Most people probably do what you describe -- put it in Neutral and Coast to a stop.

But the safer thing to do is to either downshift (which causes a bit more drivetrain wear) or at the very least keep the shifter in gear (a gear that is usable for your speed, so you might have to move it as you decellerate). That way, if something happens and you need to do an evasive action, all you need to do is pop the clutch, and gas it to go. You can put it in Neutral and let out the clutch right as you come to a stop if you want (keeping your foot on the brake).

If you're coasting with the car in Neutral and the clutch out, you're going to waste precious time getting the car in a movable state again, really only leaving you the option of slamming the brakes, which may not be good enough depending on the situation.

When you're stopped, always keep your foot on the brake so that, one, everyone knows you're stopped and, two, so that, if hit from behind you don't coast into a busy intersection. You don't want to keep the clutch depressed the whole time you're waiting at a light because that's generally considered bad for the throwout bearing (although the effect is probably very small) and just not very comfortable either. For the 5 seconds you're waiting for your turn at the stop sign, it's not a problem to just leave the clutch depressed.

Shinka-Dono

The general idea is to have your foot off the clutch pedal as much as possible. This is why some like to have the car in neutral at a light. But at an American traffic light which just goes green and where you have no warning I think it is reasonable to keep your foot on the clutch with the shifter in 1st while waiting (with right foot on the brake). Others say even if you have no clue when the light is going to change get into the habit of leaving in neutral during the red light and guess when it's going green.

You should not roll up to a light in neutral however. If for whatever reason you have to move, you can't (not quickly anyway). You should depress the clutch pedal as late as possible when approaching a light (again in keeping with the general idea) downshifting if need be.

Again, with all of this, I really don't know how much this saves your clutch.

BunnyGirl

Probably very minimal. My stepdad does the whole "don't hold the clutch pushed in" thing all the time and will wear out his clutch and need a replacement. My mom, on the other hand, does the push the clutch in, downshift, sit with clutch in in first gear if it is a short light thing and her clutch has outlasted the time she has kept her cars (over 100,000 miles). She also keeps her vehicles far longer than him and doesn't end up needing her brakes replaced like he does, either.

When I took driver's ed for a manual the teacher told me to push the clutch in as I was coming to a stop and to hold it in the gear I was in as long as it was reasonably possible (pretty much until I stopped moving) with my hand on the shifter just in case I needed to quick changes gears to get moving, and then to put it in first when I stopped "just in case" until a vehicle behind me stopped moving and it was reasonably safe to put it in neutral so as to not need to quick move for any reason, or also to put it in neutral if it was going to be a long stop (although he also said it wasn't necessary to put in neutral unless you were worried about your foot getting tired ). Generally I have no idea if it is going to be a really long stop, although most of my lights are relatively short, less than a minute. The one that is a long stop is on my way home from work and I am generally the only one sitting there. I can always tell ahead of time when the light is going to change soon because the crosswalk light starts flashing a hand as a warning.

I think this all just comes down to whatever you prefer since everyone differs so much on what is the "right" way to do this.

ken-x8

Holding the clutch down instead of shifting to neutral won't put extra wear on the clutch. Clutch wear happens only when it's slipping. Holding the pedal down will, however, put more wear on the throwout bearing.

Downshifting vs braking to slow down is, IMHO, just a matter of taste. Brakes are cheaper than drive trains, but not as much zoom-zoom fun. Racers traditionally would downshift because brakes wouldn't last, but these days brakes in the pro racing series do last.

At a red light, I think it's better to shift to neutral rather than sit in first with the clutch down. First, why not give your leg a rest, and also put less wear on the throwout bearing. Then, when the light turns green, you really need to check to make sure the cross traffic has stopped. While you're looking, you've got more than enough time to step on the clutch and put it in gear.

Ken

BunnyGirl

I've had cars behind me start moving before I have. That always terrifies me. It's like they aren't paying attention. I am sitting there, usually behind other vehicles, waiting for them to start moving (instead of potentially appearing to move but really just kind of lurch forward and stall their car if they have a manual) and before I move, or the car in front of me moves, the idiot behind me has started rolling forward and moving, just because the light is green!!! This almost exclusively is somebody in a really huge truck or SUV. Maybe they can't see the little cars below them.

Shifty Devil

I know you didn't ask this, but when slowing down stop at an intersection it isn't necessary to downshift through the gears unless you have a need to be in a lower gear to apply power. Most people drive a near steady speed and don't start slowing until fairly close to the stop point, so you wouldn't usually be in the lower gear long enough to make a difference. If you are in a situation where you anticipate a need to apply power to maintain a speed or accelerate then you will want to downshift to a lower gear as you slow.

When coming to a stop you know will be brief, as at a stop sign, you just need to let off the throttle and slow, using the brake at the appropriate time. When your motion has dropped to near a walk (you'll never look at the speedometer) you can shift to first (if it doesn't want to slide into first easily you know you're still going too fast--no syncro) and brake to a stop. You are then ready to move forward when you let out the clutch. It is not necessary to be in neutral any longer than it takes to move the stick though it, unless you have a balky old transmission that requires double-clutching.

How long you hold the clutch in at a stop is a much-debated topic, but in my opinion is mostly a matter of comfort. On many older cars with cable-operated clutches it requires much more effort to push in and hold the clutch. I tried my brother's Mustang recently, only a late '90s GT I think, and it requires A LOT of pressure to hold it down, compared to an RX-8's hydraulic clutch. Before holding that one down for any lenth of time I would be putting it in neutral and letting it out, such as sitting at a red light. The RX-8's is so light you can hold it as long as you want.

When stopped for an more extended period of time, as you would at a red light, an argument for safety can be made for both sides: whether to hold the clutch down and have the car in gear, ready to go, or to put it in neutral and let out the clutch. The main argument for the first option has you ready to move quickly in case you have to, such as seeing someone coming from behind who may not stop and may rear-end you. Of course this assumes you have somewhere to go: being the first at the intersection and having no cross-traffic to hit if you move. The main argument for staying in neutral is that your foot may slip off the clutch with the transmission in gear and you may jump forward into the car in front of you or out into the intersection, into cross-traffic. That's not as much of a problem with the light clutch as it might be with a heavy clutch.

You'll have to use your own judgment for holding the clutch for each situation. The clutch is light and holding it should not be a physical problem for most people (make sure are fully depressing it). If I just get to a light when it turns red I usually go to neutral and wait. If I expect to be moving very soon (the light has been red for a while when I get there) I leave it in gear and ready to move. Holding the clutch primarily adds wear to the throwout bearing, unless your clutch is improperly adjusted and the plates are dragging, and you should be able to feel the pull from that and have it adjusted. If you are in neutral you do not need to have the clutch depressed and you should not be resting your foot on the clutch pedal, as that might partially disengage the plates and cause unnecessary wear on them.

ken-x8

I've only had that happen once. Some time back I was first at a red light and a co-worker (in an SUV, of course) happened to be right behind me. For fun, he pushed me into the intersection.

slllygrl10

I have been driving manual for almost a month. The first day I got my 350z I tooko it to an empty parking lot that night didn't work I was pissed I just couldnt get how to start smooth on first. The next morning I had friends come and took me to an empty parking lot. I learned in less than 2 hours. They were so patient with me and that really helped me alot. I hate it when I'm on an uphill but I'm getting use to it. I only tried the e-brake once on an uphill and it worked but I rather not unless its like 35 degree uphill. I always try to get it to 2rmps at first to get going smoothly cuz I have tried with 1-1.5rmps and it'd start to jerk.

slllygrl10

LOL yeah I hate that. I had the same thing happened to me but I think I scared him away. I was on an uphill and it was red light. As soon the light turned green the car behind me started to go then I let go the brake and waiting to release the clutch, my car started to roll back fast then I released the clutch. Since then he'd wait til I start to go then he go. Bwahaha. But yes it terrifies me as well.

slllygrl10

I dont put it in neutral I leave it on 2nd when I'm rolling on to the stop sign. When I'm on stopped I push the clutch in(neutral) and step on the brake then put it back to 1st gear.

hoosier

Clutch in/clutch out at a stoplight. As said previously, won't affect clutch wear that much so just use it as you see fit. I sometimes have the clutch pushed at a stoplight if I think the light will be short. It it goes longer, I go into neutral and take my foot off of the clutch just cause I am lazy.

Now the next statement will get some going but I have to say this about clutch use. I was told this once and it makes sense and I like things that make sense. Quickest way to wear out your clutch. While in gear and driving, never REST your foot on the clutch pedal (riding the clutch). Here is the part that will get some going, he told me that this is more common with women. I always wondered about that but then my ex-wifes cars clutch started slipping and she always rode the clutch. I have always taken my foot completely off of the clutch (unless playing around) and have never had to have a clutch replaced. Depressing the clutch just millimeters takes a small amount of pressure off the clutch and allows it to slip and after time, wears it out.

silverwolf

man the bast way is to go out is a friends manual and get him to teach the tricks to you. if your 8 is new the clutch will stick a little and that will hamper the learning process. but warn him before you do anything and make sure he knows that you are going to mess up a few times. as far as revs go just do rev match till you get it right. but go slow so you dont nuke your clutch, bad rev match will kill your rotary