If the clutch is fully disengaged while doing this, there is no wear at all on the clutch assembly. However, the release bearing, and to a small degree, the release fork will experience a shorter life.

 

You should always take your car out of gear and into neutral with your clutch fully engaged (foot completely off of the pedal) when sitting at a traffic light (red). The reason is to reduce wear on the release bearing.

I don't quite understand your statement, "I don't completely see anything wrong with going into neutral once the car is in motion [for a 6spd]". I would have to ask why would someone want to go into neutral after getting the car in motion.

 

The individual who told you this clearly does not know how to properly downshift. So I would say that if you do not know how to downshift correctly, then avoid it as much as possible.

 

People, I am surprised by the complete lack of knowledge you have (not all of you, some of you) about how manual transmissions work. How in the world are you putting MORE wear and tear on your transmission by coasting in neutral? Can all the people who claimed that please provide an explanation of the mechanics of it so that I can understand why you think this is the case?

The fact is, you are ALWAYS putting LESS wear on a manual car when it is in neutral than when it is in gear!!

So yes, you will save both fuel and wear on your clutch by coasting to a light.

The only part you are saving wear on by downshifting is your brakes, but transmissions are more expensive than brakes, so it makes no sense to save your brakes at the expense of your transmission. Besides, people who have automatics have to use their brakes like that anyways.

At the very least, your car should always be in neutral when you are sitting at a red light, unless you know the light will change very soon, the wear and tear caused by shifting it into neutral then back into 1st will exceed the wear from keeping it in gear for a few seconds, so in that case it's ok, but if the light is long then always put it in neutral.

The only way I am wrong is if the TL has some completely new transmission design that I am not aware of, in which case I am happy to admit I was mistaken, but I doubt that is the case.

 

Downshifting, even not done correctly, has little effect on the transmission as a whole. On the other hand, the synchronizers are exposed to added wear when downshifting incorrectly.

Your statement about being in neutral when at a light unless the wait is short is correct. But again, it's not the transmission that gets the wear here.. its the release bearing unless one is continually taking it in and out of gear with the clutch engaged and then disengaged in which case the synchronizers get added wear.

Here's a little hint when sitting at a light or stop sign. When you are ready to engage first gear, start the shifter into third first and then go into first gear. This is much better for the first gear synchronizers.

 

Yeah, at red lights I'm always out of gear. I always fully clutch in--and when at a stop my foot is off the clutch, just incase.

As the other comment, well--I know a lot of people who see a red light coming up and drop out of the gear and coast in neutral to a stop.

 

This is Ok when done "at the last moment". In other words, close to making your full stop. I wouldn't recommend it when you're 100+ yards back and still traveling, say, 35 MPH. I do this myself frequently as I approach the light but pretty much when I am within seconds of getting there.

 

Well I tried to explain the physics, but unless I get a lot more complicated, I can't prove it. And I am 99% sure that even if I did prove it in a mathmatical equasion, those of you who insist on coasting in neutral are not going to believe it anyway, since you cant understand the math in the first place. Therefore I am not going to waste my time, if you think coasting in neutral is going to save you some gas, go for it. It's not going to, but if it makes you feel better, who am I to argue?

I don't really have any idea about it's effect on the clutch, I speculated it might not be good, butI know a lot more about physics than I do mechanical engineering, so I'll leave that part to people who know more than I do.

 

I perfectly understand what you guys are saying, coasting neutral when approaching a stop light, I've done that plenty in OLD m/t cars...(Babnik)

Your TL was designed with gas saving in mind. The ECU/PCM is a VERY smart computer. You do not need to use old tactics for maximum fuel savings... The best thing you can do is to always stay in the right gear per mph/rpm. This is your best bet on saving gas.

I still throw in neutral when I need to come a complete stop, before throwing in reverse, not forward gears.

Of course everything I say are just my opinions, you may do as wish, or in fact, experiment one week driving differently, you can only prove this to yourself as of what really works for your style of driving.

 

Yes those things are cheap to replace, but it's a hassle.