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putting car into neutral instead of turning off at a stop light
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06-16-2008, 03:14 PM
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Junior Member
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Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 16
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putting car into neutral instead of turning off at a stop light
Is it the same thing as turning it off? I have a 2000 toyota avalon. When I put it into N I feel the brakes let off a little so it's gotta be doing something, I just don't know what. 
I heard a Saturn commercial the other day and they are releasing a car that has an Auto-neutral feature that automatically puts your car in neutral when you're stopped for a period of time to save gas.
This would be alot easier than turning the car off...any thoughts?
If this is a dumb question, please forgive me...I'm still a big time hm newb!
btw-hoping to get 20mpg on my wife's 2000 toyota sienna, got about 30 miles to go before we fill up! Previous record was around 17! |
06-16-2008, 03:26 PM
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DWL Lover
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Vehicles: Honda Accord
Location: near Indianapolis, Indiana
Posts: 1,776
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Re: putting car into neutral instead of turning off at a stop light
If you think about it when the car is running in N the ICE is still running burning gas and going nowhere, you're MPG is effectively 0. When you turn the car off you are using no gas and still going nowhere so there is no loss of energy.
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06-16-2008, 03:33 PM
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Fighting untruth and misinformation
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Vehicles: 2010 Toyota Prius, 2009 Kawasaki C-14
Location: Kentucky near Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 3,186
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Re: putting car into neutral instead of turning off at a stop light
If the engine is running in neutral, it is burning gas. If the engine is off it is not burning gas. The longer you are not burning gas when stopped, the more fuel you will save. Now how much save you will save, will depend how long you are stopped with the engine running or not.
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Drivin slow in the FAS lane.
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06-16-2008, 03:34 PM
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Currently in Training
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Join Date: May 2008
Vehicles: Toyota Tercel
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 602
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Re: putting car into neutral instead of turning off at a stop light
I think I am in the majority here in turning off my car at long red lights, since idling is wasted gas. This is why the hybird vehicles do it automatically.
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-Edwin
Best Tank = 601.7 miles @ 56.36 MPG
 
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06-16-2008, 03:41 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: May 2007
Vehicles: '11 Elantra Touring, '00 bioTDI Golf, Bikes, Light Rail
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 5,302
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Re: putting car into neutral instead of turning off at a stop light
I suppose an AT causes an idling engine to use more fuel when it's in Drive than in Neutral, but I'd bet the difference is marginal: maybe 0.5 gph vs. 0.4 gph in the case of your Avalon. That's just a guess, though. Anyone here with an AT and a ScanGauge care to confirm this?
In any event, a stopped engine uses 0.0 gph. I don't doubt that you can save a drop or two by shifting to N, but if you really want to save gas at stoplights, kill the engine!
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06-16-2008, 03:41 PM
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Beat The System
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Vehicles: 2009 Fit, 2004 Odyssey, 96 Civic retired
Location: Longview, TX
Posts: 12,785
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Re: putting car into neutral instead of turning off at a stop light
I have numbers! My V6 Odyssey, warmed up:
.5 gph idle in gear
.45 gph idle in Neutral
and of course, 0 gph engine-off. 
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Andrew
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100 mpg commute / 90.2 mpg tank = 1191 miles
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06-16-2008, 07:17 PM
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Penguin of Notagascar
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Vehicles: '12 LEAF SL, '02 Insight 5spd MT
Location: Coon Rapids, MN
Posts: 20,598
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Re: putting car into neutral instead of turning off at a stop light
Is there some reason this exact post has now appeared 3 times? I removed one prior to this as it was posted twice and one already had answers. The other two were a week ago?
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- Sean
|  | <-- She got to drive an EV before I did!!  |
I'm a slow driver with a FASed car! 
New? Start here!
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06-16-2008, 07:23 PM
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Junior Member
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Vehicles: 1995 Honda Del Sol Si(6.5" ride height), 1990 Honda Crx Si, 2007 Honda Odyssey Touring
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 1,102
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Re: putting car into neutral instead of turning off at a stop light
@PaleMelanesian
Thanks for the numbers, atleast now I have quantitative data to go along with my assumptions.
I wonder if there is any difference when you're creep and break 10 times while sitting there vs when you just sit there. That is one of my biggest peeves about other drivers, so I would love it if I knew they were getting even crappier mileage, than if they would just sit there.
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Diesel or Hybrid? I don't want to choose!
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