Putting your car in neutral offers advantages in certain scenarios and driving conditions. To maximize them, you must know its ins and outs, from what it does and how to do it to the answers to the most frequently asked questions about it. The following discussion is for new drivers or people who want to know their vehicles a little bit better.
Putting your car in neutral allows it to coast, which is when it rolls freely using only its built-up momentum. Coasting typically occurs when you drive with the clutch pedal pressed all the way down.
Neutral in a car is not a gear but a position that disengages the engine from the wheels, allowing it to move freely. In other words, the vehicle isn’t engaged in any gear when it’s shifted to “N.”
How to put your car in neutral depends on whether you have your keys.
The process to put a car in neutral varies depending on the vehicle’s transmission.
Most vehicles have a way to push down an internal release that allows you to shift the shifter from inside the car. However, if your ride doesn’t have that feature, you’ll have to follow the steps below:
Shifting to neutral is a good idea in the following scenarios:
Staying in gear when your vehicle isn’t moving consumes transmission fluid that slowly wears down the transmission clutches and heats the brake pads.
Shifting to neutral when you’re stuck in stop-and-go traffic helps prevent damage to the transmission clutches and brake pads. Not to mention, you save a bit of fuel in the process.
Drive-thru car wash services have a system that requires cars to be in the neutral position to ensure they smoothly move through the cleaning cycles and prevent accidents.
Using a dolly when towing a car ensures the wheels roll along with the car towing it. However, if a dolly isn’t available, it’s best to keep your car in neutral to keep the engine on and prevent damage to the transmission.
When your ride gets stuck or stalls, pushing it could get it moving again, and that’s easier to do while it’s in neutral. Make sure there’s someone behind the wheel when you push your stalled vehicle to steer it.
Shifting the car to neutral during a brake malfunction makes it easier to steer into the roadside. It’s also safer than turning off your engine to stop your ride, as doing so locks up the steering wheel.
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about cars in the neutral position:
Yes, your brakes will still work in neutral. The same goes for steering, as the wheels will still move even when the vehicle’s in neutral.
When a car doesn’t move while it’s in neutral, it could indicate a worn-out transmission or a 4-wheel drive control that was accidentally shifted into neutral. Consulting a mechanic will help you identify the exact cause.
Shifting into neutral saves a bit of gas, but it’s not enough to justify shifting into when in idle situations. Most fuel-injected cars don’t deliver fuel when you depress the accelerator. However, they still burn a small amount of fuel when idling in neutral.
Shifting to neutral is beneficial in certain scenarios, such as being stuck in traffic and going to an automatic car wash service. This is because being neutral disengages the engine from the wheels, allowing the vehicle to coast and save fuel.
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.