Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucky13
That's actually illegal in South Carolina, not that you could ever get caught but also putting your car in neutral while coasting is illegal. I've never put my manual transmission BMW's in neutral when driving and never had an issue. I actually think it is very dangerous if you quickly need to move and you get caught screwing around shifting when you could already be in gear. I think this is BMW 8 or 9 with a manual for me and always keep the clutch pedal depressed fully at a light, stop sign or stopped in traffic and never had a clutch problem.
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This is not at all about coasting, just to be clear. This is about wearing out the throwout bearing over time from disengaging the clutch when stopped. With the number of cars you've had, you may have disposed of them before the problem became evident. The actual effect on the bearing is without dispute. However, how long it takes to show itself may vary and affect owners more than lessees.
Please provide the reference for the South Carolina statute about a manual transmission being in neutral when the vehicle is stopped. This would be very interesting, as it may be unique in the nation.
I can reassure you after almost five decades of manual transmission driving that there is no danger for an attentive driver. As the cross-traffic stops or the light changes, which is visible, a quick and gentle slip from the H pattern cross-over into 1st is less than a second and often faster than those in adjacent cars with automatics can move from the brake pedal to the accelerator. No screwing around needed...about a half second of activity and over time, it becomes somewhat below awareness as an "automatic" behavior.