Dear Tom and Ray:
My husband is 68, I am 72, and the following has been a lifelong argument. We have a small, graveled hill leading to our driveway. When it is icy, my husband insists on driving (or sliding) down the hill in neutral. Our vehicles are four-wheel drive and have gears 1 and 2 below drive. I say coasting down in neutral is wrong. I explain why I think so. He grew up on a farm, so he knows how things work, but he will not discuss it at all, and will (or can?) give no reason to back up his theory (whatever that is). I would love to know if I should be "freewheeling" down this hill instead of driving slowly down in gear. Thank you!
— Carol, old gal in Iowa
Tom: Carol, the reason he can't explain why it's better to drive down an icy hill in neutral is because it isn't better.
Ray: Keeping the car in gear helps you maintain control of the vehicle. When your car is in gear, the engine is connected to the wheels, and the engine acts as a brake on those wheels (especially if you use the lower gears, 2 or 1). That keeps the car's speed under control without you having to step on the brakes.
Tom: If you step on the brakes on an icy hill, you tend to skid. And once you start skidding, you're no longer in control of the vehicle.
Ray: I'm guessing that because your husband grew up on a farm, it was all flat land, and he didn't get to do enough sledding as a kid, and he's making up for it now. Can you hear him, under his breath, saying, "Wheeeeeee!"?
Tom: Other than that, I can't imagine why he wants to go down an icy hill in neutral, Carol. I suppose if it's first thing in the morning and the car is warming up, it might be revving at 1,500 or 2,000 rpm, which might make him feel like the engine is pushing the car faster than he's comfortable going.
Ray: But in that case, he should simply wait 90 seconds until the car is warmed up and the revs return to normal idle speed, and then go down the hill in gear.
Tom: Right. Keeping it in gear helps you in maintaining a reasonable speed. If you never let the car get out of control, you'll never have to fight to get it back under control.
(Car Talk is a nationally syndicated column by automotive experts (and brothers) Tom and Ray Magliozzi. Write to them at the Car Talk website.)
2 Comments
By Jack Hatley on December 29, 2011 12:46 PM
This advice is completely incorrect. What the husband is talking about is correct especially without ABS.
I live in the Seattle area which means lots of hills and when there is snow it is always icy. The majority of the crashes are drivers in 4x4 cars who find that they cannot control their vehicle because the engine is pushing the wheels along while they go down hill. When you need to use the brakes, which you will, you have to be out of gear to most efficiently slow down.
By Paul on January 9, 2012 1:39 PM
Jack is incorrect, the car talk dudes are right on. I also live in the Seattle area and I had FAR more control by downshifting and traversing downgrades in lower gears in my AWD vehicle than I could hope to have by 'coasting' down the hill in neutral and hoping the brakes can keep my speed down. You have FAR more control over your vehicle by gearing down and controlling your speed by engine braking as opposed to putting it in neutral and hoping for the best.
The reason so many drivers in 4X4's crash during snowy/icy weather is because they think they can drive like they're on dry roads -- which pretty much guarantees a crash.