Ok this is the second time this has happened to me. I’m cruising at a relatively high speed around 80-100 mph, and take the car out of 6th gear and cruise in neutral. Then I watch as the rpms drop to 1,000 and then the to zero and all my warning lights turn on (battery light, power steering, CEL, ect.) and the motor just dies. Radio is still on, still have power steering and stuff I guess, but I rev the motor and can’t hear it or see the rpms go up. The car is basically like in accessory mode right before you crank the car to turn it on. Then I put it back into gear, and the car comes back on and all the warning lights turn off ( CEL, Battery, PS, DSC, ect.) Frankly, the first time I did this, it scared the **** out of me. But all I have to do is put it back in gear and the car comes back. This also only happens above 80 mph I believe, cause I would test it at various speeds for the same results, and at above 80 it would do it consistently the two times it happened. But at like 60 mph or lower, its fine in neutral. Obviously, something is wrong with my car, and I was wondering if anyone else had this problem or is it just me? Hopefully it’s just me and not a big deal, so anyone else get this or know what could be wrong?

 

You should get this checked out (get thee to a dealer!), but why would anyone put their car in neutral while driving down the highway? That seems like a silly thing to do.

 

I dunno... Save gas? I dont do it often usually, only sometimes like at this one part of the freeway on the 2 frwy going home, which has like a five mile down hill strech of highway. I usually just get up to about 80 mph and take it out of gear and cruise the whole way down at the same speed. I never really thought about it being wierd and that it might save me some gas and put less strain on the car keeping it at a low RPM at a high speed. Am I the only one that does this? But nevertheless, the car shouldnt be doing this, and it never happen to my RX-7 or any other MT cars that I have driven too.

 

Not just silly, downright stupid. What happens if you need to accelerate quickly to avoid an accident... if you're sitting in neutral you're up **** creek without a paddle (knee deep in swamp mud for you yanks).

 

Obviously if Im cruising at 90 mph on a 5 mile downhill open highway, there arent going too many cars on the road, and if Im already going 90 mph, why the hell do I need to accelerate even more, mate? Im pretty sure I'm already going fast enough. If anything I need to use the freaking brakes, not speed up even more to increase my chances from not walking away from a collision :o . Besides that, its a freaking MT, going into any gear is only a few inches up or down.... I dunno about you, but I can get into gear pretty quickly if need be. You always get out of gear and pass neutral to upshift or downshift anyways. Maybe you forgot about that .

 

doing 100mph in neutral is just plain idiotic, period. You have no control of the car at that point if you have to make a quick manuever to avoid a car, animal, pothole, etc. And saying you do this to save gas isn't the smartest thing either. Maybe if it were possible to go down a hill that was 10 miles long, then you would see a difference in gas savings. but the length of time of any normal hill isn't enough to to think that you putting it in neutral will produce savings in gas.

don't know where you learned this, but I would advise to not do it.

 

What? You have to be joking. It is this bizarre logic that is going to not only get you killed, but you might take someone out with you. No one should be putting a car, even a MT car in N on a downhill.

Engine braking HELPS your normal disk brakes in an emergency situation. But to me it sounds like you know it all so there really is no point in discussing this with you.

When you kill some one because of your adolescent behavior, remember this thread.

 

You're right, there's no point - he sounds like he knows it all!

 

I'm going to show my ignorance, but could this be some kind of safety feature?

When your RPM's dip that low at that kind of speed, the car may be protecting you in case you suddenly decide to try throwing it in first or second. When you put it back in the appropriate gear or get the RPM's back to an appropriate level, it gives you power back?

 

First off I dunno what gives everyone the idea that I like driving around neutral all day long (which I don't), I only did it and mention it cause the car would shut off in neutral at high speeds, so I was trying to see if that was the case or not. But besides that, how does being in gear affect turning the car to the left or right? last time I checked the steering wheel and shifter are not connected.

 

I would agree that this may be intentional on the part of Mazda. They certainly don't expect or want people to be driving the car in neutral at high speed.

Crashunit, people may sound a little harsh, but they're just trying to help. Please don't do that anymore.

 

Ha; that's the funniest quote yet!

Crashunit, I do this all the time. In my 30 years of driving I have never, ever had to accelerate to avoid an accident. I guess if it comes up now, its just my bad luck. I would guess that needing to accelerate out of a tight position is a sign you put yourself in a spot you never should have been in in the first place. Maybe its a sign of my inordinate skill that I've never been in such a spot. I have no idea.

My normal reason for coasting at high speed in neutral is if I know I will be slowing anyway up ahead. I started a thread about this once about the "right" way to slow down. It was a poll; I'll look it up tonight and post a link. While some say "By God, you gotta be in gear; use the engine to slow you down" others are equally adament in saying "Brakes are for slowing you down. What's cheaper to replace: Brakes pads, or engine/trannie? Never, ever use engine braking/compression braking/transmission braking." (it goes by many names.) I came away from that poll understanding it was all a matter of opinion and there is no right answer.

There is a stretch of hiway here, a slight upgrade with an exit ramp that I take. I approach the upgrade at 70, and if I pop into neutral I reach the ramp at 45 using no brakes/no compression; then get into 4th, cruise through the ramp; it is a very smooth and natural maneuver. As I said, I do this all the time, probably a half-dozen times a day not just at this one exit.

 

It's called passive rear-steer with engine brake drag. The only time that it does not affect the car is while under hard acceleration.

 

Dude, are you serious???

When you are in neutral going down a hill, you are letting gravity do the driving, not you. The car works together when you are in gear, including braking.

I never thought you drive all day long in neutral, just so you know. I just think your excuse for doing so down a hill is downright ridiculous. You probably saved a whopping 25 cents by doing what you did.

 

Yes, I know engine breaking or load breaking helps you slow down the car alot faster in an emergancy situation then breaking the car in neutral. But there is no emergancy issue, and I do not drive at high speeds in neutral all day long. And explain to me how finding out my car likes to die in neutral ( the place inbetween all the gears you have to pass before you shift) is adolescent behavior?

 

no..this is the funniest quote yet!

It will not just be your bad luck, it will also be the one you hit and/or kill. 30 years of driving or not, it just plain stupid.

 

He wasn't implying that this is the reason you are expressing adolescent behavior. But the fact that we have to spell it out for you proves that you need help.

 

I agree that the car shutting off is an issue.

I can't understand how you keep bringing up an emergency situation when most are unexpected? What will you do with a tire blow out? And before you mention the TPM, tires still blowout with the system. What will you do if there is a car part or tire fragment on the road that you do not see?

 

Think of it this way:

If you don't do this stupid maneuver when you are going down a hill, the car won't ever stall and it won't ever be an issue. There's no reason to ever do what you're doing, and if this is the only time the stalling issue happens, then don't do it.

 

Ok, here it is. I was mistaken about it being a poll, but I did tally up the responses. My tally was:

5 votes for engine braking
4 votes for leaving it in gear but clutch depressed
3 votes for putting in neutral and coasting

But people kept posting and I didn't keep up with the thread.

I also referenced a second thread where they discussed this, and many people agreed that coasting was absolutely fine (not unanimous.) Even Click and clack agreed, so hey, how could it be wrong?

 

Right, and if you never drive fast that erroneous Check Oil light will never come on. So lets all don't drive fast and stop bitching about the light. And if you don't use the a/c, it won't cycle, so all of us put our windows down. Come on....

 

So your talking about steering conditions under hard braking at high speeds then? That won't hinder me from changing lanes and manuvering my car while im driving tho. That would only affect me if I was in an emergancy situation where the car was in neutral and I had to brake really hard. And if I was in a situation where I felt that would happen, I wouldnt even be going 90 mph or in neutral.

 

well then...I convinced because it's on the internet.

Let's try this.

Call or e-mail ANY driving school and ask them. Then call the CHP and ask for the VC number that states is a citable offence. I predict...

all votes for engine braking
0 votes for leaving it in gear but clutch depressed
0 votes for putting in neutral and coasting

 

Can we get back on F**king topic here. If he wants to drive like that then it's his decision. Geeze.

The only reason I can think the car might do this as a safety reason is so you don't lock up the rear tires if you put it in to low of a gear at high speed (nevermind the high rpm the engine will hit), other then that there may be something wrong. I'd ask/get it checked out to make sure everythings ok.

 

I would simply steer out of the way, and not brake and hope I dont hit it.