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Old 20th January 2015, 19:36   #51
Thomas
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A young girl in my passed her test a couple of months ago, how she passed is anyone guess, she cant park, cant go round a corner and pulled onto a roundabout a few months ago and ended up facing into the oncoming traffic!

best part is she was complaining there was something wrong with her car,said the engine noise was very bad, so I took the car for a spin round the car park at work, couldn't fault it, got her to drive it whilst I was in passenger seat, nothing wrong, so I said take me where it makes the noise.......she pulls onto the motorway and proceeds to scream her little Corsa down the motorway in third gear! she didn't know how to get in fourth or fifth as she had never been on a motorway before!
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Old 20th January 2015, 20:00   #52
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My 17 yr old son is currently just about to take his test... he is taught block changes and to use the brakes to stop.....
Like most young lads, he has a small engine car, a 1.3 Fiesta. We live on Exmoor, he tries to go up hills in to high a gear, engine straining, he doesn't seem to grasp the concept of changing gears constantly using all ratios to suit the road.
And then we go down a hill towards a sharp bend and he doesn't change down gears...
I tell you, it's TERRIFYING to me... but his instructor rates him highly and thinks he'll pass first time.... !!!! Maybe I'm just a terrible passenger....
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Old 20th January 2015, 21:57   #53
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I think us older drivers learned to drive so many diff ways, some were gate change, some column change, some pre selector, most you had to double de clutch, some were syncro, and most were tall cars and had thin wheels with crossplys so you could fall over if you cornered anything but slowly.. but it was never boring innit... lol ..
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Old 20th January 2015, 22:04   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spyder View Post
Always have and always will go down a hill in the "correct" gear using the engine braking. Yes complete brake failure is uncommon now days, but it only takes once.

I had to be certified to drive a school bus a while back and I did double declutch and use engine braking. I was told that my driving style was aggressive but I was always in control and thereby a safe driver.

The amount of cars and trucks going down a slow steep hill with their brake lights permanently on, is terrifying at times.
Go down a incline the same speed that you would go up it, used to be the golden rule.

As for not using indicators-I know I have a BMW engine, BUT....
Spyder, you will find that most modern lorries have engine /exhaust brakes fitted and when these are activated the brake lights will come on. I can go down from junc,22 to junc 20 on the M62 weighing 44 tonnes just touching the foot brake to keep the speed in check about 3 times but the brake lights are on most of the way down the hill.
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Old 20th January 2015, 22:21   #55
HarryM1BYT
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yella Fella View Post
I was watching the telly the other night about ways to save fuel. An advanced driver instructor said it was ok to change up gears "in block" eg from 3rd to 5th.
I was always told to increase speed smoothly through the gear box.

He also said To stop in what ever gear you are in and not come down the gears into the correct gear for the speed you are doing.
I always reduce my speed and slip into the correct gear for that speed.

I'm thinking it wouldn't be good for the engine or gearbox to go from 3rd to 5th etc.
Block changes is the correct technique for changing up, but depending on the road, I might use it for changing down too, maybe unnecessarily - rather than say from 5th brake then 1st, I might go 5, 3 then 1.

I always feel safer in a gear which offers me some ability to change my mind when braking and be able to pull away.

If I need/want maximum acceleration, I use the full range of gears on the way up, if not I will block change, maybe 1, 3 then 4 or 5. I normal drive, in the highest comfortable gear for my present speed, unless there is a good reason not to.
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Old 20th January 2015, 22:28   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scalyback View Post
Spyder, you will find that most modern lorries have engine /exhaust brakes fitted and when these are activated the brake lights will come on. I can go down from junc,22 to junc 20 on the M62 weighing 44 tonnes just touching the foot brake to keep the speed in check about 3 times but the brake lights are on most of the way down the hill.
Yes, on the bigger vehicles the exhaust brake works really well. I fitted one to our motor home many years ago, it worked well and saves wear and tear on the brake and transmission system. They are especially good on hills that are 3 or 5 miles long. (not in the UK though )
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Old 20th January 2015, 22:28   #57
HarryM1BYT
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Originally Posted by James.uk View Post
I think us older drivers learned to drive so many diff ways, some were gate change, some column change, some pre selector, most you had to double de clutch, some were syncro, and most were tall cars and had thin wheels with crossplys so you could fall over if you cornered anything but slowly.. but it was never boring innit... lol ..
...
If its a long hill, I will use a bit of engine braking to help control it. I avoid long braking sessions.
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Fix a poor handbrake; DIY ABS diagnostic unit; Loan of the spanner needed to change the CDT belts; free OBD diagnostics +MAF; Correct Bosch MAF cheap; DVB-T install in an ex-hi-line system; DD install with a HK amp; FBH servicing.

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Old 20th January 2015, 22:30   #58
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I had to take one of the other lads vans to our mechanic today because his clutch had gone and I am the only person in work who can drive without the clutch. So I freely admit that today I was block changing 1 to 3 and so on. It made for an exciting drive coming off the motorway at Preston and going up an icy hill with no clutch!
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Old 20th January 2015, 22:37   #59
HarryM1BYT
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yella Fella View Post
I tried this 'block changing up' this morning in the 75 on the way to work.

I tried 1 to 3 to 5. Not good. Maybe the 1.8 NA isnt geared towards this style of driving but I had to push it in 1st to get the speed and revs up to accept 3rd, sometimes I got 5th instead so it was all a bit messy.

Not for me. I found it much smoother just slipping into the gears with the minimum of fuss and the engine sounded happier too.
You are bound to get it wrong at first, it needs practise until it becomes second nature. Its easy to know when you need to change up, going up in sequence, but much harder to judge which gear will do what you want skipping gears. Practise, practise and more practise, until you get the hang.

Pull away on a hill, work through the gears until you get to 3rd and the brow, you no longer need the power, so slip it 3rd to 5th. Likewise on a motorway, 2nd to 3rd to get you upto say 70, then you no longer need acceleration, drop it straight to 5th.

In the 1960's, when I took my test, due to the way cars were back then it was a fail to not go through the gearbox sequentially both up and down and use engine braking when appropriate.
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How To's and items I offer for free, or just to cover the cost of my expenses...

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...40#post1764540

Fix a poor handbrake; DIY ABS diagnostic unit; Loan of the spanner needed to change the CDT belts; free OBD diagnostics +MAF; Correct Bosch MAF cheap; DVB-T install in an ex-hi-line system; DD install with a HK amp; FBH servicing.

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Last edited by HarryM1BYT; 20th January 2015 at 22:39..
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Old 20th January 2015, 22:52   #60
HarryM1BYT
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John H View Post
As a boy it seemed a very intensive set of activities, but very often whatched my dear Dad really enjoying driving!
The skills base now seems totally opposite to me, Lack of signalling drives me nuts! If the indicator switch is too hard to operate, can we assume looking in a mirror wont happen due to more muscles and eyes are needed for such operation by comparison?
Nail and head!

I have always taken a great deal of pride in my own driving and I really do enjoy it. I too hate being driven, because with many drivers I just don't feel entirely safe and that they are in full control.

So many on the road today, treat the act of driving as a chore. They drive badly, they get nothing out of it so its a chore, something they just have to do, so they minimise the effort by omitting to signal, avoid turning the wheel by cutting corners etc...
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How To's and items I offer for free, or just to cover the cost of my expenses...

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...40#post1764540

Fix a poor handbrake; DIY ABS diagnostic unit; Loan of the spanner needed to change the CDT belts; free OBD diagnostics +MAF; Correct Bosch MAF cheap; DVB-T install in an ex-hi-line system; DD install with a HK amp; FBH servicing.

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