costing (Re: coasting) - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum

**SmartDigger** · 03-31-2009, 04:37 PM

when in gear and costing to a stop light, if I put my foot on the break very lightly the car seems to go into neutral and coast to a stop. Any one else notice this?

dubblxtc · 03-31-2009, 04:45 PM

Yes you are telling it to slow down tapping on brake to coast.

unicycle · 03-31-2009, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmartDigger

when in gear and coasting to a stop light, if I put my foot on the break very lightly the car seems to go into neutral and coast to a stop. Any one else notice this?

I think you may have the upgrade to system 2.0? Perhaps that's part of it. Also, if you're using cruise control, braking turns it off... but it doesn't put the car in N. That seems odd. A car can't seem to go into N; either it does or it doesn't. Does the N come up on the screen, or is the car simply decreasing in speed?

NCC1701 · 03-31-2009, 06:09 PM

Clarification please. When coasting in gear the car slows down much more rapidly than it does when coasting in neutral. Are you saying the car coasts more 'efficiently' after tapping the brake, as if you'd shifted to neutral? No, I have not noticed this in my car.

**jwight** · 03-31-2009, 06:12 PM

I think technically it's not coasting if it's in gear.

BELJO · 03-31-2009, 06:20 PM

When I'm in my Honda Odessay if I take my foot off the gas going down a grade . . . I speed up about 5 mph. In my smart if I do the same thing going down the same hill I seem to slow down. Mass effecting momentum ?

forestacademy · 03-31-2009, 06:28 PM

Right now I don't feel that in my 08. Its a big difference from actualy puting it into N. But I get my 2.0 upgrade tomorrow and I will see if I notice a difference.

**SmartDigger** · 03-31-2009, 06:38 PM

It feels to me like once you rest your foot on the brake, not pressing it but slightly on it, the clutch it released. the car display starts to change gears at marked speeds to the next lower gear. mainly I feel this in third down to first.

mvaldes · 03-31-2009, 07:04 PM

When I use the brake, it slows the car, the transmission stays engaged and the revs may even increase if I'm braking while going down a significant hill. (When I put it in neutral, the revs drop to 950.) No difference in the '08 with the 2.0 upgrade that I've noticed.

psychobeth · 03-31-2009, 08:19 PM

Ah, I think I know what you're talking about. My Nissan Maxima, when coasting down a hill, would slow down if I took my foot off the gas. Engine braking, I guess.

My mom gave me her Buick LeSabre (known as 'the grannymobile') and coasting down a hill with my foot off the gas, it'd speed up - no engine braking.

I think what you're saying is that the smart has that same engine braking that my Maxima had - that downshift when you take your foot off the gas.