xviper

I'm not going to say much here except for the fact that I think you just left yourself wide open with a statement like this.

DR. JEKYLL

So if I do what you said, do I have to lay off the brake pedal? If so, you would see my brake lights going off and on right?

xviper

OK. My main objection to 2IG's post was the word "never". Certainly if you were in a "panic" stop or "emergency" braking situation, your first and primary objective is to get that car stopped (or slowed down real fast). In this situation, you would slam both clutch and brake pedals as far as they will go. Worry about putting the tranny into 1st (or whatever suitable gear if you're not actually going to stop) after you have dealt with the emergency. In the case of the brakes, the ABS will most likely come into service and you will be able to brake and steer at the same time (which sometimes you will need to do).
Under "normal" driving conditions when you are just decelerating to slow down or to stop, the ideal procedure is to match your gear to the "decreasing" road speed. To do this, you would use your brakes till your car is in the speed range of the next lower gear. Then you would downshift into that next lower gear, ideally with "rev matching" (just ease out the clutch if you don't have the "rev matching" thing down pat). You would also still use your brakes if you need to decelerate at a rate that is more than what "engine breaking" is capable of. You continue to do this as your car's speed decreases. In this fashion, your car will be in the correct gear at all times such that if you no longer need to decelerate but rather have the opportunity to continue on your journey at that speed or if you need to accelerate, then you are in the correct gear to do so at all times. As a side note: Most people under "normal" driving will not bother with downshifting into 1st until they are almost stopped or stopped. 1st gear on most cars is somewhat difficult to get into while the car is moving too fast (unless you double clutch). Most trannies will "resist" a direct shift into 1st until the car's speed has decreased to below about 10 mph (or less). Life ain't simple, is it?
So yes, your brakes lights are doing the "Christmas" blink. People who never downshift when slowing down are either "novices" (they have enough other stuff on their minds while learning) or who never learned it the right way. This may work for them all their lives but they may just be "lucky" so far or they have compensated for this idiosyncracy with other driving habits. There is a better way.
As I said earlier, it's really hard to learn how to drive stick from instructions given on the internet. You really need to practice and maybe take lessons.

FormerH22a4

I have a question related to going through the gears when slowing down with the clutch engaged. Okay, your cruising to a red light and doing 70km/h. Can you just depress the clutch in and put it in neutral and cruise in to the stop? Or would you depress clutch and go from 4th --> 3rd --> 2nd --->1st while the clutch is in? You should down shift and rev match but I am not at that level yet so how should I come to a full stop?

xviper

Hey Former! Yes, mechanically, you can do like you said. It won't hurt anything on the car. You can even "row" through the gears with the clutch in if this will help you to be more or less in the correct gear at any given time in the even that you need to "take off" unexpectedly. Remember, "stopping" or slowing down is NOT always the "only" evasive maneuvre in an emergency. Sometimes you need to "drive" out of trouble.
That having just been said, you would have more control and be more "under" control if you went through each gear as you slowed down, engaging the clutch (carefully so you don't lurch) for each gear, etc. Under "normal" driving conditions, you should be able to anticipate your stop so that you would have the time to do this. If you are not rev matching, then you should ease up on the brake slightly at the moment of clutch engagement so you lessen the "lurch".

FormerH22a4

thankx xviper. I'll get my shifting down first before learning to downshift. I usually cruise to a stop in neutral but am always ready to put into the right gear if I need to power her up again. I was just curiuos if it is better for the tranny to go through the gears before stopping.

DR. JEKYLL

xviper -so if I watch a car review show like Motor Week or Motor Tend and the brake lights doing the "Christmas" blinking during braking, should the braking distance be longer than what they put in their magazines? And soes Road and Track oe Car and Driver have their own show? If so, do they brake the right way?

xviper

When you see car being driven on a car show, they are being "tested". Rarely will you see any of those cars being driven in a "normal" day to day fashion. If you do see the blinking tail lights on a car being driven on track, then the driver is "going thru the gears" as he approaches a turn. If he's braking late into a turn, you will more than likely see the brakes on all the time as in the case, he would be "heel/toeing". Any data obtained for braking distance would be done as if it were a "panic stop" (ie. NO downshifting). So, yes to your question. Normal deceleration would of course take longer to stop than what their published braking distances for any given car.
As far as I know, Road and Track does NOT have a TV show. Only Motor Trend, Car and Driver. Motorweek out of Maryland claims allegiance to Automobile Mag. As for if they brake the right way, I can't say. It's not something I watch too closely. Again, it would be rare if ever that you would see a piece of footage in a car show long enough and from the rear where the car would be slowing down from road speed to a stop - pretty boring stuff for TV.

Next time you are watching a rallye series with the camera inside the cockpit, watch the driver downshift and listen to his engine. He is rev matching and using each lower gear as he approaches a turn. I'm not suggesting you do it this aggressively on the street.