How To Drive A Motorcar
A Key To The Subtleties Of Motoring

RE-ENGAGING GEARS AFTER COASTING miles per hour. As the engine is only “ ticking round,” the gear wheel (a) is probably only turning at about 200 r.p.m. Obviously, then, if we endeavour to en- gage the wheel (e) with the dogs on the wheel (a) under these circumstances we are in for trouble. One obvious solution to the difficulty is to wait until the wheel (e) has slowed down to 200 revolutions, which of course would be silly, as it would mean waiting until the car is only crawling. Why not accelerate the wheel (a) up to 800 r.p.m., which can be done quite easily by depressing the accelerator pedal? The latter course is the one to be adopted, and prac- tice alone can train the driver to know by the “ feel through his body, or the sound of his engine, the approximate speed at which it is running, but it is really not so difficult in practice as it would seem in theory. It is generally easier to over accelerate a little and then wait the necessary moment or two whilst listening to the sounds which tell of the reducing speed of the engine, and then with the clutch disengaged gently move the change-speed lever into the top-speed gear notch. To learn this, again try at slow speeds on the level. For instance, amble along gently at, say, about 15 miles per hour on the top gear. Declutch and put the change-speed lever into the neutral. Coast for about 20 yds., accelerate a little until it is thought that the speed of the engine is above what it would be if it were driving the car on the top gear, declutch, wait a moment, and gently re-engage the top gear. Practice alone can make perfect in this manœuvre, but when one knows the car well perfectly quiet changes can be made from neutral into the top gear, or into the third if under extreme circumstances it should be requisite (naturally by greater acceleration), at pretty well any speed desired. The idea is certainly one to be noted, as it is economical both from the petrol con- sumption point of view and from that of wear and tear of the clutch mechanism, and the ability to do these little manœuvres on a car certainly adds to the pleasure of driving it. 101