Outdated Driving Advice You Should IGNORE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
- Ready to upgrade your driving skills? Say goodbye to outdated advice and join us as we debunk five common driving myths in this must-watch video! Learn why it's time to embrace modern techniques for a safer and more efficient journey on the road.
1. Warming Up the Car: Are you still idling your car for several minutes before hitting the gas? Discover why this age-old tradition might be doing more harm than good and how modern engines have evolved beyond the need for a lengthy warm-up.
2. Using Engine Braking: Engine braking has been a controversial topic for years. Find out the truth behind whether it's a smart technique or an outdated myth. We'll explore the impact on your vehicle and whether it's time to reconsider your approach to slowing down.
3. Embracing Hand-over-Hand Steering: Say goodbye to the hand-over-hand debate! We're highlighting the positive aspects of this classic steering technique. Discover how hand-over-hand can provide precise control and enhance your connection with the road, especially in tight or emergency situations. Master this skill for a smoother and more confident driving experience.
4. Using Cruise Control: Cruise control can be a game-changer on long drives, but is it always the right choice? We'll delve into situations where cruise control might not be your best ally and why staying engaged with your vehicle is crucial.
5. Thumbs Inside the Steering Wheel: The way you grip the steering wheel matters more than you think. Explore the debate between thumbs inside or outside the steering wheel and find out which method is recommended for optimal safety and control.
It's time to let go of outdated driving advice and embrace a safer, more efficient way of getting from A to B. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more insightful content on navigating the roads like a pro!
00:00 Intro
00:16 Warming up
03:04 Engine braking
04:43 Feeding the wheel
06:08 Cruise control
08:19 Thumbs in the wheel - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Best emerging car channel on TH-cam
Really!!
You have to be kidding😂. He makes some decent points but shows his serious deficiencies. The fact you think he is good shows the flaws of uncensored unregulated internet content.
In Canada "warming up the car" means waiting for the windows to defrost enough to see where the hell you're going
Same in UK and Europe sometimes.... here it can be very damp and cold at same time around 0 degC, ( if it is below zero for any length of time the air gets too dry for frost ). I get in the habit of putting cardboard on front passenger seat and a small fan heater in the seat, takes about 30 mins to defrost the windows all round.
Technically that is "defrosting" the car.
Same in Finland. Couple of months back my car was showing -39.5 outside temperature.. you bet I let it warm up. When I popped in to buy groceries I left it idling in the parking lot.
@senhowler I would have to start a couple of hours early if I should rely on the heater to melt the ice off the windscreen and windows here in Norway, which is why I let it warm up the ice on the windscreen while I scrape off the windows, so that when I start on the windscreen, where the ice usually is the thickest, it will be a bit easier to scrape off.
Even in warmer places, the windows fog up often for a bit after you start the engine.
*Engine braking* . I am surprised so many people do not realize the accelerator can be used to both move the car and slow it down. Lift your foot off the accelerator, and as long as the gear is not in neutral engine braking will initiate.
The crazy thing about it, its actually safer to engine brake anyway because the car is not depended only on something that will work no matter the RPM. Speed however is depending on the RPM and in that case, if people lower gears more than using the brakes the car will stop more efficient not only in fuel economy but will stop faster and go less distance in emergencies. People still tend to think that using the brakes the only thing you can do when slowing down. I rather have a "blown gasket" than having literally no brakes in case of emergencies.
Agree. My late father always used it and I have continued doing so. Approaching say, a right angled bend ,change down to slow down and have sufficient revs to exit the bend smoothly@@royliber3824
@@royliber3824Brake lights.
@@DisleyDavid I didn't say don't use brakes at all. But there are cases you simply don't have to. The person behind you just needs to not be a dick and tailgate you all the way. If he crashes into you, it's his fault anyway. As for safety measures, it's not something that only one driver needs to take into consideration but all drivers
@@royliber3824 that logic works to an extend, but you should not switch to too steep of a gear to brake.
Especially first gear when going faster than 20-30km/h, as is very likely to destroy something from the insane leverage working on the engine.
I'd estimate 2nd gear to be safe for braking up to 50-70km/h and 3rd gear up to 100km/h, +1 for a 6-speed gearbox, though this might vary more from car to car.
What makes engine braking safe to do for the motor while in sensible RPM ranges, is that you're braking on the vacuum created by the closed air intake valve.
Mechanically this is pretty much identical to speeding up, but with the forces reversed on mostly symmetrical parts.
This valve aside, but to my knowledge this is not a common part to break, so this is not much of a concern either.
The thumbs thing is wrong. only a very, very zmall number of cars (like the cybertruck, or a very small number of toyota group luxury cars) - have steer by wire. Modern cars still have a direct, physical connection from steering column to steering wheel. The hydraulic or electrical power *assistance* is just that, an assistace to reduce the torque you have to apply, but a traditional mechanical link remains, largely as a safety feature to privide some emergency control of steering in the event of a loss of PS power or fluid. So if you did have a crash, yes a rotational force *could* transfer to the wheel. Does that mean you cant put your thumbs in the wheel? No, nonsense, it'll be fine. A crash severe enough to twist your steering that violently in a car with modern crumple zones etc will leave you with more things to worry a couple of broken thumbs.
Very interesting, thanks for plugging a gap in my car knowledge!
I *think* the terms are - rack for the bit of the front axle responsible for turning steering wheel input to 'turn', column - the rod that spins along its length from the steering wheel to the rack...
@@MickDrivesCars also I'm sure there was a documentary about the steering column basically being a pike that was 'cause of death' in some crashes, so they figured out how to have a point in the middle of it that breaks in the event of certain kinds of situations, like high-speed frontal impacts. I think, but dont remember, that it might have also been so that high levels of sudden torque from the rack would break that, so the steering wheel itself wouldn't find itself doing a 480-degree spin in 0.1 seconds, but then again my dreams when I was younger weird in the sense that some mornings I woke up wondering why it was monday of that week and not thursday because I swore I just lived monday-through-wednesday, and sometimes dreamt about things like watching documentaries, going to work, being bored at work, bringing up youtube, watching documentaries.... so don't take that second part as fact, I just know the column has a weak point to stop it turning into a spike, from recent videos... on youtube...
It could be nice to know where your thumbs are in case of an airbag release.
I have one, and I have to say it is a bit annoying. I want my wheel to turn itself straight when i accelerate.
@@MickDrivesCarsAlso, some electric steering assistance things can have like 1hp, which can easily override you, even if you were trying your hardest.
One thing I noticed when I started using cruise control was just how inconsistent most people are with their speed management. I see a lot of people float between 5-15mph around the speed limit constantly accelerating and decelerating but very rarely will they lock into a set speed like cruise control will do
I dont have one in my car, and it drives me mad, I can't stay on a constant speed for long, begging for cruise control on my next car
That is so annoying and it gets worse the more traffic is there on the road.
If you want to have a pleasant journey what you are trying to achieve is 'a state of flow'. That means both actual flow of the physical traffic, but it is also a psychological state of the driver. That's why roundabouts feel better than stoplights for instance.
What I try to do is always accelerate fairly quickly to the speed limit (or slightly above;)) and just HOLD that speed. It's better for fuel consumption, it's better for flow. Other good drivers can sync to that speed, increase the trailing distance to increase safety and giving them time to react to things in front and you essentially drive like a train-one moving unit. Stress free, input light.
All it takes is one bad driver in front slowing down accelerating unnecessarily to ruin that flow.
@simongarcia2083 I love cruise control. Drives me nuts when I'm on a mildly crowded limited access highway, going 120 kph on a level surface, and then we approach a mild uphill incline, and the car in front of me that was formerly going 120 km per hour, gradually slows down By the time he reaches the top of the hill he's going only 90 kph. Obviously he is neither using cruise control, nor paying attention to his speed.
@@soilmanted Hey maybe theyre like me and has no cc nor a strong engine 🥲🥲🥲
@@hue6169Yes I imagine that maybe you'd have a problem if you had a 1966 VW van or a 1960 Citroen 2CV.
- quicktip from firefighter Thumbs on the inside of your steeringwheel isn't necessarily a risk. It's the moment you are in a crash and your airbag deploys with your thumbs still in that position which leads to your thumbs breaking.
Thanks for giving us this insight. Is this a thing on all cars or only certain ones? For example, i drive a VW Passat and i can´t imagine the airbag even reaching your thumbs when it deploys. On some other cars, like older BMW´s i see why this is a risk tho :D
You dont need an airbag for this. It is your bodys momentum that brakes your thumbs. -> You move forward, your thumbs are stuck -> Pain
@@tomd-k830 I'm sure there's vehicles with placement of the airbags that it wouldn't jam anything up however, as far as I've been told and have seen we just advise against holding your thumbs there. However I must admit when driving, especially a little faster I tend to place my thumbs on the inside of the wheel it just sits most comfortable for me.
@@ManuelNaglerif you crash with that amount of speed I think the tree inside your chest is more concerning then a hurt thumb. Honestly if ur in 1990 and newer not a concern.
I also saw that on a video where someone crashed a car. Right before crashing the car, the person let go of the steering wheel and I believe they also crossed their arms, in order to avoid any injuries to their hands. Would that be an alright idea to do?
Thumbs outside the wheel also comes from off-roading. You never have them inside the steering wheel because if you hit a rock or slide sideways into an obstacle you will be injured by it violently turning.
Absolutely. It was also considered good practice in case of pothole impacts etc. Mick, if you take a look at your steering wheel, you will be able to see the designer's intention as to how you might best position your thumbs in this particular vehicle.
Warming up is still a thing, you just need to give it a minute for oil to circulate and then drive taking it easy until it warms fully. Its still good advice it just doesnt need to be done idling away for minutes on end.
Personaly I wait for the temp gauge to move up slightly, it sits at 50% when up to normal temps, but I wait till it moves to like 5-10%
I was really annoyed by that first part until he started with the oil temperature. Glad I continued, because I didn’t know the steering wheel can’t rapidly turn on a crash anymore. The rest is pretty much what I already do anyway.
Oh and I did drive cars with choke that were as old as myself. Needless to say I am glad cars offer so many neat features today, even though I miss shifting a bit.
@@theglassarrow_you'd be there for 20 min waiting for a diesel to start to warm up
Modern petrols can drive off straight away as long as you're gentle, although because of my anxiety i let it warm up for at least a minute. Or until the idle speed goes down 200 revs, which is usually after a minute
@@danielvanced5526 cool? dont have a diesel lol. didn't really care or need this info.
Not having two hands on the wheel could make me fail my driving test
As would having no hands on the wheel like this driver does on numerous occasions in this video. This is the first time I've seen one of his vids, but if that's how he drives I won't be taking his advice, so I won't watch another.
That is true. I mean - i get it - when doing parking on a daily basis i also don't shuffle - its pointless.
But while driving I always keep my hands on the wheel and always drive in curves like that - always two hands on the wheel
He is in a straight and holding it with his knee, tho it is not the best practice it is in no way that dangerous you make it sound@@martinbulmer1868
@@martinbulmer1868 don't worry, advanced driving isn't for everyone.
@@miff227 I'd better take a course then. Where can I find the Advanced Driving course that teaches me how to drive safely while waving both hands around off the wheel, please?
Its amusing when following someone downhill and they constantly press the brake and you've never touched the brake
Totally👍. I regularly follow drivers down bendy roads and constantly see brake light, brake light, brake light. It drives me nuts! All the while, I am driving at a safe distance behind them and never touching my brake pedal once!
They must spend a fortune on pads or even worse overheat the brake fluid and have no brakes on a mountain descent
@@wrightwoodwork I think it is usually because they are going too fast (as well as being crap drivers😂). If they just eased off the accelerator pedal a bit they wouldn’t approach bends so quickly, and so wouldn’t need to keep slowing down!
I live in Australia where only 3% of new cars are manual transmission. People use their brakes SOOOO much unnecessarily (even in an auto). I was following a guy the other day who was braking going UPHILL! My car is auto, but has a semi-manual mode and I'll use it going down steep hills to avoid lots of braking.
A lot of that could be down to the cruise control braking to keep the speed to where it's been set! My car does it so normally, I hit the off button when going downhill and rely on engine braking - as much as I can in an automatic.
even though I'm driving in continental Europe (that is, on the right hand side of the road :), I find your British understanding and approach to driving a car very useful
Thanks dude!
you could've omitted "hand" from your comment for extra points :)
@@Not.Your.Business Hello grammar nazi!
Oxford English Dictionary: right hand
Adjective: On or towards the right side of a person or thing.
So... ON the the right hand side of the road, can mean on the right side of the road. The thing being the road.
You lose 10 points.
Not feeding the wheel is fine in slow manoeuvring, like in a car park, but it works brilliantly when driving on the open road. If you pull down with your left hand when going left, and pull down with your right hand when going right, you feel like you have much more control of the steering and, in turn, the whole car.
I disagree. turning right, push with the left hand while the right hand position, then pull wit6h the right5 hand while the left positions and so on. Turning left, start by pushing with the right hand.
@@stevesales4263 Nah. Takes more physical effort to push up than to pull down. Try it next time you drive on a windy country road. Pull down with your left hand to go left. Pull down with your right hand to go right. Requires less effort and you feel more in control of the car. I was taught this way on my police driving course nearly forty years ago and it has worked perfectly ever since.
@@waltersobchak1719 I didn't learn to feed properly for over a decade after I passed my test.
Forced myself to learn how to do it and would never go back - the difference in the sense of control (and the reduced effort required...) is night-and-day.
Anyone who is "anti-feeding" is just coping/hasn't learned to do it properly. No time for them.
@@edwardcullen1739 It’s not the sort of thing that is taught by driving instructors - only people who are lucky enough to go on specialised courses get taught this method. It works beautifully. I have tried to work out why it feels easier and also makes me feel more in control of the car and the only conclusion I can come up with is that it’s related to the basic physiology of the human body - it is just naturally easier, requiring much less effort, to pull something towards you than to push something away from you. That’s my belief, anyway!
@edwardcullen1739 I've learned my driving skills through motorsport experience, and I can confidently say that hand over hand is far superior to shuffling. Shuffling leads to you immediately losing the center of the wheel, unless you're actively diverting attention away from the road to look at it. A dangerous proposition. Hand over hand is just better, and safer in this regard. At lower speeds, it allows for better maneuverability within parking lots and such. And at high speeds, you can just plant your hands in their positions and they'll basically never have to cross. Having a physical point of reference on the wheel is a major point to try to remember, amd shuffling makes it that much harder.
I largely agree with the points made in this video, thumbs in is fine on the road but an absolute no-no if off-roading.
Push and pull steering (which is much more pulling than pushing) is good practice and can easily become intuitive and natural and is very efficient. Where this steering style comes into its own is safety in cars fitted with airbags, just imagine your airbag deployed while your arms are crossing each other…. I remember a fatal accident in my area where the driver literally received a death punch from the airbag pushing his own hands into his face with lethal force.
Agree that Pull/Push is a natural, smooth steering method - the only time I use Rotational Steering is at very low speeds when I need to get the lock on or off very quickly. (Really handy when reversing trailers). I had a chat with an A&E nurse once about injuries that they see. She was saying that she saw a lot of injuries (particularly broken noses, cheek bones and collar bones) due to airbags going off and the driver had their arms crossed on the wheel. As for thumb injuries, she said that there are very few instances of broken thumbs - what is far more common are broken wrists because if the front wheels are moved violently in an accident, it puts a rotational shock on the steering wheel. The driver is gripping the wheel so tight that the jolt breaks their wrists.
The airbag thing is utter tosh.
You are offering some good driving advice, but I can''t believe that you drove the car at one point with NO hands on the steering wheel!
Most of it isn’t even good driving advice. He just likes the sound of his own voice.
@@Ken_Norman- 100% agree actually (except for warming the oil - which is very sound).
The advice on thumbs is unwise, the advice re not feeding is quite unsound - all advanced Police and blue light drivers are taught to feed and it becomes both a natural approach and a much smoother and faster way to steer once mastered.
Hand crossing except at walking pace manoeuvring is unnecessary and can be dangerous.
It’s certainly a sloppy practice.
@@owens2399 hand crossing is even bad for slow manoeuvres, at those speeds you can palm it like a forklift
@@drzoidberg9758 you have even less control of the vehicle doing that.
Unless you have a ball steering attachment on the wheel to give you a proper means of control (like many forklifts have) then such a practice is unwise.
and yet 80% of accidents are caused by safe drivers....
The only reason I never use cruise control is that I get sleepy and lose focus when I use it. There's something about keeping that tension in the right leg/foot that keeps me alert on the road.
And I am the complete opposite. I use cruise (adaptive) whenever going ANY distance on fast straight roads and motorways etc in the UK. My foot still stays on he accelerator but no pressure is applied so as to be able to be reactive to something. It makes for much smoother driving, better efficiency (due to engine braking on downward stretched) and keeps me within the limit at ALL times without having to constantly monitor the speedo. Without it it is astonishing how the ease of modern cars allows you to creep up in speed unknowingly. Also cruise rather deters the overtaking mentality as its a 'constant'. As the speed toggles are under my thumbs I also ease off a few mph going up inclines to better improve efficiency. Now I have an EV the efficiency / range improvements is even more noticeable on cruise. having the cruise on doesn't mean you aren't paying attention tho as one should constantly adjust to traffic and terrain. But maybe that's more a US problem (big assumption made her) with potentially very long road stretches of the same landscape. In the UK its always undulating with changes in traffic volume due to the population density.
But of course each to their own as always ...... but I am rather a fan
I've been driving for 60 years (yes, 60) and have been using these techniques almost the whole time because they just make sense. Cruise control wasn't available for a long time but was a godsend, especially for driving 3 days east/west across the USA which I used to do many times. My wife's driving makes me crazy because she only follows tip number 1. Fortunately for my mental health I'm almost always the driver.
But if you are like me, you will know better than to open your mouth to your wife 😂❤
Wow! I have only had my license for 57 years. All the best from Sydney Australia 🇦🇺
Mick, I’m not sure if you answer questions or anything direct but I’m grateful for your videos. I’ve worked from home for years and not done much driving as a result . Next week I’m getting back into driving a lot, as my is returning to work. Your videos have helped me regain some confidence and enthusiasm for driving. Really appreciate the insights you’ve shared too. Best wishes from Australia.Adrian
The reason I was told about engine braking isn’t anything to do with the car, it’s because it doesn’t give the driver behind you any indication you are slowing down until they are already getting close to you, giving them less time to react
Then they should back off.
@@inyobillyes they should but so many people don't understand following distances. You are aggressively tailgated in the UK for just following the speed limit.
This is a non issue. If you use aerodynamic braking or the handbrake, the brake lights will also not turn on. People are used to that.
Modern cars will have adaptive cruise control anyway.
That's a communication issue. If there's someone you feel you want to say "I'm slowing down now" to then absolutely yes, press the brake pedal.
I feel like i have the best of both worlds in this regard. I drive a miata with a brake light flasher, which is really annoying when you use it all the time. So i try to engine brake whenever possible, and only use the pedal to avoid a collision.
Most cars have some mechanical connection between the steering and the wheels, so rather than thinking "the eletric motor isn't powerful enough to break your thumbs" think like "the eletric motor isn't powerful enough to absorb the shock on the front wheels that will break your thumbs"
If the motor is not running the steering wheel is very hard to turn (on my cars), so there is a direct connection. The power steering just helps when the forces get higher. So there is good reason to expect some hit from the wheels if they get turned. I don't know if the power steering can and will go against such a hit.
I had that with an old RV without power steering when I drove over an angular ledge and the wheel hit my thumb. Nothing broken but I felt it for weeks.
You are absolutely correct mate, only thing I don't do, is use the cruise control, but that isn't because I think I'm better than it, I just love to drive and be in control of the car, if I am a little tired then I will use it, that's just a personal thing for me, there are times I will drive from where I live to Wales, and I drive the whole way, but I love it lol.
I’m exactly the same way
Surely when you are tired is NOT the time to use cruise control.
@@terryable-hh4ckif I'm that tired where I think I'd fall asleep, I wouldn't drive full stop, what I mean is if I can't be arsed to control the speed myself and that, other times I will do everything myself and not have the computer do it for me.
@@gavinlewis3049 In Canada where we have speed enforcement, using the cruise control to stay under the speed limit saves a lot of money.
@@peterwilson8039is there a country without speed limit enforcement?
In cold weather, my rule is "idle until there's no fog on the windows." In these cases, I'm usually also having to scrape ice off my windows.
even worse, if its wet - you're also bringing in water that increases the humidity, so when its no longer fogged over on the outside, the inside ends up fogged unless you go to max \/ blower. And a cold engine wont blow away that. (I have a work van that needs a good 5-10 minutes in the early hours to be drivable for this reason.)
@@AlMcpherson79A cold engine will deal with inside fog fine if you have AC on, in my car the fog is gone within 2 mins
@@gamesmaster1060 Funny thing. that van doesn't HAVE A.C.
Wait... you mean there are people who don't engine brake like that? My Grandfather taught my father who taught me to avoid using the brakes if at all possible for better control, better efficiency, and less wear on the brakes... and for each of them they were in New Zealand... here in AB where we get ice you REALLY need to learn to be light on the brakes... even if you lose control AVOID THE BRAKES.
It's not only about the brake wear. Planning that far ahead also makes a smoother journey and gives you more time to anticipate hazards. A happy consequnce of which is higher fuel economy. It's why I can get an average 30mpg in my 40-year-old 2.8 V6, and can achieve 35 on a run.
@@dcarbs2979 that too. It is even more important on snow and ice as suddenly changes in speed in either direction can cause loss of control.
You definitely want to avoid doing anything sudden on snow and ice, but an advantage of using the brakes (gently) on that sort of surface is stability. You are applying braking to all four wheels, whereas engine braking in a 2wd car works only on two wheels (or, depending on the characteristics of the differential, perhaps just one wheel).
100% correct about engine braking. Not engine braking can actually be deadly. My mechanics routinely ask me how my clutch pads AND brake pads last in excess of 80,000 miles. Each. I use both methods for steering, depending on vehicle speed and rate of turn. In addition too using cruise control, I also use speed limiter, both great tools. The point about keeping your attention out iof the cockpit is spot-on. Over-all excellent advice.
My car has over 221k miles and still on it's original clutch 😎
@@GopNet That is no less than impressive. Illustrative of just how abusive the average driver is on their vehicle. I actually got better than my stated milage, I was trying to be conservative. I don't believe I ever came close to 200k miles, though. Explicitly not intended to imply disbelief, I believe with careful managemebnt 100% possible.
@@inyobill I already thought about replacing it just for piece of mind like 3 years ago and still didn't do it 🤣
@@GopNet If it ain't a'wore-out, If it ain't a'wore-out. 😀
when people are saying 'engine braking' they're not referring to 'lift-off throttle' to gently slow down. but rather some people are advising, when approaching corners, downshift first to 'engine brake' the car before even stepping on the brake. THAT is what is wrong
you make shuffling look so awkward because you're not used to it. but for someone who does it for tens of years, it's really the best way to do it. crossing hands on cars with airbags is a risk
Nothing wrong with down-shifting (properly managing clutch, and engine RPM) to get a little extra engine braking. Still less wear than using your brakes, even if not well managed. At the top of a steep grade is a good example, down shift to 3rd or 4th (as appropriate), drift down hill at speed limit, using brakes only on sharpest curves. I can cite roads where not down-shifting can be (and often is) deadly.
It is not wrong. Changing down gets you into the right gear when approaching a corner, junction or lights ready to accelerate again. It is essential to change down on a steep downhill rather than riding the brakes.
It also saves money and does no harm to the clutch, engine or gearbox. Both my previous cars went to 130,000 miles from new using that approach on the original clutch and with no engine or drivetrain issues. My current car is at 117,000 miles from new, and again no issues. What is more, is it saves brake wear, and I have only changed the front disks/pass once. The rears are original. The approach of using the gearbox to utilise engine braking both saves money and keeps the car in the right gear at the right time.
Im sorry, but no one is gonna be able to convince me that shuffling is a safe or effective method. You immediately lose the center of the wheel unless your looking at it (eyes on the road please). And when you're going speeds above 30mph (the speed that airbags activate at), you no longer need to cross your hands to steer the car, so shuffing is doubley useless.
@@MaximillionBucks What is this ridiculous claim that you "immediately lose the centre of the wheel"? I certainly don't look at the wheel when steering. Why the hell would you need to to that? The angle of the wheel for a given turn is just the same whether you shuffle or not, and all modern cars self-centre when driving anyway.
Of course when travelling at speed, the angle of the wheel will be less.
In any event, I've been driving accident free for well over 40 years, so I will stick to my method, which works for me and many others.
@TheEulerID 40 years of bad experience isn't something to brag about. I've been trained by motorsports professionals on steering technique. It's a miracle you haven't caused an accident yet
Social media brings to light folks shortcomings
6:02 yes no-one wants to feed the wheel, but when someone hits you and activates your airbag, your own arm is likely to smash into your own face at 150mph.
have your wristwatch on and you're in for a big trouble.
Ouch, I still cannot give up my smartwatch, they are so handy and insightful to health metrics and emergency features.
It's the worst advice which, unfortunately, became a standard in some countries. Feeding the wheel significantly compromises handling and increases the risk of the accident. While injures because of hands being over the airbag are not so often. Your arms appear in such position for a very short period of time and chances to be hit in exactly that moment are not so high. While risk to lose control because of inadequate handling is quite high
I don't trust cars with airbags. An unserviced old item literally waiting to explode in your face. No thanks.
@@YT-dr8qi But if you feed, the chances of airbag blowing your arms are zero. Better than low and it's in better control. Depends on the car and how you drive.
another good video Mick, I agree with evereything except "feeding" the wheel, push pull/pull push steering is still tauhgt in many driving schools, also known as shuffle steering in USA. Both hands on the wheel during "spirited" drive, high speed driving and emergency response driving for First responders is a MUST. Watching you palm the steering wheel going is not maintainign good steering wheel control. Hand over hand on turns more than 90 degress, u turns yes.. arms across the airbag will result in serious injury if involved in a crash. The rest of your video spot on. Feeding the wheel or pull push steering is the way to go for us police and first responders. Have a look on youtube ..O'Neil driving school shuffle steering videos- or reg local steering videos.
Even worse are 'palm steerers' who have palms upwards while using the crossover style.
Many years ago I was referred by my GP to a physiotherapist as I was suffering from a frozen shoulder. She explained, with the aid of a skeleton, that driving with hands at the "ten to two" position is an unnatural position for one's body, and "palms up" is preferred. It's all to do with the rotation of the joints apparently.
Anyhow, I haven't had to endure a frozen shoulder or tennis elbow since driving "palms up." It takes a bit of getting used to, but I find driving far more relaxing now and it has slowed me down as I used to drive like an idiot! @@terryable-hh4ck
I love your channel mate it’s super helpful for new drivers. I’ve always been into cars and just recently got my drivers license and your videos though me a lot about how to get most out of driving
#1 "Don't cross your arms" crossing your arms is totally fine provided you are capable of maintaining control of the vehicle. There are lots of totally valid steering techniques (especially for right corners) which use crossed arms.
I only do the no thumbs inside the steering wheel rule when going cross country in a 4x4. Steering wheels can whip round suddenly in
if the wheels get caught in a rut in the older models.
I disagree with your view on steering. It's easy to steer the car 'passing the wheel' in the same way you climb a rope. Done correctly, it has the appearance of barely steering at all. The problem with your 'hand over hand' method is that if your left hand is over your right hand, how will you change gear? How will you signal? It remains a fact that when both hands are on the steering wheel, you have more control than if you have only one. And for the record, you have demonstrated driving with NO HANDS on the wheel in your own videos, or barely having contact with just one finger. This would be a serious error test fail.
He drives with no hands on the wheel often in this video it's extremely dangerous
If you need to use hand-over-hand, this means you need to do quite a sharp turn. This means that you need to signal before you start turning the wheel - so you do not have to signal while turning at all. Changing gear while turning the wheel should also not be necessary at all - if you are running manual gearshift, you already decelerate sufficiently before you start turning the wheel, which includes already being in the right gear. With turns that sharp, you will not be able to accelerate too much anyway.
If you are driving corners where accelerating and shifting gears is even possible, you will not even have to think of such things, so this advice is perfectly fine (and turning the wheel hand-over-hand has actually been taught in driving schools for at least 25 years - at least in my native Germany)
For some of us with older cars I’d say let the oil get to full temp before driving away, especially in cold weather, the hotter the oil, the better the lubrication, and trust me on a 20 year old car, it really matters.
Spitting facts as always Mick!
turbocharged cars also benefit greatly from this!
No.
Idling for extended periods of time with rich fuel mixture and with low oil pressure will actually do more damage in the long run, especially to an engine that has seen some miles. Unless your engine is carbureted, it is recommended to drive off after a minute or maybe two.
yup, mine make all the racket and very hard to drive when very cold, also give me time to clear all the ice and stuff by running the heat.
Ye. From my experience driving my 30+ year old car, the shifts from the transmission are horribly clunky, the car doesn't feel like it's running right, and not to mention I live in a cold climate, so warm air is always appreciated when driving off. A modern car without these issues would be nice, but what's the fun in that?
Regarding power steering, on most system whether electric or hydraulic, there is still a mechanical rack. The steering wheel operates the rack as with an unassisted rack, but there is a valve or torque sensor to detect the input force (depending on whether the system is hydraulic or electric), which triggers an actuator to provide additional force to the rack. Very few cars are fitted entirely with steer-by-wire systems. The simple fact is, if you have a crash, you'll probably get injured. There are plenty of mechanisms in the car intended to keep you alive, but you'll probably get hurt, no matter how good those safety systems are.
Cruise control. Do not use it at winter. Especially on the rear wheel drive cars. As adding more power makes car less stable. If you drive uphill and car decides to add some power to keep the speed - it may destabilize your car. I would also don’t use it on a wet road at high speed.
I think you can generalize that. If street conditions (weather or traffic) are problematic, don't use cruise control on any car. It's not the winter but snow or rain.
This is a bit of a legend. Cruise control cuts off instantly if there is any sign of a loss of traction, so it won't blindly add power. Of course, you should be very careful on bad roads.
@@simonbone I faced it on my Bmw e90 2010. It was scary.
@@vDungeon Huh. Well, it shouldn't do that. I stand corrected, at least when it comes to BMWs.
Maybe older systems but my 2015 BMW will slow down with any steering inputs more than just a lane change and also it has disengaged on me before, just from going through a deep puddle that upset the car.
1. Warming up the car. You may actually do some damage to a car if you start it up and immediately go ripping on it. To begin with, cold oil doesn't lubricate quite as well as hot oil, and you will be putting excessive stress on the oil pump and seals. Second of all, when the engine is cold, your pistons and piston rings will not be seating properly against the cylinder. The cold oil is going to be rather viscous, so it might not be making its way to the cylinder walls as efficiently as it should, either. Hydraulic lifters will also be running at either excessive or insufficient pressure until the oil is warm, depending on design. If your car is turbocharged, the turbo shaft might not be getting sufficient lubrication for high RPM operation until the oil is warm. All of this is at least doubly important if you're starting up your car in below freezing temperatures.
If you have a manual gearbox car (automatics are a bit special), idling in neutral will circulate the oil in the gearbox, making the initial shifts less harsh.
Now, this does NOT mean you should let your car idle until it's up to full operating temperature, but you should let it idle for anywhere between a minute and five minutes before setting off, depending on the temperature. You want the block and cylinders to start getting close to operating temperature, at the very least, and you want the oil to start flowing freely before you start putting any hard stress on it. Once you do set off, keep RPM and engine load low until your thermostat opens - this means avoiding sudden acceleration and revving the engine past about 3000 RPM for most gasoline cars. If you live in areas where the temperature goes below freezing, get a block heater and use it whenever temperatures go below ~5 degrees C; the actual amount of time you should use the heater depends entirely on outside conditions. Cold starts hurt engines.
Now, it is absolutely true that you don't need to warm up the car fully as you did with old carburetor engines, but you should absolutely respect the engine's need to warm up if you want the car to last. Going full blast as soon as the engine starts is a great way to destroy seals and gaskets, cause cylinder scoring, wear out your valve lifters and snap your oil pump drive.
best comment on this video 👍👍
He did specifically mention not flooring the throttle when the engine is not fully warmed up.
if you're idling for 1-5 minutes you're not helping it to warm up you are just making it run cold for LONGER. driving gently you will generate twice as much heat and so warm it up in half the time and it's not putting much more more stress because you can still keep your average rpm down at 1-1.5k by idling gently.
Most small-ish engines will idle at about 600-800 RPM when hot, and start up at about 1500 RPM. Waiting until the RPMs drop to about 1000 RPM before setting off is what I'm talking about here - some cars will be fine with a pre-takeoff warmup of about 15 seconds, others will take up to about 45. Idling until you're at hot idle numbers is not necessary.
Further, the usable RPM range depends on the engine. For example, I can't get usable torque out of my 20 year old daily driver (with a manual gearbox) under about 2000 RPM. City driving RPM range is from 2000 to 3000. Going 80 MPH in overdrive has the engine at 4200 RPM.
Putting that kind of speed on the rotating assembly immediately after a cold start is not a great idea; once the RPMs drop a bit and the sound of the engine shows no hint of rattle is when I take off. Usually takes about 30 seconds.
The V6 weekend car I have will run the RPM quite high just after cold start until the ECU drops it into closed loop fuel control, by design, in order to circulate fluids, warm up and test sensors, etc. The change in tone is quite noticeable, going from quite loud to a quiet rumble. It is ready to take off when that happens, and that incidentally also takes about 30 seconds. It's almost as if there's a pattern...
If your thumbs are inside a heavy collision will dislocate them, not because the steering wheel jerks back, but because you go forward. Stock car racing is always thumbs outside.
In regards to thumbs. The steering on most modern cars is still mechanically connected but electrically assisted, just like the car you're driving in this video, if you're involved in a motor vehicle crash then the forces on the steering wheel could produce a violent reaction from the wheel which could easily damage your thumb if its tucked inside the wheel. That's the point about keeping your thumbs outside the wheel.
One point for using the shuffle method relates to crashes and airbags, a lot of emergency services personal are taught the shuffle method to avoid hand over hand, this is to reduce the risk of injury in the event of a motor vehicle crash which could result in the airbags deploying and potentially launching your arm or fist into your face.
Nice video, keep up the good work.
As a few others have said, I think the thumbs advice is actually sensible. I was in a serious accident a few years ago where someone hit me at high speed from behind and the only injury I really had was a broken finger and seriously bruised thumbs, as I was gripping the wheel in the same way as you. I’m not sure if it was the steering wheel itself or the force of the airbag going off that did it, but I’m pretty sure that I would have been fine if I didn’t have my thumbs inside the wheel
It's a combination of the airbag & the energy transfer. When you hit something or hit from the rear unexpectedly it's natural for your arms to tense up, making them rigid. As your body trys to move forward some of that energy transfers through your arms, jamming the steering wheel into the web between your thumb & fore finger. This is prime example of, just because it's on YT doesn't mean it's correct or completely correct. Likewise, with older manual steering the risk was pretty much the same. For example with my 1968 Ford f100 the steering wheel has no padding from the factory and is much thiner. Getting your thumbs jammed up in this manner has a good chance of a sprain or break. The steering wheel turning realy isn't an issue. As it will knock your hand out of the way. This happened to me when I had a front tire blow out. It didn't even hurt.
In the morning I get my MX-5 out of the garage and then have to close the garage again, the car always has a minute to warm up before I start driving... then I drive 6 km or 10 minutes in the city on dual carriageways to the motorway and only then do I start to push a bit.
And after the 9 km motorway there are 14 km of pure country road and that's where I really get going and sometimes get close to the rev limiter.
Yeah that's the way to keep it healthy ! Not a mechanic tho
Doesn't the manual on MX5s recommend waiting at least 10 seconds for the idle speed to decrease?
@@Xenon777_ Yes indeed, but not in Germany... because in Germany it's actually illegal to leave the car idling for no reason and that's why Mazda didn't write that into the German instructions.
But yes, I personally do it anyway.
@izseIf your waiting for it to idle down to a safe operating range that's not 'no reason', they have that same stupid law in some parts of the US, where it is illegal to warm up your car, or leave it on while your not in it.
@@Sir-Prizse honestly, i've never heard of someone being sued for letting their car idling a short time, especially in winter with foggy windows.
When i took my Taxi license in the early 90's, the thing the teacher was looking at most is how smooth you drive. Using the engine for breaking together with reading the surrounding traffic, letting go of the gas and cruising will make the ride smooth for the customer. Even with an automatic gearbox, especially with a diesel engine, letting off the gas is very effective.
The main situation when engaging the cruise control is a bad idea, is when there are lots of hills and valleys. The cruise control will accelerate hard uphill and cruise down hill.
The only situation I've heard people say to not have your thumbs inside the steering wheel, is while driving in rough terrain. Even though modern cars have power steering, i would keep my hands 100% on the outside of the steering wheel while terrain driving.
Excellent advice! After having been taught when driving that not having both hands on the wheel meant I wasn't in proper control, I was amused years later when learning to fly that if I *did* have both hands on the controls I wasn't in proper control of the aircraft. I can see no way that both can be true, and no reason why either should be. I agree with all you said despite - or because? - I've been driving nearly 60 years.
Flying and driving are extremely different control mechanisms.
Besides, both hands on the wheel ISA legal requirement.
@@dlarge6502 Yes they are different mechanisms, obviously, but that hardly explains the different advice (not, I think, law - or perhaps you can find it in the Highway Code?) By the way I do drive with both hands on the wheel unless operating another control as it reduced fatigue on the arms in the long run for one thing, but I am curious as to whether someone has a better explanation than mine, which is that old cars used to have much higher steering forces due to direct unassisted mechanical operation. As the video suggests, there is plenty of obsolete advice around.
Yes, you will have take your hands off the yoke the adjust the throttle (flaps and trim) and by all means take your hands off the yoke when taxiing, but during important manoeuvres (take-off and landing) I'm sure your instructor would have been in agreement with me, both hands on the yoke is better than one.
@@SabotsLibresAbsolutely not! During take-off in particular my instructors were most particular that I should have one hand on the throttle.
@@dlarge6502 It's the same concept. The steering wheel is not the only input that a car has to be operated by the hands.
Hence you NEED that second hand to operate all the other stuff, so you HAVE to be proficient in steering with one hand.
I only realised the other day that the temp guage on my V8 BMW 6 Series is a oil temp guage, my brother pointed it out, I just assumed it would be coolant temp but what's interesting is there isn't a coolant guage just the oil one, kinda interesting but to me almost more useful as the 4.4 basically boils the coolant in minutes 🤣 good video man 👍
Yep, if they only give you 1 gauge then oil is far more useful
@@MickDrivesCars My Twingo RS has no gauge at all. They tried to save money at the wrong places.
With BMW's petrols generally have oil temp & the diesels have coolant temp.
lot of cars dont have any gauges @@F1L337
A lot of cars don't have water temp gauges any more, they're a relic!
Also, your pistons aren't perfect cylinders they're tapered or conical so your engine can run without knocking until the engine is up to operating temperature. This is why it's important to let the engine get to operating temp before straining it hard. There are also oval cylinders which are even more important to get up to temp.
If we're talking about ICE pistons i will say that a good chunk of modern engine pistons (since quite a long ago actually) are barrel-shaped in the skirt area and some are conical in the ring land area. Almost all of them are also oval both on ring land and the skirt area. And that shape is mostly because of thermal expansion of the material pistons are made from. I might go into some further detail if anyone is interested.
@@RisiPL1I'm interested, tell me everything you know.
@@RisiPL1 Yup, most if not all new piston skirts don't have a straight taper but a so-called barrel shape but we still call them tapers
The only thing I'd like to add, or the only thing I didn't like is when you said driving with 1 hand on the steering wheel. Now I understand that it's unlikely, but in an unlikely event of emergency, for example you get a one of your wheels off the car, you would want to have both hands on the wheel. Same thing, when you have to make an emergency steering to avoid any danger you would want both hands on the wheel. And lastly, in an unlikely event when you are being "attacked"/harassed and you have to flee and make quick decisions, you would want to have both hands on the wheel.
Whenever I see people driving with 1 hand on the wheel I always think they are not connected to the road/not paying real attention when driving.. You have to remember also that every time you drive and if you get into an accident then it's your responsibility to make every measure to avoid that accident. So by actually focusing on driving, staying connected with the car, with the road, with everything around you you become a responsible driver.
I couldn't agree more...especially cruise control.
Last year i had a 66 reg Toyota Prius business edition. It came with Toyota safety sense including blindspot indication, collision prevention and adaptive cruise control. My experience was not only more relaxing, but safer too.
When driving using adaptive cruise control, if someone pulls out in front of me from a motorway slip road, it would slow me down if the other car was slower than me and i was getting (what the software deemed) too close. My 70 reg Aygo X-Clusiv doesn’t have that. Just speed inhibitor and collision prevention. No cruise control (adaptive or otherwise) and sadly no blindspot indication. I miss that little yellow car that appeared in the mirrors when someone was in my blindspot.
Good advice, well presented. However, I would slightly disagree with shuffling the wheel and leave it as an "it depends" decision. Surely we've all seen the videos where the driver REFUSES to shuffle the wheel and has arms (and even shoulders, sometimes) twisted into an absolute pretzel.
Biggest problem with cruise control now is other people who don't have it or don't use it!!
Too damn true
You don't need cruise control to maintain a fixed speed. It just makes it a tiny bit easier if you can drive properly.
Sadly not many can 🙃
I'm still a wheel shuffler and find it comfortable. I think it's personal preference. As well as cruise control setting a speed limiter is very useful. The only time you would keep thumbs outside of the wheel is driving an off road vehicle off road. As for engine braking, combine this with gear changes and you have better control over your speed downhill. This is more effective in Diesel than petrol vehicles but still helps.
Right off the hop, Number one is a variable thing. It depends on just how cold it is and what grade of oil in in the sump. It is always a good idea to let the car idle until the oil pressure comes up. At -40, running conventional oil, this can take a little time. Also, having had much experience with cafburetors, my cars with them have generally started better in extreme cold than any of my fuel injected cars. They also warmed up faster to allow the defroster to keep the windscreen clear. In extreme cold having the windscreen fog over from your breathing is very much a real thing about which to be careful.
What a pity you don't have the RS Monitor. 😑 I love it in my Meg.
I had rs280 with RS monitor and oil temp is computer generated as the car does not had a oil temp sensor....
Are these just your opinion Mick?
Absolutely - I'm just a petrolhead spouting my opinion on the internet :)
I love the fact I see you in my comments sometimes - you're like the gold standard for advanced driving. Would be amazing to do a video with you one day where you grill everything I'm doing wrong. Ping me on insta if you'd be up for it.
@@MickDrivesCars sounds like a plan Mick 👍
Absolutely agree with cruise control, I use to drive from way below Melbourne Australia where I live about 140 kilometers SSE to 2,000 kilometers to Queensland and cruise control saved me a fortune. Don't put in on below 80 kilometers and don't use if it's raining and there's a lot of water on the road if you don't have a good traction control you could get into a serious accident.
Well, what a lovely channel to find on an evening!
I agree with corrections suggested below about thumbs and crossing arms, situationally (in a crash) both can be a risk. But generally it doesn't matter. It blows my mind that you can still fail a driving test for crossing your hands on the wheel when literally everyone (including instructors) does it as soon as they're not being scrutinized.
Here are some tips from someone who has probably been driving for twice as many years as you have been alive. Keep BOTH hands on the wheel at all times. Use your indicators. Do not swing from the RH lane into the LH lane inmmediatly on exiting a roundabout.
Cruise control with adaptive forward radar and lane keeping with true lane cantering. Ahhhhhhhh. Such bliss.
Lane keep assist, or lane centre is quite good as well! Joking aside, adaptive cruise control (ACC) does a good job when catching up with things, or when they cut in front etc, rather than older simple cruise control. Often accompanied by a related “pre-collision system”, so if the worst comes to the worst, it should have a go at automatic emergency stop as well. Not really a full-on safety system, but can reduce the risk in some cases.
The only disadvantage of adaptive cruise control is when the car in front gradually slows down and then you suddenly realise you are only doing 45 and not 65 (or whatever). But otherwise really useful. I also like cruise control in 30 mph areas where you have a wide, straight road (usually after a no limit twisty lane!) and it keeps you legal.
Yes, I’m happy with it. The other snag though is that it takes no account of the weather, if it’s better to be further back in poor weather conditions.@@batman51
I hate Lane Keep Assist with a passion! It is the ultimate in nannying, by far the most annoying feature of any car I have ever owned. As soon as I first experienced it in my car I went into the car’s menu and turned it off. Bliss!
@@waltersobchak1719 Agreed. I turned it on once, then never again!
Feeding The Wheel:
I have a friend who didn’t “feed the wheel” when turning. She was turning “hand-over-hand” at an intersection and was hit by another car. The position of her hand was such that when the airbag deployed, her own hand was forced into her face and she broke her nose with the back of her hand. She now shuffles or feeds the steering wheel whilst turning. Be safe.
Regarding warming up, I still wouldn't recommend driving the car "as soon as you press the button". If the car has a timing chain then the oil will have drained down into the sump, so you'll often hear a faint rattle for a second or two before oil pressure builds again. I always give it a few seconds before putting the car in gear.
Correct, let the engine idle for two three minutes, then drive off. Especially so in winter time.
TIL that I’m a 1980’s granny and that my thumbs will be OK 😂 Great video! I definitely learned a few things.
💯 on all points! Thank you for this :D
Legend 👊
Ah, when I hear “engine breaking” I imagine someone down shifting into the redline. Taking one’s foot off the throttle; fine.
And really, if “push pull” steering feels uncomfortable you’re not doing it right. Especially when you call it “shuffling”. That is a sure sign you’re not doing it correctly.
When I learnt to drive engine braking was the normal. Brakes in the 40s and 50 s were operated by rods onto drums sometimes cables. The problem was heat caused the drums to expand so more travel was needed on the brake pedal the answer was to use the engine.
I was always told that engine braking caused the engine oil to be drawn up under the pistons by vacuum not only providing drag (braking) also cooling, and lubrication thus saving the vehicles brakes.
The other mantra back then was always to go downhill in the same gear you used to go up the hill. This does not really apply today but on a long steep hill a lower gear on descent will give better overall control.
Sometimes we can re-learn good driving practices from the past not only for safety but to save wear and tear on our vehicle.
The UK is the only place I've ever heard of teaching shuffling the wheel to students. It's also the only place I've heard of with the super excessive use of the hand brake at every stop.
I'm sure the handbrake stop is taught so that people get into the habit of not holding the footbrake in traffic as it dazzles the driver behind
@@Rise. " get into the habit of not holding the footbrake in traffic as it dazzles the driver behind" lmfao. NA, 90%+ automatics (which means they all hold the brake at a stop) and it's NEVER been an issue.
@@BoredLikeHelI At night the brakelights do dazzle the driver behind if you're holding the footbrake.
@@Rise. shit you should write a letter to the US congress about that. It's apparently a MAJOR safety issur that affects HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of cars worldwide (all automatics, NO ONE puts it in park unless they're in a traffic jam).
Or maybe it's not an issue at all? Especially not compared to fucking headlights coming from the opposite direction?
@@Rise. in North America manual cars are very rare, and a crap ton of automatics don't even have a manual handbrake to use. Using the footbrake also tells drivers coming behind that you are slowing down or are stopped. The sun on a bright day is far more dangerous to your eyes while driving than lit tail lights at night anyway.
One exception for cruise control use is when you're ascending the steeper hills. The engine will rev up to maintain speed with it on, however if you return to the gas and hold a moderate throttle position, you'll get better economy. There really should be a tweak to limit the throttle the CC can set, not sure if that's a feature any cars have yet, that would save you from turning CC off for large hills.
Surely that’s just eco mode? When I come across a hill on cruise I just go down a gear.
Overburdening the engine while going uphill is called "lugging the engine" and along with being inefficient causes excess wear.
It's best avoided by listening and/or feeling when the engine is struggling and downshifting whenever this is the case.
On our family VW, the engine sounds unhappy (shaking and rumbling) at the efficient gears recommended on the dashboard, so I tend to drive it in a lower gear.
When pulling up the efficiency display, the difference is very minor and I believe that the decrease in future maintenance cancels out the slightly higher fuel consumption.
More throttle isnt bad. Economy goes up with more throttle because you reduce losses caused by the throttlebody (only for petrol cars). However, higher revs kill economy. Keep your revs low, the throttle high. But dont go to low with the revs, when the engine stutters youve gone to far. It really depends on your engine how low you can get. Just listen to it. The more torque you have, the lower you can get. My petrol car has 627lb-ft and 1100rpm is already save for full throttle.
My cruise control doesn't change gear as it's on a stick shift. You have to select the best gear which to be honest on the motorway is usually 6th.
My Range Rover quite capably holds the right gear on cruise-control even on hills, only changing down when necessary - which it would have done had I been holding it at a steady speed on the throttle...
With the warming up, its always ideal to give it a minute before you drive or turning it off, especially with turbos/diesels.
And with thumbs in the steering wheel, it only applies for off-roading where your wheel can spin at any time
No you need to start driving to warm it up quickly. Just don't drive too hard for the first minute obviously.
In newer cars (since the 2000's) the oil and coolant pumps stay on and continue to circulate after the engine is shut down. No need to set a turbo timer. Just turn it off.
If driven very hard then you should drive slowly for a few minutes to allow air circulation before shutting down.
@@jimb12312 oh cool, thanks
I have a Golf mk7 1.4 TSi and it has adaptive cruise control (ACC). I use it ALL of the time, even in 20mph and 30mph situations. I am always ready to break too. I average 45mph and mainly short, around town driving. I engine break and coast by disengaging the ACC, and coast up to traffic lights, junctions and am always anticipating what is happening up ahead. to try and avoid breaking and if I do, I break to a crawl and coast ahead so that my car is moving when I begin moving again (saves on fuel).
I have been doing what you have described and have been driving for 51 years now. I am NOT an old slow-coach, like so many OAPs who have a nose-bleed when they go above 20mph!
I am as fast, if not faster than most people on the road. I get up to speed ASAP and then cruise and drive to the conditions up ahead.
I certainly DO NOT cut corners at junctions EVER, like so many buffoons who assume that no one will be on the other side of the road. I detest these twerps. Similarly, I indicate (even when there is no one around me) EVERY singly time. There are pedestrians, cyclists and maybe an unseen vehicle. Get into the habit of driving correctly and indicating every time, and then it comes naturally and you never have to think about it. The vast majority of so-called "good" drivers are a legend in their own mind. They literally cut corners and do not let other road users know what their intentions are.
Engine breaking, you’re wrong…? Back in the day we referred to using engine braking to reduce from high speed for example, exiting a motorway onto a slip road, rather than stamping on the brakes for a long period, it was more controlled, and could obviously be used as well as brakes if needed
Bad video.
You made some okay points, but didn't explain why this "wrong" advice was given in the first place, and neither why you should ignore it or what you should do instead.
Only saying "It's more comfortable to steer this way" isn't exactly sufficient, even if you repeat it 5 times.
I'll give an example on how to be more informative:
Wrong advice:
"You shouldn't do engine braking because it'll cause the engine to rev up very high and you could cause excessive wear on the clutch"
and the reply would be
"Higher revs are not a problem as modern engines are built to withstand them with ease. You also won't wear down your clutch if you let it come slowly.
And as an extra, here's WHY you SHOULD do engine braking. If you're driving down a hill, especially with a heavier car, your brakes will eventually overheat. This itself can cause problems, but if you then park your car instead of driving to cool the brakes (the wind from driving will cool them) your brake discs can deform, which comes with its own set of problem.
So using engine braking up to 3,5k rpm is totally safe and very beneficial"
See how much more informative that is than just saying "oh look the light turned green because I drove below the speed limit while having the gear in" ?
I won't even comment on warming up. You essentially said "you don't need to warm up the engine, except if you want to drive fast"
Noone ever said anything different. Noone ever said "you need to let the engine run for 10 minutes before you start driving".
You just made that up to stretch the video to 10 min to play more ads. Same for cruise control. Anyone with a brain would understand in 5 seconds how using cruise control is beneficial to engine life and fuel economy.
I've never heard anyone even suggest any of these points. Good video for tips on how to drive efficiently :)
Really solid advice! The temperature stuff is spot on, especially btw on rotary engines. I've had 3 - a stock RX7 FD3S (automatic for shame, but more on that), a fairly modified RX7 FD3S (manual), and a stock six speed RX8. Rotary engines are infamous for short life, but strangely while some people talk of failures at only 20K miles, others have done over 100K miles. Rotaries *love* to rev, but only once water and oil temps are up. They are not 'consumer' friendly engines. People who drive their rotary with no mechanical sympathy (the people who treat their car like a toaster as an appliance) should expect to find them fail rapidly. Once up to temp though I would always have mine redline at least once per trip if time permitted, because when warm revving them is *good* for them. While I haven't put mega miles on any rotary I never had a single problem with any of them. Another aspect on heat management is cooling down. Don't thrash your car then immediately park it up. Give her a graceful cooldown period after a thrash since once the engine stops, coolant and oil stops flowing and especially turbocharged cars get damaged that way as the turbo is very hot.
Also fully agreed on engine braking. I hadn't realised the no fuel thing until I had my modified RX7, it has an Apexi ECU which gives you real time info including on fuel injector duty. Imagine my surprise when I realized that on engine braking injector duty drops to 0%. I'd assumed a little fuel was used but no. Engine braking also gives you far more fine control during spiriting driving than being off/on the brakes/throttle constantly.
Now regarding the automatic (it was my first RX7, JDM autos were half the price and so affordable), it also hits the point you mentioned about cruise control. RX7s have legendary bad fuel economy. My auto averaged about 15MPG. The modified manual (~350hp) was actually slightly better at about 18MPG. One weekend after thrashing the auto in Wales I'd gone through a ton of cash in fuel so on the way back I decided to hypermile it. I did 55mph on the cruise control the entire journey back. Fuel economy? 40MPG! I had no idea that was even possible with a rotary. Apart from the odd hill it stayed off boost the whole time.
Only disagreed about the thumb thing, but as someone else said, if the crash is violent enough to break your thumbs, then your thumbs are likely the least of your issues.
Two hands on the steering wheel is essential for safe driving. Imagine you are driving along at 40+ mph and you need to perform an emergency stop. You want maximum control, in order to apply full brake pressure and possible simultaneous steering to avoid a pedestrian, vehicle or animal. Add in wet or icy conditions and driving with one hand is likely going to cause you delay or not maximize braking or avoidance measures, for fear of losing control, so putting others at risk.
I was taught by an ex police driver that the reason not to put my thumbs around the steering wheel is because in a hard collision there is a high chance my thumbs will be broken. He had seen many severe accidents and several with broken thumbs (sounds sore).
Let’s see you demonstrate one hand steering at 60 mph with your thumb wrapped around the steering wheel and slam on the brakes while also steering to avoid an imaginary child who’s run out onto the road.
Yes, you’ll get away with driving as you recommend but in an emergency you will lose vital split seconds as you are not positioned for optimal steering wheel control.
Next you will be advising not to bother checking mirrors because what’s behind you doesn’t matter.
There are some caveats on the one hand wheel, I personally use it often in cities because of traffic and manual, it's feels really awkward to have both hands on the wheel while I have to shift every now and then, and by one hand I'm not saying one hand on the wheel and the other outside the window, I am touching the wheel at about 5 o'clock in case of emergency, and when I'm at fifth so I'm just coasting on the highway it's always both hands.
If you see some other videos of him you will see the one hand on wheel more in depth.
6:30 Regarding not using cruise control, and this is a very very niche application: If you've got a new car right off the factory floor, it's nice for the engine to be driven in a range of circumstances and power settings for the first few hundred KM. Yes, they're "driven in" at the factory before they roll off the floor, but this helps a bit. This also familiarizes yourself with the car, and you may spot factory defects like weird noises at specific RPMs. All this requires forgoing the cruise control for a bit, which is typically used in only 3 or 4 different speeds (like highway speed, max overland, max in-city, etc).
But Cruise Control, especially adaptive ones that go down to 0 km/h like the newer ones do, are a godsend for comfortable driving.
There's another aspect to the engine braking/coasting technique... it saves time. Honest, a friend of mine is a truck driver who does fixed, multi-drop tours and he plays the "no stopping" game. He tries to not come to a complete stop between clients. When all goes well, that shaves 15 minutes off his day compared to just driving until he has to stop and even on an average day it's 5 to 7 minutes quicker. So he doesn't do it for the fuel economy (although he gets a bonus for that too), but just to be done quicker.
And, yeah, the amount of attention having cruise control on frees up has to be experienced to believe. I won't do a long drive without it. The lease vans the company I work for operates don't have this feature and I've told them "if you need someone to go 'on-site' and it's further than 20-30 km away, ask someone else or give me a vehicle with adaptive cruise control to use." End of.
Kids, please don't take advise from a guy like this, that doesn't know hiw to proper hold a steering wheel! It's dangerous!
Reasons against cruise control: First, this ain’t for a majority of people but good to keep in mind. If you are tired or struggle with issues related to ADD/ADHD then I strongly recommend against cruise control in regular driving. It is very easy to get distracted when you’re not completely focused on the road itself and if there are sudden stops or items on the road then the risk of your car keeping up speed and you getting into a wreck increase. It can also just be easier to get TOO comfortable and begin to get sleepy or more tired and relaxed than you otherwise would. Again, this is something that should be considered on a case by case basis and is not necessarily applicable for everyone, just something to keep in mind
Not using cruise control is distracting as you then have to monitor/adjust the speed constantly yourself, while doing other tasks.
CC lowers your look-down time and frees resources so you can focus more on the road.
In tight city spaces, the speed limiter is your friend. You'll have to manually control the distance to the car in front, but allows for closer maneuvers.
I always see that advice about warming up the car, try not doing it when it is -20C(in the prairies it can be -44 C) then try to defrost your windscreen.
I got my driving license 2 years ago and regularly drive on roads with quite a steep inclines. Engine breaking is very, very important there.
If you rely only on your breakpads to slow your downhills... you are not ready to drive in such conditions. I know I wasn't, and after it was pointed out to me, the difference it makes is palpable.
As a new driver (only been driving for 10 months now), I’m glad to hear I’ve been doing all of these things right all this time.
6. Don't gesture with your hands while driving.
I'm glad you emphasised the need to warm the engine before giving it "full loud" The reason, in most cases is that the engine has an aluminium head and block held together by steel stretch bolts. The differential rates of expansion of the aluminium and steel mean the head clamping force is significantly lower when the engine is cold than when it is at normal operating temperature.
Downshifting correctly is one of my favourite parts of driving, for real! Love the noise of the throttle blip when I heel-toe three times into a roundabout, and then fang through my gears on the way out!! VrrrrrrroooOOOOOOOAR!! -click- VrrrrrrooooaAAAAAARRRRR -click- (etc.)
I never knew "feeding the wheel" had a name, or was a suggested way of steering, but I do it when I want maximum control, as when I'm making a fast, tight turn into a narrow lane, or when I'm making oversteer through a turn. Sometimes I switch between feeding and palming, but some amount of feeding is safest for fast driving. If I'm going slowly, sure I'll drive sloppily, one handed palming and all that.
Quick clarification point: the other half of shuffling is personal safety. If the airbag goes off, your arms aren't crossed and therefore not having one flung into the other and potentially breaking one or both. If the hands are closer to your lap and on opposite sides, you're chance for injury is a bit smaller.
The only problem I have with cruise control is the people who don’t use it. I hate being on a motorway, particularly in roadworks, when you have someone who can’t decide if they want to drive at 52 mph or 35 mph. If you are using cruise, it is a constant hit the brakes, now we can speed up. If you are not able to keep a steady speed or have cruise fitted, pull into lane 1 and try to keep pace with the artics. Rant over😊
Is CC really that common, rather than it's people manually choosing their speeds? Must admit, most of the time there are roadworks on motorways, there has been only one lane so 'moving to lane 1' is not possible. You get given your lane!
A steady speed has to bring hazard awareness into question. Lingering constantly in blind spots, continuing at a constant speed where traffic is merging, and so on are all typical examples of the constant mindset - speed should vary smoothly, but it should vary.
This man "warming up is a myth"
Also this man "let the engine warm up first"
Only reason I don't use cruise control on my bike or the old Toyota is because neither has it.
They do, however, both have cable throttles, which are also very nice. Crisp, precise, no artificial "smoothing", no additional input lag. A fair trade, for me.
Time to debunk the debunking.
1. People warm up their cars so it's blowing heat instead of driving an icebox wearing mittens. Nobody sits and waits for the temperature gauge to move for the hell of it.
2 - 4. Nobody does this or thinks that way, even 'old school' truck drivers.
5. You make the assumption that every car is the same and people only drive new cars. It's like saying don't turn on your headlights because that's 'old school', modern cars do it for you. Thumbs through the steering wheel is a bad habit made acceptable by modern technology. Doesn't change the fact that it's a bad habit.
My wife's coworker wanted to try her car. She literally couldn't back it out of it's spot because it didn't have a camera. We shouldn't be teaching people to ignore the basics of driving just because their car has nanny features.
i believe that "shuffling the steering wheel" was recommended over the "hand-over-hand" technique, due to the introduction of steering wheel airbags.
if your elbow is over the airbag and your car hits something and the airbag deploys, it will break your arm.
i use "hand-over-hand" myself because it is faster but I keep in mind the danger that airbag deployment presents.
Hi Mick
I do like your channel and I got alerted to this video.
As a keen driver myself I agree with about 75% of what you say. I also find it refreshing.
I am qualified with the Institute of Advanced Motorists Roadsmart up to Masters with Distinction level. Not that I speak for IAM Roadsmart, I simply state that so you know where I am coming from. I do admit that every day is (still) a school day! And this is one such schoolday for me, thanks to you.
You make an excellent point about the oil temperature versus the coolant temperature. Sadly, my car (380 horsepower supercharged) doesn't have an oil temperature gauge and I've been working from the coolant temperature gauge. I have been driving gently until the coolant reached operating temperatue, then opening the car up more. But now I will wait a bit to allow for the oil temperature to climb a bit. Thanks for that one!
I 100% agree about not needing to wait a few minutes to drive the car. You can drive, gently until warmed up. I take on board your point about waiting for the revs to stabilise at idle before moving off: not an essential, but a nicer way to drive. I will be doing that also. Thanks for that lesson!
However, I have real concerns about the steering technique you show. Due to airbag injury risks (even at low speed), plus reduced control, it's strongly advisable to NOT cross your hands while driving. I will post below a link to a PDF from a Police advanced driving instructor which explains why. He also says why the LAPD used to teach crossed hands but changed to advocating the push-pull UK Police method ("shuffle" in US-speak). Basically, their accidents went down and injuries from airbags were averted. It's a fascinating article from a guy who has completed over one million miles of instructional driving, including driving on public roads at speeds that were twice the national speed limit.
I use push-pull myself and it feels far more natural than the hand-over-hand method.
In terms of thumb grip, I am not convinced but won't argue. I might try it out. In the interests of schooling! 🙂
As for engine braking (not engine breaking as some might say), absolutely yes. We call it "accelerator sense". If I back off the throttle going down a hill, and even put my car's auto gearbox into Sport or use a flappy paddle to drop a gear, I can maintain a nice, legal progress down the hill while at the same time burning zero fuel. It's a great idea to practice brakeless driving even in a city. It really improves your observation, positioning and accelerator skills.
As for cruise control, I totally agree with you. When I did my Masters exam, I used cruise control in safe circumstances and it's not a problem. You do have to maintain a heightened awareness of what is going on around you because the car will just merrily plough on at the selected speed unless you disengage the cruise control, but I find it a great way to keep to speed limits and also to reduce the workload.
Keep up the good work and please do take a look at the PDF link I post below.
Link to PDF from Police advanced driving instructor:
www.kentrospa.org.uk/WebFiles/Rospa/files/Pull%20Push%20%20Steering%20Final.pdf
Seems TH-cam doesn't like me posting an external link to a PDF.
You can find it if you search for: Push Pull Steering KentRoSPA
Hope that works.
I'm a big advocate of cruise control. I use it everywhere. Well almost everywhere. Most cruise controls are car function oriented whereas newer cars are GPS oriented or controlled. Older cruise controls do not know where they are going so the car doesn't know it's climbing a hill till it has already started up the hill and the speed roles off. It then commits the mortal sin of accelerating uphill to regain the lost speed. If your drive consists of a lot of up and down hills, the difference by properly addressing the uphills and downhills in fuel economy is quite surprising.
Steering wheels are designed to put your thumbs on the wheel. That broken thumb story pertains to autoracing where speeds are way higher than a passenger car.
3:34 That's not engine braking, that's simply coasting to slow. Most people's definition of engine braking is constantly down-shifting an automatic transmission to slow the car down. Yes this is important if you are going down a long hill, but even that, many modern automatic transmissions will handle the shifting.
The thumb thing is from off roading: A sudden twist, a ditch, a rut can swivel the steering wheel and hurt your thumbs. Old trick to get used to keep thumbs out in a Land Rover.
Mick,
I am 76 and even when I started out driving at the age of 17, letting your car warm up before driving off was not advocated even then. The car warms up quicker if you drive off straight away and the advice was not to drive it hard until it is thoroughly warmed up, exactly as you say. Few cars then or now have oil temperature gauges.
It's illegal to idle your car to warm it up here in Germany (and it doesn't work - most modern engines will take forever to warm up this way).
@simonbone you can't even wash your own car in Germany so I'm not surprised something as minor as letting it warm up is 'illegal' too.
@@ENZOxDV9 Not true, though there are restrictions in some communities due to the effects on groundwater.
You are exactly right. A few very specialised competition engines have to be brought up to oil and water temperature _before_ they are started, but for anything normal you need only allow a couple of seconds for the oil to circulate before setting off. Whether an old car with a choke, or a modern with cold start enrichment, you are putting excess fuel in when the engine is cold and this will dilute the lubricating oil on the bores, causing ring/bore wear. Research has shown time after time that from a wear point of view it is better to get moving (at a modest pace) and warm the oil up as quickly as possible than it is to sit there idling and take an age to get temperatures up.
Roger,
If I said 'before starting' then that is my error and not what I intended.
I agree entirely with what you say.
I am aware of the very tight bearing clearance on very high tech engines such that they are too tight to turn at 'cold' temperatures and need to have the temperature raised to allow them to start.
Incidentally this very factor was an early problem for the Tadek Marek designed six cylinder engine for the DB4 with it's unplanned for (Due to lack of iron foundary capacity at the time) aluminium block.
Bearing clearances were tightened (main bearings came in three grades of 0.00025" variation per nominal diameter) after a series of bearing failures in high speed running particularly on the continent.
Mercedes cruise control is awesome. I use it practically everywhere. Even round town.
The thing I hear most from people about cruise control is.....don't use it on side streets. But it is MOST useful for me on side streets. It is very easy to break the speed limit when it's 35 mph. So I use cruise control and don't have to worry about it from there. I use cruise control everywhere.
Even with an old carburettor fed engine, excessive warming up is not necessary and is in fact damaging for the engine. The key for any engine is to warm it up in the quickest time possible without putting undue stress on the engine. With my old 1965 Triumph Herald I start the car on full choke and almost immediately set it to half for about 20 seconds and then tweak it down until it’s at a slightly high but even idle. Then I just drive off but this is the key, don’t labour or use high revs for about 10mins. I usually have the choke fully in after 2/3 mins.
Warming an engine up with a carb or FI engine is bad because you prolong the time period the engine is running rich and cold ie. a higher ratio of fuel in comparison with air. This can dilute the oil film coating the bores leading to bore/piston/ring wear. Much less of an issue with modern engines though. Also idling a cold engine will take ages to warm up the oil so it will have a much higher viscosity and as it’s idling the oil pump is delivering less flow and pressure.
I agree with all the other points though👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
#1 my dad's recent new car in the owner's book says wait first for the engine to warm up before revving high or driving hard to prevent engine damage
Another food for thought vid,look forward to the next one Frattello
Cruise control - I have a Chevrolet Cruze (related- Vauxhall Astra) with a 1.4 tgdi & 6 speed manual. The engine has so little torque cruising at moderate speeds (below 70) in 6th gear that I usually leave cruise control off so I have some awareness of how deep into the throttle it is. As a corollary, I'll let the speed drop some when the road is on an upslope toward a crest (downshifting if necessary to maintain a safe minimum). Fuel economy driven this way greatly exceeds the rating.
The cruise control is godsend for bikers!!! After 85 000 miles on motorbikes, I've finally got a bike that has electric cruise control, and it makes my life million times better on the bike! I can focus on the road/environment, and don't have to check my speed every 10 seconds...
That stupid shuffle steering, my wife came home from her first learners lesson years ago and did that as well as turning the wheel while the car wasn’t moving. When I said “what are you doing” and showed her how easy it is to steer a car even when just moving slightly and how much easier other steering normally is she said “that’s what I was taught to do in the lesson”. She mentioned what I said to her instructor and was told she would fail her test if she didn’t do it this way. This is in Ireland and I’m not Irish.