Jim,

Are you sure? Although coasting is not good, as everyone pointed out, letting out the clutch at such a high rate of speed when the engine is not running (rpm = 0) could have the same effect as missing a downshift. In other words, it could be like slamming on your rear brakes, which, as you know, could cause the car to go into a spin.

I mean, at that moment, you don't know why the engine stalled. Maybe your engine has seized?

If that happened to me, I think I might be inclined to slow down with as few input changes as I could muster, provided this were safe under the circumstances.

Just a thought,

TD

 

What about in a panic stop? Do you guys typically declutch and brake at the same time?

 

Yupper. As they say . . . "both feet in."

 

TD,
Good point. I should have been more clear. Assuming the car was in a high gear and at least the same gear it was in when he put the clutch in, it will be fine. You sure don't want to downshift and then drop the clutch. Sorry about that.

Eke,
What's a panic stop? Time at the track will teach you to keep your options open as long as possible. "Both feet in" as TD says is correct but it is your last resort when you've given up on everything else. Sometimes that happens pretty quick.
Jim

 

I really meant panic stop in the sense that on the freeway someone in front of you jams their brakes.

 

Tim,

I understood, and I instinctively go "both feet in" in true panic situations.

Jim,

I think it could be dangerous even if you don't shift gears. Imagine that you push your clutch in and your engine dies. You don't know why it died. What if it is locked? If it has, and you release your clutch (even in the same gear), your rear wheels will lock, right? That would cause you to spin around and start going *** end first, right? That is what makes me scared to play with my brake bias adjuster very much.

TD

 

I think the engine died because of frustration. It wanted to go really, really, really fast, but you bailed out on it .

 

Maybe this helps. I have had this same thing happen on various different cars(VW, Audi) and usually its the MAF thats dirty that causes it. If you have an aftermarket filter the oil can get to the MAF and cause it to have these problems. I would sugest cleaning your MAF very carefully with a electronics cleaner or some sort of alchohol.

Later,
Charles

 

That's funny!

 

Yeah, I've had that happen before with conical cotton intakes but I'd rather wait until a Check engine light comes on before I start fooling with it. I doubt I'll be going that fast again anytime soon.

 

Speaking of brakes. When I first saw the lights on the dash I wondered "is the car off because the brakes seem to be working fine" In other vehicles if the car cuts off the brakes seem to fade because the brake booster is shut down.

 

There is usually enough vacuum left in the system to at least stop the car. Multiple applications will result in less and less power until all the vacuum is bled off.

Who knows why your engine died? Certainly, it was not the speed. Nor was it because you pushed the clutch in. How many of us have pushed in the clutch at 60 mph or higher in order to downshift and pass a road hog? At that speed, I sometimes just play with the gears to hear the exhaust note. I wouldn't worry about it so long as you car is running fine. I certainly would not limit my speed to below 67 mph because of it. If anything, I'd take it on a few spirited runs up to redline just to clear the pipes. Porsche engines like higher rpms and speed. Frustration is still the most lkely cause of death .

While I'm at it, I'll jump in with both feet on this brewing argument about clutch in/out if the engine dies. Put the clutch in and the engine dies, the thing to do is to get ready for a lurch and let the clutch out to fire that engine up again. Unless lugging the engine in too high a gear caused it to die, I'd let the clutch out in the same gear the engine died in, and do it ASAP to regain better control. Going at speed with a dead engine and clutch in would be more dangrous, IMHO. Of course, if you are in the middle of a turn or if there is fire, smoke and explosions going on in the engine bay, that's a different matter

 

TD,
I hear what you are saying but agree with Palting. I'd rather risk letting the clutch out than be coasting at a fairly high speed with no power.
Jim

 

I think it was the combination of high speed, the intake, GIAC and the clutch in which caused the engine to choke out. I'll bring it out today to test since it's nice and cool out.

 

You don't need to pop the clutch out to bump start the car. Just let it out gently like starting out and the car will still start. Just need to get the engine turning.