# Why does my car use more fuel coasting in neutral than when in gear?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-car-use-more-fuel-coasting-in-neutral-than-when-in-gear/598429>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 3, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-car-use-more-fuel-coasting-in-neutral-than-when-in-gear/598429 "2011-10-03T13:20:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-car-use-more-fuel-coasting-in-neutral-than-when-in-gear/598429/21 "2011-10-05T11:59:41Z")

</div>

> [@GameHat](#):
>
> Gah, now I’ve got to check it. I’ll try it tomorrow. Like I said, I was going from memory.
> 
> I’m pretty sure though that at 800 rpm my Mustang is sputtering and close to stalling. But I gotta check that, too.

Your memory is bad. No car idles at 2300.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-car-use-more-fuel-coasting-in-neutral-than-when-in-gear/598429/22 "2011-10-08T03:23:46Z")

</div>

> [@Rick](#):
>
> Your memory is bad. No car idles at 2300.

I looked today. Yep, you guys are right. I’m not a car guy. And I have a bad memory. My car idles somewhere between 600-800 RPM.

/Really can drive a stick like a maniac  
//Very little mechanical intuition or know-how  
///I’m an engineer, but chemical. Mechanical just confounds me. Electrons are easy. Gears are baffling.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-car-use-more-fuel-coasting-in-neutral-than-when-in-gear/598429.md?page=1)