I have a 5 speed Honda Civic and I was
on a trip last week with a friend when it
started raining pretty hard.

Of course I was on the freeway so I
was in 5th gear.

He told me that I would have better traction
by being in 4th gear while it was raining.

???????????????

We kinda got into a fight about it...it sounded
absurb to me.

Why what gear I was in going 60MPH matter
about the traction??

I think this here is one of them Urban Legends.
I've never heard this before.

Anyone else ever heard of this or know what, if any,
merit is behind it??

 

I can kinda understand it better, btu it won't improve traction. It is easier to control the speeds in a lower gear

 

your friend is a jackass, just use 5th gear when you're on the highway cruising or it will kill your gas mileage.

 

Actually you would be smoother in 5th gear in a downpour. Cause the car will buck and decelerate/accelerate quicker in a lower gear which can break traction and cause you to hydroplane.

 

The more slippery the surface, the higher the gear you should be in. This will prevent your wheels from spinning when you hit the gas. E.g. in snow I'll be cruising at 30mph in 4th or 5th gear.

 

Sorry to change the direction of this thread, but I have a quick question regarding this. What gear should you be in for driving 35 to 45mph in the city for optimum gas mileage? I've always thought the higher the better. Lower rpm's = cylinders firing less frequently = less gas being consumed. But, I have a suspicion that being in too high of a gear uses more gas each injection cycle because your ECU changes the fuel mix. Is there an optimum rpm range for best gas mileage? Thanks for any input.

 

you post looks like some sorta poem

 

just leave it in 5th.

 

higher gear is definatly easier to control in a low-traction situation.

you will be much more likley to brake traction at a higher rpm in a lower gear.. u'r friend is dumb.. don't listen to him.

 

4th gear would be best in this situation. Try not to be in 5th unless your going over 40-45 MPH consistently. If your constantly slowing from 45-35, your better off to just stay in 4th. Less gear changes, and your clutch will appreciatte it.