Does your car do a pre-load crouch?
With all my cars I have a habit of slipping the transmission into neutral whenever I am at a stop-light/RR crossing etc., where I will be still for ~20 seconds or more.
I have noticed on my 2010 XKR than when I put it back into "D" (with my foot on the brake pedal) the car drops/lowers slightly in the rear. It is only about half to three quarters of an inch, but it is a noticeable crouching at the rear when a load is put back into/on the power train before releasing the brake.
Does anyone else experience this?

 

Considering I don't do what you describe at stop lights I don't experience the same drop when I start the car and put it in drive. The only thing I think that would fit your description would be if you gun the engine in neutral and then put it in drive prior to the rpm's returning to the idle range.

 

My cat does that too. I thought it was a Jag thing.

 

I'm wondering if using N that way causes extra wear that might be best avoided...

(BTW, if you start the car and hold the brake on, put in D and rev you may find the same crouch for the same reason.)

 

Under a section of driving tips, the owners manual for my 2009 XK recommends shifting to neutral when coming to a stop.

 

What you describe seems normal to me.

There is a nominal torque when in drive at a stop that is held in place by the brakes.

When you keep this nominal force + brakes both applied when not using neutral, the car doesn't change from this stance.

Shifting to neutral lets everything loosen up, and it re-tightens when you go to drive.

 

I activate my E-Brake while at a stoplight and the car in Drive and mine will crouch. I use that feature often as I hate long stoplights and you can remove your foot from the brake itself. (E-Brake releases as soon as you touch the throttle.)

 

While I haven't shifted into neutral as you described, I have experienced the behavior in my 5.0 XKR when the transmission is in sport mode and I shift from second gear into first gear while stopped. It's a very minute movement but I feel it.

 

It's just the rotational torque from the drive train vs the rear brakes and how it effects the rear suspension geometry. The rear suspension is designed to collapse under load or tire impact for a more supple ride (that's also why some bushings are soft and some hard).

Read the chassis systems 452 document for info on it.

 

Some states I have lived in, and in Minnesota where I learned to drive, it is illegal to shift into neutral when stopped, as people tend to forget and then either rev without motion or roll backwards into cars behind them.
Shifting unnecessarily out of drive unloads the contact joints and gears, such as the driveshaft u-joints, ring and pinion, and whatever else inside the transmission. Then when shifted back everything clunks together again. No sense in doing so. Torque converters are designed specifically to AVOID this.

 

This is just not true. Find me the law.

Someone told you wrong, and someone probably told them wrong, that told them wrong, and some where someone exaggerated.

The only laws about not being in neutral(In any state) are related to down grades; specifically to avoid runaway vehichles and over heating brakes as the intent.

Since the X150 is fairly smart in how it handles a complete throttle off downgrade; you are much better leaving it in gear(from a MPG) standpoint when it comes to downgrades. The only benefit would come in part throttle down grades, but if you can sacrifice a little speed and then speed up later you will come out ahead of being in neutral.

The car will be smart with the AC and electrical charging systems to optimize acceleration and cut throttle. It also shuts the AC off at high RPM when you go full throttle.

Btw, this is how most state laws where laws about neutral exist read.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.a...true#46.61.630

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-484B.html

http://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/61/8/61-8-362.htm

http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/...atute=60-6,182

http://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/61/8/61-8-362.htm

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(1v3...hlight=neutral

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs...qEnd=131300000

I'm curious what is in your owners manual compared to mine?

 

This what the Minnesota driver's manual has about Neutral. Someone somewhere exaggerated the regulation to you in order for it to apply to being stopped.

https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/for...ers_Manual.pdf

 

They're not concerned if this causes additional wear.

 

Ok, it WAS illegal. Way back in the olden times when I was in high school.
Regardless, it's still a pretty stupid thing to do.

 

"Too much time on my hands".

 

When I had my driving lessons back in 84, it was considered good practice to apply the handbrake and put the car in neutral. The reason being that rear end accidents are quite common at junctions and if you are in drive holding it on the brake, the first reaction is to lift your foot off the brake and then you hit the person in front and so on..... There is nothing wrong or stupid to make the car safe when stationary at a junction

 

Having driven manual transmission cars most of my life most of the time we would down shift as we approached a light or stop or yield sign. While stopping for a light the general practice was to shift into neutral to take stress off of the clutch/pressure plate and throw out bearing. This was also acceptable during my NY state driving exam back in 1961. Also back then most of the cars were 3 on the tree sticks. With the growth of automatics this practice went away and was even outlawed. With todays "right on red" laws the need for this practice is obsolete. So unless you want to play the ricer gun it game at the light I don't see a need to waste time by putting it in N. My 2 cents

 

I had a friend who use to put it in N at lights until one night he "confused" D & R. The cop behind him was not impressed with the result!

 

I'm curious if you could dig up anything to support that it was illegal? I want to know if it is exaggeration passed down from person to person, or outdated information passed down from person to person.

 

Something similar applies to my job.