my thoughts ( )... with an auto in gear and stopped... The engine has no idea the car is not moving (speaking of non computerized cars). It is still fighting the brakes trying to move the car. We all know how an auto creeps forward at idle when it is in gear without the brakes!
Definitely better to go to neutral for long downhills. If you stay in gear, the rear gears will cause engine braking, and that means you loose forward momentum (numberically higher rear gears, may as well hit the brakes). Not what you need unless you need to stop.
)... with an auto in gear and stopped... The engine has no idea the car is not moving (speaking of non computerized cars). It is still fighting the brakes trying to move the car. We all know how an auto creeps forward at idle when it is in gear without the brakes!
