Do you use engine braking?

Do you use engine braking?

Author
Discussion

Riknos

Original Poster:

4,701 posts

219 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
I don't want to turn this into a massive discussion about heel and toe. I want to know about people using engine braking i.e going down through the gears to slow them, rather than just relying solely on the brakes.

I'm no driving god, I don't try to heel and toe, but I am smooth with gear changes and always manage to rev match and use the gears to slow down onto an approach for a roundabout for example, rarely having to use the brakes sometimes.

I was stunned to read today on a car forum that someone who has been driving a performance car for over 5 years NEVER engine brakes?

I can understand women / those who don't know anything about cars / recent test passers just using the brakes and not the gears to slow down, but someone driving a performance car? Seems odds to me.

Are they in the minority, or do other people on here do the same?

First person to response with 'heel and toe' gets shot tongue out

anonymous-user

69 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
All the time.
My car goes to 99.9mpg when I engine brake under 4000rpm too!

MG CHRIS

9,293 posts

182 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
I do it whenever I can on the plus side of it my car with a decat and twin exit back box likes to pop and bang when you do it.

Krikkit

27,417 posts

196 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
Yes, all the time, along with as much rev matching up and down the box as I can manage. Heel and toe in cars where the pedals make it simple enough.

AnotherClarkey

3,678 posts

204 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
Why do you perceive braking using the engine as superior to using the bits designed to do the job?

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

261 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
Riknos said:
I can understand women......
Errrrm ?????? !!!!!!!

Bennet

2,130 posts

146 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
I do, but I don't know why. As someone once pointed out to me, break pads are cheaper than clutches and gearboxes. So for normal driving, why would you?

Craikeybaby

11,376 posts

240 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
Just brake, then change directly into the appropriate gear as per roadcraft/IAM training.

thatdude

2,660 posts

142 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
I like to be in a gear where I can easily regulate speed changes by applying / backing off the throttle

If I can see I'm coming to a stop, I'll apply the brakes, or at least hover over them ready to brake. I won't just keep engine-braking down through the gears, that doesnt strike me as mechanically sympathetic

thecremeegg

2,054 posts

218 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
All the time, it's more effective than the brakes in my car tongue out

SSBB

698 posts

171 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
No.

Gears are for going; brakes are for slowing.

XplusYplusZ

241 posts

156 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
Yep, preempting slowing traffic, rev match and also use it for maintaining steep descents

XplusYplusZ

241 posts

156 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
Yep, preempting slowing traffic, rev match and also use it for maintaining steep descents

LeoSayer

7,529 posts

259 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
I never change down to increase engine braking but I do use engine braking a lot, I think it's called acceleration sense to avoid using the brakes.

Having said that I do change down if necessary when descending hills to moderate my speed.

Edited by LeoSayer on Friday 20th December 12:54


Edited by LeoSayer on Friday 20th December 12:54

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

261 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
One of the big PH myths is "automatics don't allow engine braking". A decent auto will change down to provide engine braking if you touch the brakes while going down hill.

Shaoxter

4,385 posts

139 months

Friday 20th December 2013
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Yes, especially since my car automatically rev matches on downshifts smile

Baker1

323 posts

145 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
Brakes are cheaper to replace than a gearbox

carpetsoiler

1,960 posts

180 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
I do it frequently, usually in tandem with braking. Because my flywheel weighs practically nothing, it's extremely effective. Or I'll just read the road ahead a little bit further, and let off the accelerator a bit earlier. Saves screaming up to the car in front and hammering on the brakes.

shiftydave

247 posts

179 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
I'll generally only do it if it's going to be a very gradual decrease in speed controlled on the throttle rather than just dropping a gear and letting the gearbox and engine do their thing (rev-matched to perfection, natch). Most of my driving is at rush hour when it makes sense to have the brake lights come on rather than have some tool plough up my rear end.

Jayfish

6,795 posts

218 months

Friday 20th December 2013
quotequote all
Compressing air in my cylinders in cheaper than brake pads, what is all the gearbox and clutch nonsense people are saying.
There's a speed camera on a hill near here and it's satisfying to be doing 30 in 4th, pop it into 2nd on the steepest approach, keep it bang on 30, and into 3rd as the road levels out.