Engine Braking

[MG cup]

Lol at people H&T'n everywhere. Embarrassing.

For me Clios pedals aren't great for it anyway until you bend the accelerator .

 

[Edges]

Why's it embarrassing? Saves wear and tear and makes for smoother downchanges... What's embarrassing?

 

[MarkCup]

From being obsessed by it and doing it absolutely everywhere I've learned not to do it now. There's no need.

I brake until I'm happy with my speed then I change into the gear I want with a simple rev match off the brakes.

If I can do that one shift smoothly from 6th to 2nd why would I want to do four separate down shifts instead?

 

[Gally]

If I can do that one shift smoothly from 6th to 2nd why would I want to do four separate down shifts instead?

Errrr because race driver Mark!

 

[Dan@SJM]

From being obsessed by it and doing it absolutely everywhere I've learned not to do it now. There's no need.

I brake until I'm happy with my speed then I change into the gear I want with a simple rev match off the brakes.

If I can do that one shift smoothly from 6th to 2nd why would I want to do four separate down shifts instead?

Heel and toe block changed FTW

 

[Wick]

Force of habit for me...

I brake until I'm happy with my speed then I change into the gear I want with a simple rev match off the brakes.

Perfectly acceptable alternative in my book.

 

[welshname]

I rev match everywhere but I don't heel and toe all the time unless I'm pressing on. I'll never just leave the car in gear and use the brakes before banging it in a lower gear.

 

[ed55j]

When learning to drive you are taught to bloke shift gears when slowing and use the foot brake (I was anyway) We discussed this at a recent speeding awareness course, the guy who was telling us all how to drive was very adamant gears are only to be used when accelerating and never for slowing down.

 

[MarkCup]

Gears to go, brakes to slow...

 

[GiT]

Always. ECU's cut fuel to the injectors when you do it. The Road momentum turns the engine.

Same with a big hill, drop a gear or two so you lose no speed and coast down, fuel is cut.

 

[ed55j]

Gears to go, brakes to slow...

That's the phrase I was looking for!

 

[jonno_c]

I like to drop down a gear now and then for engine breaking, as the BTM exhaust sounds a treat. Not over aggressively though (well, maybe once or twice )

 

[Kazumz]

I've never used engine braking. To be honest, I've never actually heard any of my Clio's on a slow down, I've always ALWAYS taken it out of gear and neutralled it with the clutch disengaged. I feel like theres one less thing I have to worry about and I have more control of the car if an accident kicks off. I understand that if an accident happens then I may need to accelerate out of the way but I am extremely sharpish matching the revs in gear so I feel it won't be an issue for me and if it does, so be it (I'm still s**t at actually changing the gears though and it's been 2 years... ).

 

[Chip-mk1]

I've never used engine braking. To be honest, I've never actually heard any of my Clio's on a slow down, I've always ALWAYS taken it out of gear and neutralled it with the clutch disengaged. I feel like theres one less thing I have to worry about and I have more control of the car if an accident kicks off. I understand that if an accident happens then I may need to accelerate out of the way but I am extremely sharpish matching the revs in gear so I feel it won't be an issue for me and if it does, so be it (I'm still s**t at actually changing the gears though and it's been 2 years... ).

You change to neutral when you brake?

How bizarre!

 

[SC03OTT]

s**t at gear changing but can rev match faster than a speeding bullet.

 

[Kazumz]

You change to neutral when you brake?

How bizarre!

With road driving yes I don't know? I just picked it up when I just passed my test, I just found it was one less thing to concentrate on. If I come to a hill, Ill neutral it and just use my brake.

 

[SC03OTT]

Why would leaving the car in gear require any more thought than taking it out of gear and using the brakes?

 

[Sam]

I thought you got taught to use the engine to slow you down on your driving lesson.

I do it, my sister never does it. I always think if she was ever going to fast and couldnt slow down in time she wouldnt know what to do.

 

[Amos91]

With road driving yes I don't know? I just picked it up when I just passed my test, I just found it was one less thing to concentrate on. If I come to a hill, Ill neutral it and just use my brake.

So you can remember to breathe instead?

Leaving it in neutral will provide you with less control over your car and be unsafe. For a start if you try to avoid a potential accident by coming to a stop, using the brakes and utilising engine braking could make the difference between crashing and not.

Plus if you need to accelerate quickly you have to work out which gear is best and quickly change, if the car is already in gear you at least have some go at your disposal.

You need to snap out of that driving style, as it isn't the safest way.

 

[MarkCup]

Leaving it in neutral will provide you with less control over your car and be unsafe...You need to snap out of that driving style, as it isn't the safest way.

This is very true. Bad habits are bad...and you're seriously compromising your ability to react should you ever need to.

 

[JamesBryan]

If I come to a hill, Ill neutral it and just use my brake.

That's not very safe at all :nono:

 

[Chip-mk1]

With road driving yes I don't know? I just picked it up when I just passed my test, I just found it was one less thing to concentrate on. If I come to a hill, Ill neutral it and just use my brake.

TBH if you cant manage to "concentrate" the tiny amount involved in changing gears correctly then really you shouldnt have a manual gears driving license.

 

[CJ_RR]

There's no need.

I brake until I'm happy with my speed then I change into the gear I want with a simple rev match off the brakes.

If I can do that one shift smoothly from 6th to 2nd why would I want to do four separate down shifts instead?

THIS.

 

[welshname]

Not to mention that driven wheels have more traction. If you were going round a corner at the exact same speed, one whilst in gear and on the throttle a little to maintain speed and the same speed but with it in neutral on the other you're more likely to lose the front end.

 

[BoatNonce]

Not to mention that driven wheels have more traction. If you were going round a corner at the exact same speed, one whilst in gear and on the throttle a little to maintain speed and the same speed but with it in neutral on the other you're more likely to lose the rear end with it out of gear.

EFA. Unless RWD.

Also the driven wheels are less likely to lock when braking as the brakes also have to stop tens of kilos of engine from spinning as well as the wheels.

 

[Adamm.]

Never mind just seen the above.

 

[jonno_c]

Some truly shocking driving habits being admitted here. I would think about taking some advice from the guys here and change your ways ASAP.

 

[Adam G]

Can't see the point at slow speeds, just choose the correct gear for the speed you're doing.

 

[J.B.]

I brake until I'm happy with my speed then I change into the gear I want with a simple rev match off the brakes.

This.

Advanced driving (Roadcraft) instructors will tell you to do this. I couldn't quite get my head around changing gear as late as the instructor was telling me, so I now do it a bit earlier than I was taught.

I was being asked to change from 6th to 2nd around the time I wanted to continue, but then I'd miss the gap at the roundabout and be told off for that too. Passed the test but I still don't quite understand why I was asked to do it at the very, very last second; and that was with paddles! But yes, brakes to slow, change gear once, and go.

90% of the time I don't bother rev matching as I'm not screaming the balls off the engine approaching a roundabout. Brake from 60mph to ~20mph, into 2nd (or 1st if wanting a play) and off we go again.

P.S the pedal set up on an S2k means you actually need to use your heel. You can't roll your right foot over to the accelerator like you can in a 1*2. I will lift off and keep it in gear if I am approaching a queue, but that's different.

 

[MWRS182]

Always. ECU's cut fuel to the injectors when you do it. The Road momentum turns the engine.

Same with a big hill, drop a gear or two so you lose no speed and coast down, fuel is cut.

This is what I should of said.

 

[J.B.]

This is what I should of said.

You achieve the same by leaving the gears alone and braking down the hill. I can't see why you'd change down a couple of gears just so you don't use the brakes. You are still not using any throttle.

 

[MarkCup]

You achieve the same by leaving the gears alone and braking down the hill. I can't see why you'd change down a couple of gears just so you don't use the brakes. You are still not using any throttle.

Exactly...If you get a good run down the hill in top gear you can use your momentum to keep you going for quite a while.

If you drop down a couple of ratios beforehand though, you'll be on the gas way earlier.

I chuckle every time I see a steep gradient sign with the 'select low gear' warning sign...that may well have had some relevance 40 years ago but now, it's pointless.

 

[sbridgey]

Another way to look at it is that when other road users see brake lights they react and also brake, even if they don't need to.

 

[Kazumz]

That's not very safe at all :nono:

How so?

 

[JamesBryan]

How so?

As mentioned in this entire thread. May as well go back and read the comments.

 

[Jaff.]

How so?

When in gear in a fwd you have complete control of the most important wheels on the car. You can accelerate them, brake them and steer them. By taking it out of gear your losing the ability to accelerate and reducing the efficiency of braking and steering those wheels.

Goes without saying the more control you have the better.

It it also has fuel saving qualities too (although it is a minimal amount of fuel)

 

[AdDaMan]

I guarantee people on other forums are linking to this thread and laughing there asses off. Its so f**king cringe.

 

[Wick]

I guarantee people on other forums are linking to this thread and laughing there asses off. Its so f**king cringe.

FLOL. I hope someone from vxronline signs up just to abuse my heal and toe heroness.

 

[msremmert]

I brake until I'm happy with my speed then I change into the gear I want with a simple rev match off the brakes.
If I can do that one shift smoothly from 6th to 2nd why would I want to do four separate down shifts instead?

I got into the habit of blipping down everywhere I went just because I liked the gurgle the car made, but this way is what I like to do now.

If I come to a hill, Ill neutral it and just use my brake.

A friend of mine does this and it scares the s**t out of me.
This is a bad habit you need to kill. We'll have the VXR forum linking to us and laughing at us now.

 

[Canary172]

A friend of mine does this and it scares the s**t out of me.
This is a bad habit you need to kill. We'll have the VXR forum linking to us and laughing at us now.

Worse still is when people slowly change down a gear whilst going around a tight corner. The car is unsettled and there's a hand off the steering wheel too!