Engine braking question

[Distractotron]

• sorry, I know there's another car one today but it reminded me of something I wanted to ask!
  

A colleague told me that she uses engine braking instead of the brake pedal "so the driver behind doesn't panic and suddenly brake".
Is this absolute bollocks (as me and DP think it is)? She's normally a very sensible person, who is more senior than me at work despite being quite a bit younger.
Surely your brake lights are there to warn the person behind that you're braking? I can't think why she would believe this.

[underkerstumbled]

I think you need to ask you uncle In my post I said - late uncle.
I assume you're American No, I'm not.

[specialsubject]

Brake pads are cheaper than engines.

Brakes for me are for use when approaching traffic lights, junctions, parking and of course emergencies.

Otherwise there's no need. This is because I look ahead and ease off the gas so I am within each of the varying speed limits or hazards when I reach them.
Yes, dickhead behind can get confused but not my problem. I have to pay for petrol so try not to use too much of it.

[dangermouseisace]

My driving instructor had a rhyme:

"gears to go, brakes to slow"

You need to put your brakes on anyway to show that you are slowing down...slowing down without braking at all is a bit inconsiderate. For example, if you take your foot off the throttle and have plenty of time to slow down naturally, I was told you should still press your brake to indicate you are slowing.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Obviously you take your foot off the throttle to change down. You wouldn’t still keep it on to change down a gear.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Sorry, that sounds mardy. It wasn’t mean to to.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

If you just take your foot off the throttle,you just give the engine less gas. Everyone else on here is referring to use of the gears. So is everyone else wrong about “engine braking” too?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Well what exactly is engine braking then? Because that’s exactly what I thought it was! Changing down the gears slows your speed without pressing the brakes. Engine braking, no?

[ShowOfHands]

@CurlyhairedAssassin what you describe isn't engine braking, it's using the gears to slow down which IS a bad idea. Engine braking simply means lifting your foot off the throttle. You only change gear to match the speed, not to force deceleration. I was taught this recently when learning to drive. It's a good, economical tool and shows you're anticipating and reading the road ahead.

[lljkk]

Keep the revs sensible. Engine only is okay if revs are also sensible for the gear. Brakes as required to keep the load on engine light. You shouldn't have to frequently brake or at least rarely have to brake hard, if watching the road conditions well.

I learnt to drive 35 yrs ago. Best to be kind to all parts of the car. Ideally minimum braking required b/c you're keeping an eye on the traffic & road markings ahead. Going down thru gears means you stay in gear & not in neutral for long.

I am about to embark on teaching my son to drive (sigh). About to discover his inner boy-race, I imagine.

[solarisWasAClassic]

I have a racing licence (Nat B Competition) and engine braking is important. It's a steady braking, it works then engine rather than the gears and when done correctly, you are in the gear you need to be to accelerate away again.

However, most cars now have good enough brakes that overheating isn't the issue it used to be. Discs on even cheapy cars. However, on long hills, using the engine rather than riding the brakes is better for the vehicle.

@underkerstumbled - I think you need to ask your Uncle to explain it again. Also, as you said "gas", I assume you're American.

Can you drive 'stick'?

[LurkingHusband]

You can drive a manual without the clutch but you need to know what you are doing and only use it for emergencies, such as your clutch failing.

Back in the day, when fewer people had AA/RAC type recovery cover, it was a neat little earner ... charge for recovery, but just drive the car to the workshop .

[Fiona1984]

With regards to engine braking, I do try to look far ahead and not brake unless it is absolutely necessary. I just ease off the accelerator instead, and gear down if the car starts feeling unhappy.
I'm terrible for setting off in second gear though, I'm trying to get out of the habit because it stresses the clutch, and I only got a new one a few months ago (it was on its way out when I got the car).
I think the brake light panicking thing more applies on the motorway than regular roads.

[WinnerWinnerChickenDinner0]

That drives me nut!

I have an uncle, he is American and has driven automatics all his life and has some strange notion that a good driver doesn’t need to use his brakes. I have tried to explain that that is a historical thing from old gear boxes that isn’t relevant to modern cars. Driving with him is a very traumatic experience

[VelvetSpoon]

His car is a manual- he rarely uses the clutch. If you're at the exactly right speed to change gear it doesn't make a noise. Very occasionally he misjudges it and it makes a noise - I'm in a car with him most days, and its fairly rare to hear the noise. I only learnt to drive myself recently which is why this fascinated me, it's not something they teach you in driving lessons!

[c3pu]

Just match the engine revs and it will slip in nicely... I did it all the time when I had s bad knee!

[squirre1]

I’m intrigued. How do you change gear without using the clutch? I thought that was the whole point of the clutch. Does it not just make a terrible noise if you don’t use the clutch?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

I read recently on some driving website that engine braking made sense years ago when brake pedals were much more difficult to push on. These days with cars having assisted braking there really is no need to use the gears to slow you down; the gears are supposed to be used to match the speed at which you’re going. NOT to slow the car down.

Of course, in a situation where you’ve got dangerous brakes then engine braking is a good idea!

[Fiona1984]

On a similar note, do you all always use your clutch when changing gear? My bf never uses his clutch and says it's unnecessary if you're at the right speed changing gear. I've never heard of anyone else doing this though and am not willing to try it myself!

My partner tried to teach me how to do this in case the clutch went in my car (it was already dodgy) . Lo and behold it did, but it was just around the corner from home so I didn't try it.
He then drove it home like that and another 20 miles to get it fixed.

[ferrier]

If I see someone braking ahead I know to ease off the accelerator and prepare to change down gears.
If there's a numpty around then obviously I have to brake.

[ferrier]

Drivers braking on motorways are either driving too close to the vehicle in front or are avoiding another careless driver. Both situations would make me alert (not panicking) to possible danger.

[Notevilstepmother]

www.matfoundrygroup.com/News%20and%20Blog/What_is_Engine_Braking_and_Why_you_Should_do_it

[CatastropheKate]

You can change gear without a clutch, going up is easier than coming down - I drove 50 miles with no clutch (at night, remote and before mobile phones) as it was preferable to sleeping in the car overnight.

Don't really know why anyone would do it routinely though.

[Pantah630]

What Show said...if you’ve mechanical
Sympathy engine braking is fine, if you’re just crashing down through the gears, then no.

I clutchless change on my bike sometimes and it’s necessary when the cable snaps

[Bringbackpublicfloggings]

Gunner highway it was marked down as a major.

[Bourdic]

I remember my first time on a European motorway with multi lingual signs telling me in English to ‘ use engine braking’ . I had no idea what it meant