is it illegal to....

[stevie_b]

Please link to this thread, sounds like great reading

 

Do it, do it!

[Dash Rendar]

I remember getting told off my in my driving test for engine breaking. The examiner criticised / questioned me about going down through the gears when coming to a stop. I told him that I felt it best to match the gears to my speed, should I need to pull away again, and that the engine breaking would assist in bringing me to a stop.

 

At that point he went off on a rant about how brakes stop all four wheels, while engine breaking only affects two and is therefore 'bad' for the car. He suggested that I should always skip gears when changing down. He then declared that my answer demonstrated a lack of understanding about how cars work, and said he was going to put it down on my form as a 'Major observation fault'. He said there wasn't a specific category for the issue I had demonstrated, but the observation fault was the closest he could come to. So, at the end of the test, I had four minors and one major, which he clearly made up. And because of that, I failed.

 

That was my first driving test, some 13 years ago. You can see it still traumatises me now! I passed the second time around a couple of months later, but I'll never forget the a-hole that failed me, or the lame-ass reason why.

 

Back to the plot... If your objective is to get someone to run into the back of you by slowing without showing your brake lights, wouldn't it be far easier to use the handbrake?!

[Pig]

There are better ways of dealing with moron drivers. After years of getting pissed off with tailgaters in my T67 I ended up doing the sensible thing and slowing right down, and just letting them get next to me, then booting it off in the distance. Leaving them looking silly in the wrong lane

 

 

Good man, the first time i read that i was worried and thought you were getting sensible in your old age!

[ellis]

As I was continually told on my advanced course, brake pads are cheaper than gearboxes!

[Homer]

Information - What is going on as you approach the junction etc

Position - Where do you need to be in the road

Speed - Is it appropriate, slow down if needed

Gear - Once the speed is where you need it then select a gear

Accelerate - Accel away from the junction

 

Direct from the handbook? Funnily enough thats more or less what Doug said!

 

That was my first driving test, some 13 years ago. You can see it still traumatises me now! I passed the second time around a couple of months later, but I'll never forget the a-hole that failed me, or the lame-ass reason why.

 

'kin hell, what an arsehole of an examiner! How on earth can they fail someone for that

 

Good man, the first time i read that i was worried and thought you were getting sensible in your old age!

 

You know me too well Jon

 

As I was continually told on my advanced course, brake pads are cheaper than gearboxes!

 

That's exactly what I was told on the course too, use the brakes because it's far more cost effective and safer than wearing out the drive train.

 

Brake technology has moved on a long way since the old days and engine braking isn't needed on the road anymore (except going down a steep incline). It's a throw back to the old cars when cars that still had drums front an rear. My father still won't be convinced to stop using downshifts to brake, even though he drives a 4x4 auto.

[Ewen]

I don't use breaks and I don't use a clutch.

[MrRalphMan]

I really enjoy my breaks.. I had some really nice sarnies on my last one..

[Lbm]

I don't want to sound retarded, but is it legal to accelerate whilst using the gears, or should I just not use my brakes as much?

[jonny248]

PMSL.......

 

I've just read this post and couldn't believe the crap some people come out with.

No way is it illegal for you to use the engine for braking. As stated by a few people so far, i was also taught about slowing down using the gears. This was back in 1995.

 

For this dispute that you're having on another site, ask to see proof of this legal bumf that they're quoting, i wouldn't mind seeing a copy....... lol

 

As for there being no notice of you slowing down, as already stated by another good fellow on here, the 3rd party follwing behind should be leaving enough space between vehicles for any unforseen event i.e a dog running out on you in which case if he was following to close, would hit you anyway.

 

It sounds like he should be done for driving without due care and attention !!!! Not paying attention to was happening in front.

 

The fecking idiot !!!!!!

[RiceRocket]

I don't drop gears to engine brake, it uses more petrol.

[Mike]

I don't want to sound retarded, but is it legal to accelerate whilst using the gears, or should I just not use my brakes as much?

 

[Scott]

I don't drop gears to engine brake, it uses more petrol.

 

Please tell me your on the wind up? Fuel injection systems don't use any fuel when using the gears to slow down.

 

This can be confirmed with any car that has a trip computer. Coast to a stop you will manage silly MPG, use the gears and the reading will go off the scale. My vectra read around 200ish when slowing down from 70ish coasting, it read 999.99 when using the gears (how i proved it to my mate).

 

This only applies to "modern" cars, whether the supra is classed as a modern fuel injection system or not i don't know.

 

This was covered in topgear, your letting the side down

[supra_aero]

Please tell me your on the wind up? Fuel injection systems don't use any fuel when using the gears to slow down.

 

This can be confirmed with any car that has a trip computer. Coast to a stop you will manage silly MPG, use the gears and the reading will go off the scale. My vectra read around 200ish when slowing down from 70ish coasting, it read 999.99 when using the gears (how i proved it to my mate).

 

This only applies to "modern" cars, whether the supra is classed as a modern fuel injection system or not i don't know.

 

This was covered in topgear, your letting the side down

 

Very interesting post.

[snake]

are you retarded? No it is not illegal, you are taught this when you learn to drive.

:d

[AndrewOW]

I always use engine braking, even in my auto. That's why its such a good box. I only use the brakes as and when appropriate to do so (plus it stops my shiny new wheels getting nasty horrible brake dust on them!).

[RiceRocket]

Please tell me your on the wind up? Fuel injection systems don't use any fuel when using the gears to slow down.

 

This can be confirmed with any car that has a trip computer. Coast to a stop you will manage silly MPG, use the gears and the reading will go off the scale. My vectra read around 200ish when slowing down from 70ish coasting, it read 999.99 when using the gears (how i proved it to my mate).

 

This only applies to "modern" cars, whether the supra is classed as a modern fuel injection system or not i don't know.

 

This was covered in topgear, your letting the side down

 

 

I must be a numpty then, I thought (from recalling Clarkson on Top Gear) when slowing to a stop (ie traffic lights) from say 30-40mph you would leave it 4-5th gear with no gas until the speeds drops then go down a gear(s) before engine stalls itself.

 

So if you driving at 50mph in 5th with no gas then suddenly drop to 3rd then no extra petrol is used...?

[AndrewOW]

Even when you are engine braking, there must be fuel going into the engine to keep it turning over, even if its only a smidgen, surely?

[Scott]

I must be a numpty then, I thought (from recalling Clarkson on Top Gear) when slowing to a stop (ie traffic lights) from say 30-40mph you would leave it 4-5th gear with no gas until the speeds drops then go down a gear(s) before engine stalls itself.

 

So if you driving at 50mph in 5th with no gas then suddenly drop to 3rd then no extra petrol is used...?

 

Yup, as long as the car is in gear and the clutch is engaged you won't be using any petrol

 

As long as the wheels are driving the engine basically.

[Scott]

Even when you are engine braking, there must be fuel going into the engine to keep it turning over, even if its only a smidgen, surely?

 

Nope, not even a spec. How its done i don't know.

[AndrewOW]

Nope, not even a spec. How its done i don't know.

 

 

In that case I will continue to use it!

 

I wonder how much that adds to your MPG, because if you cover a good distance downhill engine braking then it should be great for economy!

[Scott]

In that case I will continue to use it!

 

I wonder how much that adds to your MPG, because if you cover a good distance downhill engine braking then it should be great for economy!

 

Thats the reason why i love trip computers on cars. You tend to get better MPG as you are always trying to get the highest figure you can.

 

The main thing is that you change down before the car gets to 1500rpm as it will then start to push the car, therefor using fuel

[TLicense]

It's because the fuel requirement for the engine is based upon load, and there is very little load on the engine when decelerating.

Anyone with an ECU with a datalogger can see this. Sometimes there is a small amount of fuel used to help cool down the pistons, but not much.

[TrickTT]

Nope, not even a spec. How its done i don't know.

This is true on manuals (unless you dip the clutch) but not always the case on autos - which is one of the reasons autos are less fuel efficient.

When you lift your foot off the throttle in a manual, the wheels start driving the engine. Engine braking is the friction used to turn the engine. That is why on a high compression n/a engine you get more engine braking than on a low compression engine, and also why it is possible to lock the wheels using engine braking alone. This is especially true on motorbikes, which is why some have a "slipper" clutch - one which slips slightly when reverse torque is applied to it.

On an auto you get engine braking from high speed, but when the idle speed + the torque converter stall speed is more than the rpm required for the current road speed, the torque converter slips and the rpm drops to near idle. The idle control circuit then injects some fuel to keep the engine turning over. To prove this drive along at 25mph and lift off the throttle - the engine will drop to idle almost immediatly.