Good or Bad habit

[garygiles1963]

Hi

In the past few months I been habit of regularly dropping to lower gear when going down hill. This means I'm using the engine to control my speed than the breaks. I feel more in more control of the vehicle, than when using the breaks, I know there is no way of it running away.

I would appreciate thoughts on the above, is this a bad habit? Is it damaging the engine? Am I being a complete plonker?

Look forward to replies.

Regards
Gary

 

[Pumpy]

That's the way to do it Gary. If you were braking on a slippy decent you risk losing control bigtime, same in reverse if you stall on a hill you can't make, get it in reverse low to come down backwards under control, if you use the brakes you can end up on your side or worse. With an auto you sometimes have to use cadance braking too, i.e. have it in a low gear with judicious use of brakes.

Cadence braking or stutter braking is an advanced driving technique that involves pumping the brake pedal and is used to allow a car to both steer and brake on a slippery surface. It is used to effect an emergency stop where traction is limited to reduce the effect of skidding from road wheels locking up under braking.

 

[Shayne]

Yes that's how it should be done , same thing coming into a sharp bend too gear down and power around because you don't wanna use the brakes mid corner .

 

[Julian T]

Using the gears to slow down is how I was taught to drive, many farm tractors back in the day did not have working brakes, not to mention one or two farm trucks.
It is the best way to control vehicle speed and stability, all racing drivers do it, but is now days seen as aggressive driving and so discouraged when instructing new drivers.

 

[Chris]

I fully agree although my instructor said Gears are for going, brakes are for slowing.

Arse.

 

[Paddler Ed]

Some of the descents here are 5km or so long; riding the brakes down those is not going to do them any good so you need to drop a gear (or 2) to have some engine braking to help so there are some brakes for when you need to stop.

+1 to using engine braking contrary to how I was taught to drive....

 

[MarkW]

I think @ByronJ had to changes his pants after a long steep descent in the High Atlas caused his brakes to overheat.

Those of us with manuals used a lower gear and engine braking

 

[stumog]

I drop down a gear but keep the revs down with a gentle dab of the brakes.

It has been known for diesel engines to run away and become un controllable.

 

[GeekOKent]

dont drop soo far that the engine redlines ( or gets too close to it ).

 

[ByronJ]

I think @ByronJ had to changes his pants after a long steep descent in the High Atlas caused his brakes to overheat.

Those of us with manuals used a lower gear and engine braking

Nah! I was not that worried. I knew there were three Land Cruisers ahead of me to arrest my flight if things got really bad .

 

[clivehorridge]

Yep, avid user of engine braking, that is if I can get up enough speed in the first place to have to brake

We've got some long descents nearby which I usually come down in 3rd, but often the traffic is so bad I'm crawling with the rest.

Offroad, I think it's equally useful, especially if it's loose underfoot.

On a steep decline on gravels or shale, a low gear with all the diffs locked gives you maximum control.

I was coming down a ski slope last summer and even at 10 kph, the brakes did nothing except lock-up with speed increasing. That was a brown trousers moment, until the lockers kicked in, then 2nd gear low eased me down without any worries.

 

[garygiles1963]

HI

Thanks to everyone who replied.

Good to know.

Regards

Gary

 

[Paddler Ed]

Last thing... I got told this by an old truck driver... use the gear going down the hill that you would use for going up it.

 

[Pat]

Last thing... I got told this by an old truck driver... use the gear going down the hill that you would use for going up it.

In my youth I drove a Commer with a TS3 motor a very good truck but with 3 cylinders and 6 Pistons they did not have the compression braking that you could get with inline 6 cylinder Leylands and the like.The first Commer hauled a double axle tar tanker and on long descents you would start going down In low second and when you felt the brakes start to fade you upped 1/2 gear and so on and if there was alevelling out of the hill you pulled it right back and started down again in low second and progressed up the box.You got to know all the hills and kept an eye out for handy water tables on the edge of the
road to drop one side in if desperate.Bear in mind that most systems were vacuum hydraulic and at times you had to learn to pray.I sprung a hydraulic leak on coming down one of our steeper northern hills one day and my foot went to the floor with only the hand control on the double axle tanker to try and hold it but I knew if I could get round the next few corners there was a long downward strait with a reasonable corner onto about a 2 mile flat.
Well I came around that corner the motor was screaming and the speedo needle was on the m for mph I reckon I was doing 70 .it took me the 2 miles to take the speed off her and I got out and was shaking that much that when trying to roll a smoke I kept tearing the paper.By gosh life was fun.

 

[GeekOKent]

Last thing... I got told this by an old truck driver... use the gear going down the hill that you would use for going up it.

I guess that trucker must have driven the western lower himalayas - they have this on sign boards all along the way. Up and Down the hill in the same gear.

 

[TonyP]

In my auto 120 at around 30-40mph when on a incline and I gently touch the brake it does drop a gear itself. Can't say I have noticed this at motorway speeds.

 

[GerryTLC]

Cruising downward with engine brake is way better than normal brake.

 

[clivehorridge]

Cruising downward with engine brake is way better than normal brake.

It can be downright dangerous using the brakes if it's steep and slippery/loose. I'd much prefer to be locked up in a low gear, every wheel is then doing its bit to control a descent.