is it bad to engine break ?

[LTC8K6]

I always downshift to slow down except in situations where it's unsafe such as when the road is slippery. It saves fuel.

I have always owned autos.

I have never had any transmission trouble.

I have however, always done proper maintenance.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
There is absolutely, 100% ZERO damage done by engine braking. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Unless you screw up and blow the shift, there's no extra damage from engine braking.

Now, if you are manually downshifting an automatic, you will cause a minuscule amount of wear on the bands in the transmission and maybe reduce the transmission life from around 200,000 miles to only around 180,000 miles. In other words, whoop-de-farking-do.

ZV

:thumbsup: This is the correct response.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Jake brakes are noisy which is why they are banned in some areas.

 

[Nyati13]

Originally posted by: alfa147x
Some times SOME TIMES when i am driving my parents RDX when I come up to a red traffic light ill shift down.

That is engine braking right...?
well the question is this bad for the car?

It is engine braking (although with less force involved since it's an auto tranny), and it's only bad for the engine if you force it to exceed redline when you downshift it.

Like it's been pointed out above, brakes are cheap to fix, and they are made to be easily replaced.

 

[natto fire]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
uh, no

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_brake

Did you read the article at all?

While the term Jake Brake technically only describes Jake Brake brand engine brakes, it has become a genericized trademark and is often used to refer to engine brakes or compression release engine brakes in general, especially on large vehicles or heavy equipment

Hence me asking if it was a regional thing or if there was other slang for it as well. 😉

Or are you telling me that the road signs do not exist, even though I have seen them with my own eyes?

Yes, I know a Jake brake is different than engine braking a normal car engine. However, they function the exact same way, it is just that valve operation is not changed in car engine braking.

 

[Turin39789]

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy

Originally posted by: ElFenix
uh, no

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_brake

Did you read the article at all?

While the term Jake Brake technically only describes Jake Brake brand engine brakes, it has become a genericized trademark and is often used to refer to engine brakes or compression release engine brakes in general, especially on large vehicles or heavy equipment

Hence me asking if it was a regional thing or if there was other slang for it as well. 😉

Or are you telling me that the road signs do not exist, even though I have seen them with my own eyes?

Yes, I know a Jake brake is different than engine braking a normal car engine. However, they function the exact same way, it is just that valve operation is not changed in car engine braking.

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
Heh, perhaps too much eggnog last night? 😛

Thanks all for the multiple corrections. On another note, what is some slang for engine braking for your region? Around where I grew up in Ohio, it was mostly called jake braking and the signs that prohibited it even had the words Jake Brake with the slash symbol.

I will refrain from giving advice under the influence from now on. 😉
Merry Christmas.

If you know that Jake Brakes/exhaust brakes/compression release brakes are not the same as engine braking in a car, which is what was being discussed, why did you offer it as an example of slang for engine braking?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: senseamp

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
Engine braking (engine breaking usually involves a sledgehammer) is holding the brake and flooring the gas to hit the torque converters stall speed.

No. That's power braking.

Engine braking is using the engine's compression to slow the car down.

ZV

Actually, that's brake torquing.
😀

Depends on where you're from and what magazine you're reading. 😛 Road & Track tends to use the phrase "power braking", though other magazines will call it "brake torquing". I'd never heard the phrase "brake torquing" until I was 22 or so just because it wasn't used in my area. 🙂

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
Heh, perhaps too much eggnog last night? 😛

Thanks all for the multiple corrections. On another note, what is some slang for engine braking for your region? Around where I grew up in Ohio, it was mostly called jake braking and the signs that prohibited it even had the words Jake Brake with the slash symbol.

I will refrain from giving advice under the influence from now on. 😉
Merry Christmas.

"Jake Brake" is a brand name for a specific manufacturer's system used on diesel engines. It's pretty cool, but it's un-muffled and makes a lot of noise when used, so many towns restrict its use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_brake

ZV

 

[Demo24]

I engine brake all the time. I doubt my rev-matched downshift is going to destroy my clutch any faster. I'd also much rather have my engine keep me at a relative constant speed than riding my brakes down a hill like every other idiot in front of me.

 

[dirtboy]

If you think engine braking damages your car, then I'd hate to see the kind of damage you are doing by engine accelerating.

BTW, if your car is an automatic, which I will assume your parents car is, you should NOT engine brake... cause you are stressing the transmission by forcing it down gears. Now if it's a manual and you are rev matching, then no problems.

 

[alfa147x]

Originally posted by: DEMO24
I engine brake all the time. I doubt my rev-matched downshift is going to destroy my clutch any faster. I'd also much rather have my engine keep me at a relative constant speed than riding my brakes down a hill like every other idiot in front of me.

What car?

 

[dpert1]

1990 Miata

I engine brake every chance i get, so long as you dont run the rev's past revline, no damage done accept minor extra clutch wear.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: senseamp

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak

Originally posted by: senseamp

Originally posted by: alfa147x
Well When I Do Down Shift My Foot Is Off Of the Accelerator

Some cars automatically blip throttle for auto tranny downshift rev match. If yours doesn't, you should do it yourself.

First of all alfa, don't move the shifter in an automatic car unless the conditions call for a lower gear (hills, mountains, low traction, etc) or you're moving between P, D and R.

Second of all senseamp - I really hope you are kidding.

I am assuming he is talking about manual shift mode on the RDX auto tranny. You know, the paddle shift thingys.
Why would I be kidding? You need to raise the revs to rev match on a down shift. I know Infiniti autos do it for you, they blip the throttle on downshift in the automatic, but not sure if Acura does it or not. If not, and you simply downshift without blipping throttle, you will feel a jerk back because the engine will be too slow for the shorter gear when the shift is completed.

Um....I'm missing how you "revmatch" an automatic. Yes, the computer CAN do it. The computer controls the damn transmission, of course it can. Now maybe I just haven't driven one of these new-fangled tranny's with nifty shifter paddles, but unless YOU put the shifter to Neutral and rev it, I'm not seeing how you're going to revmatch an automatic that is in gear. 😕

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
I always downshift to slow down except in situations where it's unsafe such as when the road is slippery. It saves fuel.

I have always owned autos.

I have never had any transmission trouble.

I have however, always done proper maintenance.

Well, if you think downshifting your automatic saves fuel, you DEFINITELY need one of these:
http://tornadofuelsaver.com

 

[manowar821]

I dunno, I don't see the point though. Brakes are for stopping and slowing, engine/tranny are for going and accelerating. WHY engine-brake? I'm sure you can, and I'm sure it can be done safely, but WHY?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
I always downshift to slow down except in situations where it's unsafe such as when the road is slippery. It saves fuel.

I have always owned autos.

I have never had any transmission trouble.

I have however, always done proper maintenance.

Well, if you think downshifting your automatic saves fuel, you DEFINITELY need one of these:
http://tornadofuelsaver.com

You don't want to downshift an automatic generally but doing so will not adversely affect fuel economy either unless you drive around in lower gears. Just coasting along (foot off the gas completely) in a lower gear isn't going to use anymore fuel than coasting in drive. Your fuel injectors are likely completely shut off when you're decelerating with your foot off the gas no matter what gear you're in.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: manowar821
I dunno, I don't see the point though. Brakes are for stopping and slowing, engine/tranny are for going and accelerating. WHY engine-brake? I'm sure you can, and I'm sure it can be done safely, but WHY?

Because it offers a smoother means of controlling vehicle speed. It is much smoother to engine brake in whatever gear you're in to bleed off 5-10 mph instead of using the brakes, it is also more fuel efficient and has fewer adverse effects on overall traffic flow.

We're not talking about using engine braking to stop the car, but rather as a means to deal with minor variations in speed that are often necessary.

It's also a safety issue on long downhill grades where using the brakes to control speed will result in overheating the brakes leading to a loss of effectiveness. In these cases it is better to select a lower gear and use engine braking to prevent the car from accelerating downhill.

ZV

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
I always downshift to slow down except in situations where it's unsafe such as when the road is slippery. It saves fuel.

I have always owned autos.

I have never had any transmission trouble.

I have however, always done proper maintenance.

Well, if you think downshifting your automatic saves fuel, you DEFINITELY need one of these:
http://tornadofuelsaver.com

You don't want to downshift an automatic generally but doing so will not adversely affect fuel economy either unless you drive around in lower gears. Just coasting along (foot off the gas completely) in a lower gear isn't going to use anymore fuel than coasting in drive. Your fuel injectors are likely completely shut off when you're decelerating with your foot off the gas no matter what gear you're in.

I understand that. What that guy doesn't seem to understand is that downshifting by itself doesn't save gas - just like people who think putting their automatic in neutral while coasting saves gas :roll:

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: manowar821
I dunno, I don't see the point though. Brakes are for stopping and slowing, engine/tranny are for going and accelerating. WHY engine-brake? I'm sure you can, and I'm sure it can be done safely, but WHY?

Because it offers a smoother means of controlling vehicle speed. It is much smoother to engine brake in whatever gear you're in to bleed off 5-10 mph instead of using the brakes, it is also more fuel efficient and has fewer adverse effects on overall traffic flow.

We're not talking about using engine braking to stop the car, but rather as a means to deal with minor variations in speed that are often necessary.

It's also a safety issue on long downhill grades where using the brakes to control speed will result in overheating the brakes leading to a loss of effectiveness. In these cases it is better to select a lower gear and use engine braking to prevent the car from accelerating downhill.

ZV

Exactly. Hell, everytime you take your foot off the gas you are engine braking.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
I always downshift to slow down except in situations where it's unsafe such as when the road is slippery. It saves fuel.

I have always owned autos.

I have never had any transmission trouble.

I have however, always done proper maintenance.

Well, if you think downshifting your automatic saves fuel, you DEFINITELY need one of these:
http://tornadofuelsaver.com

You don't want to downshift an automatic generally but doing so will not adversely affect fuel economy either unless you drive around in lower gears. Just coasting along (foot off the gas completely) in a lower gear isn't going to use anymore fuel than coasting in drive. Your fuel injectors are likely completely shut off when you're decelerating with your foot off the gas no matter what gear you're in.

I understand that. What that guy doesn't seem to understand is that downshifting by itself doesn't save gas - just like people who think putting their automatic in neutral while coasting saves gas :roll:

Agreed.

 

[LTC8K6]

I was actually referring to the fact that downshifting saves fuel vs coasting to a stop in neutral. I am quite sure it doesn't save much fuel vs just lifting off the throttle.

BTW, if your car is an automatic, which I will assume your parents car is, you should NOT engine brake... cause you are stressing the transmission by forcing it down gears."

Well, I'll quit passing people with a boot on the gas then, since I force my tranny down a few gears every time I do it. 😀

 

[LTC8K6]

I'm certain that cars that I have driven have used engine braking to slow down when the cruise control is on. I believe my brother's 06 Jeep Liberty does this, and I believe another vehicle did it as well.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
I was actually referring to the fact that downshifting saves fuel vs coasting to a stop in neutral. I am quite sure it doesn't save much fuel vs just lifting off the throttle.

I am quite sure it doesn't save ANY fuel vs just lifting off the throttle and who the hell shifts an auto into neutral when approaching a stop? 😕 There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to do this.

 

[LTC8K6]

Who said anything about shifting into neutral to stop?

I was only referring to the recent thread about downshifting vs coasting wherein many people had no idea that the engine computer was smart enough to shut off the fuel.

I certainly didn't say anyone should use neutral when stopping, and nor would I ever, except on snow or ice, which is really just a holdout habit from the days before ABS.

I said I downshift my autos when stopping in good conditions, and I always have and I have never had a problem with an auto tranny.

I don't really give a flying foo what anyone else does with or to their car, I just responded to the post with my thoughts. 😀

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Who said anything about shifting into neutral to stop?

I was only referring to the recent thread about downshifting vs coasting wherein many people had no idea that the engine computer was smart enough to shut off the fuel.

I certainly didn't say anyone should use neutral when stopping, and nor would I ever, except on snow or ice, which is really just a holdout habit from the days before ABS.

I said I downshift my autos when stopping in good conditions, and I always have and I have never had a problem with an auto tranny.

I don't really give a flying foo what anyone else does with or to their car, I just responded to the post with my thoughts. 😀

Um you did? :laugh:

Calm down man, I actually agree with you. :beer: I don't downshift my auto tranny car though unless going down a long steep hill or if I'm going up a steep grade to keep it from hunting between OD and 3rd.