Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you take your foot off the gas while in gear you are engine braking.
If you want more engine braking and don't have flappy paddles or a manual, you can select the 4-3-2 or L selection as appropriate. I used the extensively on our drive through the Rockies in our RAV4.
An experienced driver can do such things, but that's not really engine braking in a true sense, because the car is not designed for doing that. Check your manual. When traveling on a downhill and you let off the gas, all it does is to maintain it's momentum, and if the hill is steep enough, that car speeds up to the point that you have to use the brakes.
Taking you foot off the gas pedal on a flat road: in this case the car will eventually slow down because the motor is not longer driving the wheels at the previous rate of speed. But that's not engine braking like one can do with a manual transmission, or one with a paddle shifter.
It takes experience to move a lever down one notch? That's one of the explicit cases the manual says to use it. To maintain speed on a downhill.
If you put it in neutral you're just left with momentum. Leave it in gear and there is braking, though granted not much in top gear especially with a small displacement engine.
It takes experience to move a lever down one notch? That's one of the explicit cases the manual says to use it. To maintain speed on a downhill.
If you put it in neutral you're just left with momentum. Leave it in gear and there is braking, though granted not much in top gear especially with a small displacement engine.
It does not, but I wouldn't do that for normal driving. Now, on an emergency, such as the brakes not working as they should, anything goes since one must slow down to a stop. I drove big rigs for several years, and can attest to this: before you drive down a steep hill, you better make sure that the truck is in the right gear, because depending on how steep the hill is, you may not be able to get the transmission into a lower gear. And it does not matter is the transmission is automatic, or manual.
If you let off the gas pedal (car with automatic transmission), that's not true engine braking like done with a manual transmission, or one with paddle shifter.
As someone who loves manuals but has to drive the wife's automatic on occasion I'm always using those D-4-3-2-1 selections for braking and to select an appropriate gear for passing and such.
So you're saying there's no difference between selecting Neutral and just leaving it in D without gas? You may want to go try that out and report back.
As someone who loves manuals but has to drive the wife's automatic on occasion I'm always using those D-4-3-2-1 selections for braking and to select an appropriate gear for passing and such.
So you're saying there's no difference between selecting Neutral and just leaving it in D without gas? You may want to go try that out and report back.
I stand corrected about neutral versus letting off the gas.
It seems that your wife's car allows for engine braking. Most cars aren't designed like that for normal day to day driving.
They're all designed like that as far as I'm aware. All that those selections mean, 3 for instance, is limit it to the third gear. Which gives you the same engine braking as if you had selected 3rd gear in a manual.
They're all designed like that as far as I'm aware. All that those selections mean, 3 for instance, is limit it to the third gear. Which gives you the same engine braking as if you had selected 3rd gear in a manual.
Wouldn't that overheat the automatic transmission if done for extended periods of time? On a manual you have a large clutch disk. I found the answer here (just learned something new ) http://www.unclutchables.com.au/2015...ing-downshift/
It could, especially if you were loaded at capacity and towing something which is why there's a market for aftermarket automatic transmission coolers and why optional towing packages have upgraded coolers. But day to day use, not so much.
OP may not be interested, but somebody with the same question might be. The Ford 500 is essentially a Volvo with more room at a much lower price. It has all the advantages of the Subarus at a lower price in the used market. Ford never advertised it properly. They are quite popular in Maine.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
