Why would people use "engine breaking" on an automatic car?

Question

I've got a Toyota Corrolla. Is it ever smart to use enging breaking? Won't I just stuff the transmission? I don't ever carry heavy loads.

Answer 1

i own a repair shop ,and a lot of people do this thinking it helps slow the car down and saves on brake wear,in some cases this is true,but not on a automatic car,this only hurts the transmission unless its an emergency,and you have no other choice to do it ,i don't recommend doing this at all,on a standard shift car it helps to do this,and does not hurt the clutch or the transmission if done right but going from a high speed to a low speed really fast can ruin a good clutch,not to mention what it can do to a transmission also,i just let off the gas and usually an automatic will down shift its self enough to help slow it down a lot,but its hard on a transmission to just pull it down in another gear to slow it down,but some people will always do this,no matter how many times they are warned about it,good luck,i hope this helps.

Answer 2

If your driving in high gear, push the small button on the side below your transmission shifter nob. This procedure locks out the overdrive feature.The over drive gear in the transmission is permanently locked into fourth gear direct until the button is released. You will not hurt the engine or transmission if you do this. You'll feel the engine braking for you as you lift your foot off the gas petal. I own a Camry and when you normally lift your foot from the gas petal in high gear the car "free wheels". This means the engine is completely divorced from the the engine's decrease of rpm. (Revolutions per minute). You normally would need your brakes to slow down. My advice is not to bother using engine braking at all. Toyota's disc brake pads last 60-75,000 miles.

Answer 3

Everyone uses "engine braking" whenever they take their foot off of the pedal and the throttle closes. That is what causes you to slow down when you do take your foot off the pedal.

As far as "downshifting to maximize engine breaking" ... as long as you don't over rev the motor, go for it. In a situation where that extra bit of stopping power is needed, don't be afraid to use it.

If you just downshift from highway speeds and aren't prepared for it, you could cause a momentary wheel lock up situation where the wheels will be slowed down faster than the car can handle, causing a loss of traction. You could find yourself in the ditch pretty quick.

The ice explaination is not correct.

You could "stuff" the tranny if you like to do high speed downshifts, more likely though you would drop a valve from over reving the enging. Try to rev up the motor as you downshift to better match engine RPM's with the lower gear RPM's. This will ease the "bump" as the lower gear engages, and will take the strain off of the tranny.

In slower traffic, I turn off the OD (overdrive) and even put the selector into "3" and use the throttle to maintain flow, keeps me from riding the brake all the time.

Answer 4

When you let off the gas to slow down that is a form of engine braking. as in going down the hiway and traffic slows you let off the gas to slow also no need to slam on the brakes to slow 5 or 10 mph . If you are going down a steep canyon or hill you need to use the lower gear to keep the speed under control , If you ride the brakes to control the speed ,the brakes overheat and boil the brake fluid and you have no brakes when needed.that is often called brake fade.that also warps the rotors,burns the wheel bearings and brake linings

Answer 5

On a long down grade, rather than 'riding' the brakes to maintain a safe speed, engine braking saves the brakes for emergency stopping and control. If you have been holding back the vehicle's speed with the brakes and need to stop or slow quickly, the brakes may be already heated to the point where they will be inefficient to stop you before the point of danger and collision. IMHO

Answer 6

I assume you mean braking,it's to enter a bend at the correct speed,apply appropriate power to enable traction through the bend and to exit with good accelleration being already in a lower gear,stuff the transmission,drive right.

Answer 7

Engine braking for an automatic that is not hauling loads, is only practicle for stopping on slippery roads (ice). This slows the car dow without locking up the wheels and sending the car into a slide.

Answer 8

don't do it If you downshift at a high speed you can mess up an automatic transmission. You can shift to a lower gear before going down a long steep hill if needed but you will probably never need to.

Answer 9

Yeah, on automatic cars it's not really the wisest choice. If you want to actually drive aggresively... get a stick.

Answer 10

Don"t