Changing Down The Gears When Slowing Down.

[Tilly2]

At the risk of being ridiculed, I need to know how to stop my car, or slow down my car without changing down the gears 4,3,2,1.
I was taught to do this when I learned to drive many moons ago.

I do a lot of town driving and I am finding that constantly depressing the clutch is actually taking its toll on my left knee. (as well as the Badminton!)

I really don't know what to do with the gears, if I just put my foot on the brake. Obviously, I don't mean an emergency stop. I mean approaching a junction and stopping without going down the gears.

What do you do with the clutch and the gears?

(Try not to take the mikey, please!)

[tonyav]

Yes Baths, it helps the cylinder bores to stay round so I believe.


http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/general-advice/running-in-a-new-car.html

[Electrochem]

With modern brakes and engines, there is no need to go down through the gears when bringing your car to s stop. Simply taking your foot off the gas will start to slow you down. You then just need to progessively apply footbrake and disengage the clutch before the engine stalls.

[maggiebee]

"take your foot off the gas" I know of cars powered by electricity but gas?

[jno]

American cars are powered by gas.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/images/0609/exclusives/trans-americas_gas-sign2.jpg

[Bathsheba]

@Tony...thanks ;)
x x

[New Judge]

Haven't read all of this. Has anyone mentioned the ancient art of double de-clutching?

[retrocop]

Many times NJ but a little too involved for some who were not used to crash gearboxes!

[Dodger666]

When I learned to drive in the 1960s I was told that the brakes are designed to stop the car, not the gearbox.

[Retrochic]

I've never understood the popularity of manual transmission in the UK. I can drive an HGV , a agricultural tractor and was taught to double de-clutch on an old army wagon by my father -but to choose to drive my own car in manual? Why? Its bad on your knees hips is one more thing to worry about in busy towns -and these days automatics are much easier on fuel.

[Hypognosis]

Going down through the gears, so as to use "engine braking" probably dayes back to the time when the main fear was of "brake fade". City folk would rarely be troubled by this but, if you attempted a long descent in a mountainous area, you would eventually be faced with a hairpin turn, a precipitous drop and overheated brakes which no longer slowed you down.

Under those, rare, circumstances, your own life was worth more than that of a clutch or gearbox.

We have disc brakes these days, which do not suffer from 'fade' but some cheaper makes/models may have drum brakes on the rear, so prolonged braking (10 minutes plus) on a long downhill road mean you could lose a good chunk of the car's braking ability.

[Hypognosis]

@Retrochic

//I've never understood the popularity of manual transmission in the UK. //

Most of us prefer to drive in a 'sporty' fashion. Not sedately. Like the flat-cap brigade.

(grin, duck and run…)

[TWR]

Dodger, that is you 2nd form of braking.

[Tilly2]

I have been practising the brakes method today. It's easier than I thought.

[Tilly2]

I'm glad we don't have many hills in Bedfordshire.

[Davemano]

Three postings up would seem to go against braking, but if you are going down a precipitous drop and do not know the road, you are advised to be in an appropriate gear to begin with. Of course there are those who go like the clappers whether they know the road or not. Also it should be kept in mind that people these days are not necessarily taught to drive, but simply to pass a test. There is a big difference.

[retrocop]

PiedPiper15
You are rather unkind to suggest Hypognosis is talking Total Nonsense!
I learnt about brake fade in the 70's on my Traffic Officer's Standard Vehicle examination course .It was something we considered and checked when examining vehicles involved in Fatal accidents in order to give probable cause in Coroner's court.
Hydraulic fluid is one of many substances known as Hygroscopic.It easily becomes contaminated by the absorbtion of water in the atmosphere and humidity. That is why brake fluid should be changed on recognised service intervals.
If prolonged and excessive braking is used heat builds up through friction on the drums and shoes.The heat transfers itself through the brake cylinder pistons and brake pipes. The water in the contaminated system can and does boil causing steam vapour which does not compress like the unadulterated hydraulic oil .That does cause what is known as brake fade and failure. That is why we have ventilated discs etc in high performance cars and racing cars where heavy braking is used on the circuit etc. To minimise friction/heat and brake fade.
h

[tonyav]

Drum brakes were noted for brake fade, thank gawd for discs.