I have been driving manual transmissions for a long time and I frequently use what I call 'engine break' i.e. shifting down to slow down the speed...like I am going in 4th gear and I shift down to 3rd and then to 2nd to slow down in conjuction with using the regular breaks. Its not like I am punishing the engine all the time ... just gradual down shifts ... making sure the RPM doesn't go high while down shifting. I hope you guys understand what I am trying to say here. It has become kind of a driving habit for me. My question right now: Is this driving style harmful for an engine?

And MORE SPECIFICALLY how does this driving style affect a ROTORY engine viz. the apex seals etc..

Please enlighten me! as I haven't owned a rotory before.

 

what ur doing is called transmission braking, not engine braking. ur using the gears to slow u down.

ur putting more wear and tear on the more expensive part(the transmission) then on ur brakes. brake pads/brakes are much cheaper and easier to replace then ur transmission.

 

Hi tribal,

I understand that its not creating any problems for the brakes, actually the transmission braking would create lesser wear and tear on the brakes.

What parts of transmission get damaged?

Is it harmful for the cylinder/pistor or in rotory case the housing/apex seals etc???

 

Maximus

I don't think there's anything unique in your style of driving a stick - this is what 99% of stick drivers do, and I can't believe it creates any excessive engine wear. It will certainly lengthen the life of your brakes, and leave you in the correct gear to take off swiftly once you stop deccelerating.

Go with your instincts, and have fun

 

it doesnt hurt ur engine. the transmission doesnt get "damaged", ur just putting more wear on it. u rather wear out the less expensive parts(brake pads) then ur transmission

 

Rexor,

Thanks for your input. When u are down shifting and using it to slow down the car what would be happening inside the rotory with respect to the intake/exhaust ports?

 

This same question came up on Car Talk a while ago. They recommended using the brakes.

 

Hi m477,

Any details that you remember?

 

This is one of those topics that have been debated forever, and on every forum I have ever visited. And there is never any agreement between the two camps. Some people say they never do it because of wear and some people (myself included) have always done it. I have never had any issues due to doing this and as long as you are rev matching, clutch wear is minimal. I would prefer to always be in the proper gear (even if there is 'alleged' extra wear) than to be in the wrong gear if I need to get moving quick.

 

I never had any problem downshifting to slow me down. I use it everytime and no problem. Gradually downshifting wont hurt, but going 4th to 2nd gear.

 

I rarely do it. When I do, I rev match. I'd rather replace brake pads than synchro's.

 

Brake pads $50
Engine $5000
.
A gearbox never slowed anybody down. Engines sucking vacuum slow you down.
Throttles shut, engine turning 7000rpm, no fuel, no air, big vacuum to suck whatever lubrication you have into the combustion zone, to be burned 'blue' when you get back on the gas........
No, it's probably not the best situation to put your engine in. (This is when 'two-stokes' sieze, after a hard acceleration, you cut off the flow of cool air and freshly evaporated fuel, at the same time doubling the revs.) Remember, the wankel is actually a 'two-stroke/four-stroke' it has no idle time like a four stoke.
Even if you wear out your rotors as well as your pads, it is 5% of the engine rebuild cost.
.
Drive any way you like, but be aware of the wear & tear.

Ray.

 

I think where the confusion comes in to play with this topic is some people are referring to "slowing down" and manuevering through traffic vs. coming to a stop. As for downshifting to slow down in the process of driving and manuevering, Rexor is correct in that 99% of us probably do it, while when coming to a stop, some people may take the previous action to an extreme (IMO) and do it every time they are coming to a stop. As mentioned before, brakes are much cheaper than mechanical wear and tear regardless if it's the engine or the tranny.

As for me, I do downshift on occasion say if I'm in traffic and I know going down just one gear will slow me down enough while still being at a decent RPM, but at the same time, I almost never down shift while coming to a stop. I just put it in neutral and coast to a stop. If the situation changes while slowing down, the correct gear is only a snick away.

 

One of the negative aspects of using engine braking is that in a standard 2 wheel drive you will be applying this braking force to only 2 wheels, not all four. This can upset the balance of a car. On a front wheel drive car this could cause the car to oversteer and spin iif you are cornering.

I've done that once and it wasn't much fun. Missed everyone else though, so just completed the 360 and continued on my way.

Like everyone else I still use engine breaking, but not quite so aggressively as I used to

 

It most certainly is NOT what most stick drivers do; for one thing most stick owners have figured out brakes are a LOT cheaper to replace than a clutch, and that's essentially what you are doing by downshifting - saving your brakes at the cost of vastly increased clutch wear...