Downshifting and engine braking.

[DetergentCandy]

So, I need to know. What are the cons?

See, I come from riding motorcycles, where engine braking is used just as much as your actual brakes.
Using the engine to brake, happens just as much as you use the engine to accelerate. They go hand in hand.

But...cars are a different story, aren't they? There's way more moving parts. You've got all sorts of belts that go to all sorts of places, and I have no idea what damage can be caused.

Is the reverse tension on the belts a bad thing, that will kick me in the ass later? Or is it fairly safe to use the engine to slow your car, as long as you do it safely and don't murder your RPMs?

[heydockyle]

do it safely and don't murder your RPMs?

These are your key words. As long as you do it safely, you will be fine. I downshift to slow down all the time. Just start slowing down with your brakes first, then downshift.

[OB]

Downshifting is extremely safe for the belts and accessories. What it is hard on is the clutch and transaxle. I do it as 100% of my normal driving, but it's a habit I want to get out of for street driving. These cars don't hesitate to let you know that they don't like downshifting too, based on the terrible noises they make and the all around feel they give. Rev matching for racing is excellent and also not nearly as hard on the drivetrain since there is minimal shock during the shifting event (when done properly). Bottom line, downshifting regularly basically equates to using the clutch twice as often as you normally would to accelerate. It WILL fail sooner due to the added use.

The way I see it, brakes are much cheaper and easier to change than clutches and trannys. If you can live with popping her into neutral and coasting to a stop using only the brakes, by all means, keep it that way.

[heydockyle]

Rev matching for racing is excellent and also not nearly as hard on the drivetrain since there is minimal shock during the shifting event (when done properly).

I do this all the time. Just makes it easier on me and the synchros. Too bad everything thinks I want to race them and starts revving at me lol.

[fixitmattman]

I do it as 100% of my normal driving, but it's a habit I want to get out of for street driving. These cars don't hesitate to let you know that they don't like downshifting too, based on the terrible noises they make and the all around feel they give.

If your car is making noise on downshift you have problems somewhere. Any car should be fine with downshifting. In fact is needs to be a part of normal driving a manual transmission vehicle, this means even slowing down. If you're not in gear, you're not in control of your vehicle. You will fail any respectable driving test if you coast. Only time your car should be in neutral is when you're stopped or parked. If you're moving, you're in a gear, be it cruising, accelerating, or slowing.

FWIW I downshift and engine brake all the time - I have the original clutch and trans in the car, it has 275000km on it.

[gtxtreme19]

Do it. I know driving a big rig isn't the same but as a trucker down shifting is used more than the breaks. As a matter of fact I almost failed my driving test because I coasted in neutral with the breaks on instead of downshifting.
Just my $.02

[r/tguy02]

i do it, and i drive spiritedly quite often, if i do downshift though i dont let the rpm's go above 3.5k. i think so long as you dont abuse it, it will be just fine.

[Paul56]

So, I need to know. What are the cons?

See, I come from riding motorcycles, where engine braking is used just as much as your actual brakes.
Using the engine to brake, happens just as much as you use the engine to accelerate. They go hand in hand.

But...cars are a different story, aren't they? There's way more moving parts. You've got all sorts of belts that go to all sorts of places, and I have no idea what damage can be caused.

Is the reverse tension on the belts a bad thing, that will kick me in the ass later? Or is it fairly safe to use the engine to slow your car, as long as you do it safely and don't murder your RPMs?

Well, I don't see an issue with downshifting... but then again I am a former semi driver where downshifting is required.

I don't do it all the time with the Neon... but occasionally if I need to come to a quick stop.

[hansken_yo]

I can't really explain how much I down shift and compression brake, but it is more than I use the actual brake pedal. I also employ a lot of Heel Toe Technique which is also great for downshifting. This technique is actually made easier in Neons due to how close the brake and gas pedal are in proximity to one another, making it so that you only have to pivot your foot to the gas pedal from the brake instead of actually using your heel on one pedal and toe on the other.

The big thing is just match your RPMs to the gear you are shifting down to. This requires that you are familiar enough with your car to know how high to go in the RPMs. If you do it correctly it shouldn't have any adverse effects on your transmission or engine.

[Hudson_Neon]

your biggest difference is that the bike is a wet clutch system and the car is a dry clutch. the wet clutch is designed to slip. just like the clutches in an auto trans. but the clutch in a manual trans is a dry system and is designed to work properly either off (disengaged/pedal down) or on (engaged/pedal up). anywhere in between is wearing the crap out of the clutch material.

now with all that being said, i do it all the time. i just replaced my clutch with about 97,000 miles on it. about 67,000 of that was all me. so i say go for it. saves your brakes and doesn't do too much harm to the clutch disc, pressure plate, or flywheel. (modular clutch system in a neon's case)

[fixitmattman]

your biggest difference is that the bike is a wet clutch system and the car is a dry clutch. the wet clutch is designed to slip. just like the clutches in an auto trans. but the clutch in a manual trans is a dry system and is designed to work properly either off (disengaged/pedal down) or on (engaged/pedal up). anywhere in between is wearing the crap out of the clutch material.

Unless you've installed a 'slipper' clutch in your bike, it grips on and off just like a dry clutch. There are big differences between wet stacked plate and dry clutch construction, but in the end they function the same as on/off devices. Slipping either for prolonged periods will wear them out the same.

[DetergentCandy]

Good to know! Been downshifting often, and wasn't looking forward to stopping
As long as there's no major damage going on, i'm a happy driver!

[racer12306]

Not as long as Matt, but I've been downshifting for nearly 90,000 miles. Zero trans issues, it's actually be pretty damn quiet, even after starting it up after it's been sitting for weeks.

[Midnight_Rider]

I've always downshifted on a regular basis with every car I've owned and never had any issues. My 1GN had 121K on the original clutch was still going strong when I traded it for my first 2GN.

[Hudson_Neon]

I've always downshifted on a regular basis with every car I've owned and never had any issues. My 1GN had 121K on the original clutch was still going strong when I traded it for my first 2GN.

lol, i bet that clutch started making some lovely noises not long after you traded it in. that's just how things seem to always work. when i did mine at like 97k i probably only had another 5-10k left on it