Old Stories.

Here are a couple of old opinions that I need clarifying.

1, If the exhaust is broken or blowing under the car then the car will fill with fumes.

2, Using the engine and gear box to slow the car (as I was taught to do) it will damage the gear box.

Is there any truth in theses.

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2, Using the engine and gear box to slow the car (as I was taught to do) it will damage the gear box.

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i always use the gear box to slow down before braking in my lorry and car

so do i has not damaged mine and i have been down some real bad hill off roading

I have always used the gearbox to slow down.
Also, when you off roading, you take your feet off the pedals often to let the engine/transmission keep the vehicle on the straight.
So its fine mate.

i think its down to the way new drivers are taught these days, now its all about brake brake brake dip the clutch, where when i was taught, it was down a gear brake down a gear, (gearbox)

If the exhaust is broken or blowing under the car then the car will fill with fumes.

i have found out that it does not fill with fumes, but you do get some in there, even worst when driving, and opening a window just makes it worst

Bust exhaust under the car will have a chance of filling it with fumes, but depends on the size of the hole ... where it is (if under the gear selctor in a rear whell drive car for example could lead to the fumes coming through the gator) ... and also if your stationary the fumes will travel upwards toward you. When travelling obviously less fumes will get in as the airflow will direct it away. A mate of mine had a rupture in his Micra exhaust and his partner was complaining of headaches and dizzyness which they thought was travel sickness until I found the hole and fixed it.

As for using engine braking I heartily recommend it. Gearboxes (especially something as rugged as a Trooper one) are designed to contend with all sorts of speeds etc. Besides its not as if your going faster which is where the damage happens as you go beyond the rotational speed design tolerances. Your engine is again not going to suffer as its again slowing down.

Talk to any advanced driver, policeman, racing driver, chauffer, driving instructor, etc etc and they will all tell you that engine braking is by far the best course of action. I have always done it myself in all manner of cars rangine from Mk.1 Astra and Mk.1 Fiesta to V6 Cavalier, Nissan 300ZX, Frontera 2.3 and my current Mk.1 Trooper. I have never ever had any issues with any of my gearboxes (touch wood lol) and feel better in the knowledge I have more control of the vehicle under braking, save on fuel, and also brake pads.

In fact thinking back to when I was learning I was taught to engine brake and never touch the clutch pedal unless coming to standstill or change gear.

Ive done class 3 pcv then class 1 pcv and class 3 hgv and class 2 hgv and on all I was taught to use engine braking, getting the Mrs to grasp the concept is frustrating though :evil:

You save fuel and wear on your brakes, you are in control as mentioned above and you are not going to suffer brake fade when towing or on steep descents.

You are using the engine, not to stop you just to slow you down so you are not cancelling full forward motion as you would applying the brakes and wasting the energy in the engine, you are using that energy more efficiently to slow you down, plus it gives you time to anticipate the road ahead and be in the correct gear to move off should the conditions allow.

Went on a speed awareness course recently instead of having points on my licence and when I was taken out for the test drives the instructor told me time and time again not to use the gearbox to slow down :shock:

(as i was taught yrs ago) but to brake instead.He also got almost irate with me as I persisted I the way I was taught and its not easy to unlearn in a couple of 10 minute drives.
So it looks like it may be the new way of being taught.

I think a lot depends on what point you make the change down, too early could be counter productive and increase revs to high, thus use more fuel?

Gears to GO
Brakes to STOP

This is what is being taght at the moment, but when I learn't to drive it was engine braking, as there was no ABS and very few cars had "servo Asstsited brakes".

All diifernt now even to the fact that there should be no overlap betwen braking and clutch / changing gear.

Still do overlap and use engine brakingmy self, easier to change a tank of diesel that do the barke shoes :mrgreen:

Trev

I learnt to dive some whole 5 years ago :lol:

and i was taught to brake and not go down the box, Except in snow or ice then they recommended to go down the box, as a rolling wheel cannot lock, Anyhow i passed my test and now use the box all the time :lol:

Just looked up some driving theory test questions and one of them is:

"Why is coasting wrong?" ... the correct answer is "There is no engine braking". Kind of makes me think that engine braking is the way forward as far as the tset is concerned.

the whole engine braking thing for me is a sore subject, i had to go on a company speed awareness corse (long story at that point i was driving company van delivering furniture expected to do 2 many jobs etc so put my foot down to get round on time like every delivery driver i know)

i passed my test in 2001 and my instructor taught me use the gears and i always have done since in every car i've owned (ranging from my mini's up to my 2,8 frontera and volvo's) except my granadas as they was autos, the bloke on the speed bs corse told me i was driving the van wrong as i was changing down the gears stopping, he expected me to do what they now call block changes from say 5th then just go down to the gear you need to pull away, which in my van used to be 2nd, i never used first as it was way to low to do any good. and use the brakes all the time, when i brought up the point about using the brakes all the time heats them up (especially when loaded with about a ton of furniture on the back) hence heats the brake fluid up and produces brake faid i got told thats what we have to teach now and to pass the corse (i needed to to keep my job) i'd have to the block changes and just use the brakes,

i did pass the corse but then i went back to my maneger who was an advanced driving instructer in a previous job and told him, he just laughed and said he'd never pass the corse as he teaches to go down the gears and he does it his self as he considers it to be more controlled to use gears etc as you can put your foot down to avoid a possable accident in front of you or behind you,

lol dont even get me started on abs, i personally think abs is the most dangerous thing on a new car, especially in snow and ice, all my cars with abs i've had as soon as ice/snow hits i take the fuse out as abs simply does its job and stops the wheels locking and wont lett you stop, problem is in snow and ice i've found with abs i cant stop at all, with it disabbled stopping distances simply shrink,

No gear changing to brake here but the point of no coasting, is to use the engine braking whilst using the brakes and ie rolling upto a traffic light in 4th gear so im only changing gear if the lights change

This what I thought.

My wife is learning to drive and she is not taught engine braking but if I take her out she has to do it.

The tiny Lerner's car is half the size and much newer than the Frontera.

As for the exhaust the comment came from an exhaust fitter. After the back box on my Renault Traffic failed so I just took it off. The exhaust now ends just above the rear axle. Its nosier than normal but quieter than next doors Subaru.

Tiddles.

It is very strange my brother passed his test 3 weeks ago and they were still telling him to brake and not use the gears, DVLA again :roll:

. Also Slightly off topic :oops:

i failed my 1st test because i learnt to drive in a transit with no rear windows and when i done a parallel park in a fiesta i done it all of the mirrors and didn't use the rear window, The parrellel park was fine i failed just because i was used to the transit, I did ask the examiner what would have happened if i had done the test in the transit, and i was told i would have passed :axe:

I really dont understand it if its done safely and you achieve what you set out to achieve does it really mater how you do it, ...... Sorry rant over :oops: