It turns out that braking can’t only be done through the brakes, you know. But it can also be done by machine. Braking in this way is more often referred to as engine brake .
For ordinary people, the engine brake sounds unusual. But actually this must be known by all car drivers. This engine brake can not only be done by a car with a manual transmission. Cars with any transmission can do the engine brake.
It’s just that before doing the engine brake , there are things that must be known first. Especially if you do the wrong engine brake , the engine can immediately break, bro!
What is Engine Brake?
Braking in this way is a technique that relies on engine speed. The trick is to lower the gear to a lower one. This braking is assisted by the engine so that the brake performance on all four wheels is not too heavy.
Generally this technique is used when passing a fairly sharp descent. If you only rely on the brakes, you might burn the brake pads and the brakes will lose due to heat. That’s why the engine brake is commonly used when passing downhill.
Faster Deceleration
So, what are the five things that must be considered when doing the engine brake? The first thing is that the engine brake is able to provide a faster deceleration effect. Deceleration is a reduction in speed.
The point is that you can immediately reduce the speed in a short time. It’s just that when doing the engine brake must be sorted. For example, when you are at high speed in 5th gear, you can lower your gear to 4, 3, then enter 2nd gear.
The goal is not to damage the engine. Because deceleration at high speed can make the engine more stressed and hot. So it is highly recommended to lower the teeth slowly and sequentially.
Reducing Brake Load
The second point is being able to reduce the brake load. When you’re doing the engine brake , the brakes are not stepped on too often. Because the engine speed can easily hold the car. When you reach the ideal speed, you can step on the brakes or step on the gas pedal again.
Smooth Shifting
Shifting gears or shifting can also be smoother by doing the engine brake . But it must be understood, this more subtle shifting must be done in a timely manner. Between gearshift, speed and rpm must really fit.
Usually you will know for yourself, when it’s time to brake the engine and when to lower gears. This third point will usually be felt when the car driver is already fluent and understands when driving his own car.
Keeping Acceleration
The fourth point of the benefits of the engine brake is being able to maintain acceleration. You can only feel this when you are on the toll road. When the car in front starts to slow down, you don’t have to hit the brakes. It’s enough to just lower the gears, that’s actually enough.
When the car in front starts to speed up, you won’t lose power from the car. Because, you have lowered the gear first from a distance by means of the engine brake so that the acceleration is much easier. In this way, to get back to chasing the car in front is not a difficult matter. Just step on the gas pedal and be good at adjusting the rhythm of the engine rotation, you can return to the initial speed again, bro!
Save on Brake Pads
The last point, diligently doing the engine brake you can save brake lining. The percentage is quite small, but this can be one of the benefits of the engine brake.
Maybe a car that rarely steps on the brake pads will last longer. Because braking is not too much power compared to not doing this engine brake so the canvas doesn’t need to clamp the disc deeply.
The last point is still debatable. However, it still makes sense if you do the engine brake often plus don’t apply the brakes too often, unless it’s a sudden situation.
According to experts, doing this engine brake can help braking up to 50%. But it must also be remembered, do the engine brake in the right way so as not to damage the engine and transmission.
Try to see the RPM when you want to do the engine brake. Do not let the car want to be slower but the RPM is left high in low gear. This is precisely the cause of engine and transmission damage.