What is Engine Braking? Here are the Functions, Methods, and Benefits!

When you want to slow down the car, you can use the engine braking technique. Engine braking is a technique to help you reduce the speed of the car. You may be familiar with this technique, however, there are still many people who don't know how to use the engine brake. Do you know the meaning and how to perform engine braking? Learn more about engine brakes in our following article.

Engine brake is often used by car users, both manual and automatic transmission cars. Usually, this technique is useful when your car goes through steep slopes or roads. Engine braking technique can help maintain brake resistance so your car's brakes don't wear out easily or cause brake failure. With the engine brake, you can reduce the risk of an accident. Braking can be done more safely, especially on a downhill road. The thing you need to pay attention to when using this technique is the type of car used. How to apply the engine braking differs depending on the type of transmission your car has. Are you interested in knowing about the engine brake and how to use it? Come on, read and review this article to the end for a complete explanation!

What is Engine Braking

Engine braking is a technique used to decrease vehicle speed. The way the engine braking works is by reducing the engine speed using the help of the transmission. The braking force on the engine will be channeled through the drivetrain to the wheels. The resulting force comes from friction that occurs in the drivetrain or the vacuum that arises due to lack of air.

To do this technique well, you have to lower the car's transmission gradually or sequentially. This is done to reduce the workload of the brakes so that the braking process is smoother and safer. The condition of the car's brakes can also be maintained properly thereby reducing brake wear. 

READ ALSO: Things to Consider When Driving Downhill to Avoid the Brake Failure

Engine Braking Function

Engine braking serves to slow down the speed of the car. This technique can only be used in certain situations such as on steep declines, slopes, or toll roads. The use of the engine brake can be adjusted according to your needs on the road conditions. Of course the way to do it is different depending on the road conditions you are passing.

In certain conditions such as steep declines, you should not use the usual braking technique as it would put too much pressure on the braking system. If you engage it continuously for too long, your car's brakes will heat up or worse and fail to function. Engine braking can help the effectiveness of vehicle braking thereby reducing the risk of accidents and maintaining the durability of the brakes.

How to Do Engine Braking

As you already know, the engine braking technique can be used in manual and automatic transmission cars. What you need to pay attention to before doing an engine brake is the difference in applying this technique based on the type of car transmission. Here's how to do an engine brake on a car:

1. Engine Braking in Manual Transmission Cars

If you have a manual transmission car, you can use the steps below:

1. First, take your foot off the gas pedal you step on.

2. Second, release the clutch pedal slowly.

3. Third, lower your car's transmission gear gradually and sequentially. For example: You're driving in 4th gear, you downshift to 3rd, and continue downshifting until you want the lower gear you want. The car will slow down even if you don't apply the brakes.

4. Finally, you can use the clutch and brake pedals to stop your car's speed.

5. You need to know when doing the engine brake, you can't step on the gas pedal. This is to avoid damage to the machine.

2. Engine Braking in Automatic Transmission Cars

For cars with automatic transmissions, using the engine braking technique is quite easy. You can use below steps:

1. Move the shift lever position from position D (Drive) to shift lever 2.

2. If it hasn’t fit, move the transmission lever again 2 to transmission L.

3. You can also use the OD (Overdrive) button to slow down the car. You can turn off OD when the road returns to normal.

READ ALSO: The Correct Position of the Automatic Car Transmission Lever on Uphill and Downhill Roads

Engine Braking Benefits

The following are some other benefits that you can get when using the engine braking technique:

1. Reduce Brake Load

Brake performance will be lighter with the help from the engine. Ideally, the brakes are not stepped on too often when braking through the engine. The engine rotation will repress the car movement. When the car's speed is appropriate, you can step on the gas pedal to drive again. Usually, this method is often done on the highway to control braking.

2. Smoother Gear Shifting

Gear shifts must be made at the appropriate time. Speed, engine rotation, as well as gear shift must be implemented carefully to produce a smoother braking process. Usually you can do this when you are proficient at driving and have a long driving experience.

3. Faster Deceleration

Deceleration is a process of decelerating from high speed to low speed or stopping. With the engine brake, you can reduce the speed of the vehicle quickly without having to press the brake pedal. Please note you should not make a sudden gear shift. For example, from gear 5, the transmission goes straight down to gear 2. Move the gear position of the transmission down gradually to reduce the speed of the car.

4. Spontaneous Acceleration

When you get used to doing engine breaks, you can do spontaneous acceleration. Usually this is used when on the highway or incline. You can also use the engine braking to overtake the vehicle or go uphill. The trick is to lower gears to maintain power at certain engine speeds when the car in front slows down.

5. Speed Up Braking

With the engine brake, the braking process will be faster and the car will stop quickly. Engine braking must be done correctly so that the engine and transmission are not easily damaged. You have to constantly look at the RPM indicator when you want to brake with the engine. Don't let the RPMs stay high in low gears. This can accelerate the failure of the engine and transmission.

That is the information about the engine braking, how to do it, and the benefits of using this technique. You can implement the engine braking especially in downhill road conditions. This technique can reduce the risk of accidents when you drive and maintain brake conditions. Even so, the engine brake may be difficult, especially for beginners. The accuracy and suitability of changing the position of the transmission and stepping on the brake pedal is required when applying the engine brake, especially on a downhill road. Before doing the engine brake, you need to practice to master this technique well. It's best to practice on level, uncrowded, and quiet roads before using them on downhill grades.

Engine braking can be done in different ways according to the type of transmission of your car. But basically, the engine braking is done by lowering the transmission gear sequentially and gradually. Before doing the engine braking, you must slowly step on the brake pedal and then shift the transmission gear position. Even though the engine brake can make the braking process easier, pressing the brake pedal to slow down the car's speed is still preferred.

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