Question about using brakes

boysmom · 06-10-03, 06:09

I have a new car, it's not my first new car or my last. (The point being, I almost certainly won't keep her forever. )
I drove a Suburban prior to this car. It was big and heavy and much harder to stop than this Toyota. So after I thought a little about braking I decided to use the transmission to help slow the car down - {only when the situation is conducive for it}, thinking that it would help preserve the life of the brakes. So here is my question... (s)

Is this good for the brakes but bad for my transmission (or engine) ? And then... How bad? (Since those parts are under a long warranty period.)

Also... when you are stopped , at a stop light for instance, is it better to use a lot of pressure on your brake pedal or just enough to keep it from moving forward?

Thanks for any thoughts, ideas or suggestions!

84GTV6 · 06-10-03, 10:44

Brakes are cheaper then engines/transmissions. Use em!

Think of it this way, the brakes were designed to stop the car, the engine was designed to make it go. Brake pads are "cheap" in the big scheme of things.

IndigoGTI · 06-10-03, 11:25

I noticed you drive a Highlander, with an automatic transmission, I would just leave it in drive and let it do its thing. The only time I would use engine braking on a vehicle like that is if I was descending a steep incline, or a steep wet/icy road.

2wheelsx2 · 06-10-03, 11:31

Quote:

Originally posted by boysmom

Also... when you are stopped , at a stop light for instance, is it better to use a lot of pressure on your brake pedal or just enough to keep it from moving forward?

This is kind of irrelevant, if you think about it. When the pads are contacting the disks, there is no wear. The only wear is when you are slowing down, and the rotor is turning against the pads.

Whether you put pressure or not is your choice. I put pressure on the pedal at a stoplight. Why? So that if I should get rear-ended, I don't shoot out into the intersection, or into the car in front of me.

mmeans · 06-10-03, 11:46

While coming to a stop light for a stop try to leave 50' or more of roll space to remove your foot from the brake to roll a few feet with no brake applied. Well that is a cumbersome explination. What you would like to do is not heat soak the rotors in one spot. A slow roll to a light with light brake pressure before stopping will allow the brakes to cool somewhat. Then only enough pressure to keep you from rolling forward will work fine. That will save the heat soak as well, marginally but it's better than nothing. With todays rotors being very warp prone due to lack of material, all reasonable measures to save them help.

An automatic transmission should not be used to slow your car, unless it is set up to do so; much larger cooler for the fluid, better frictions and bands, better valve body....

Michael Means

Jake11375 · 06-10-03, 12:43

I agree with all the above. If you want to preserve the life of your brakes, begin stopping sooner so you don't have to apply a lot of pressure on the pads, and keep a safe following distance when driving behind other cars. If they slam on your brakes, you won't have to.

tkr128 · 06-10-03, 01:20

Definately use your brakes, brakes are much cheaper to replace than a transmission. They may be under warranty, but it's a major pain to have them replaced or fixed.

I also agree with what everybody has said above. If you stop properly, the only maintenance you'll have to do is replace the brake pads and maybe resurface the rotors.

4DSC · 06-10-03, 02:37

Yeah I agree with pretty much what everyone said as well.

-brakes are cheaper and cheaper to replace/fix than transmissions
-some pressure when stopped incase you get rear-ended
-do more braking earlier and come to a final stop easily and gently

I'm not sure that even on steep descents if I'd use the transmission as a brake with an automatic. I can't help but wonder if the torque converter would be locked or not and if you'd be creating more heat in it if it wasn't. It might not quite be like doing the same thing with a stick.

Just don't ride the brakes all the way down the hill.

JMiles · 07-08-03, 02:18

If the transmission is worth a crap and you're not making big jumps in rpm, you're not going to wear the engine or transmission any...

I've found most of the time people come up with transmission problems for it are cause by one of two things:

1) Big jumps in RPM (driver fault)
2) Clutch wears out. This is why we use Neutral at a light instead of pumping and riding your clutch all the time.

I've never understood 2, but I know more people that do this subconsciously and never realize it...

**********

Personal preferance really boils down to a combination of what habits you have, what myths you want to believe and a short lsit of other things I don't care to dream up and write.

bet993 · 07-08-03, 12:34

Quote:

Originally posted by JMiles

2) Clutch wears out. This is why we use Neutral at a light instead of pumping and riding your clutch all the time.

I've never understood 2, but I know more people that do this subconsciously and never realize it...

If you sit at a stop light with clutch pedal pressed in, you end up wearing out your "throwout" bearing and not the actual clutch. The problem is that on some cars replacement of the throwout bearing can be just as costly as the clutch because of the labor involved. In general if you replace a clutch or a throwout bearing it is cost effective and good preventive maintenance to replace the other "while you are in there".

Of course if you have a performance car this just gets you a head start on the slippery slope of modifications

...Because while you are in there you might want to get that light weight fly wheel or these great stainless steel syncros or better gearing.....the list may be endless.

Buck-O · 07-08-03, 02:11

Quote:

Originally posted by bet993
...Because while you are in there you might want to get that light weight fly wheel or these great stainless steel syncros or better gearing.....the list may be endless.

Or my personal favorite...
Twin plate spring less, with dog-rings.

boysmom · 07-11-03, 05:46

I was looking at my owners manual and it had intructions (?) on using the engine to help break. Depressing the overdrive button to shift into third, and what the RPMs should be for each gear, etc.

It doesn't give any warnings against it or to reccommend it. Does this suggest that this car might be "set up" to do this as Michael Means made a reference to?

I stoped this practice after reading the replies to my original post, BTW, but I have been curious since I saw this in the owner's manual.