Q #654 - When will you feel the effects of engine braking?
When you take your foot off the accelerator, engines have a natural resistance to turn, caused mainly by the cylinder compression. Changing to a lower gear requires the engine to turn faster and so it will have greater resistance than when it's made to turn more slowly. When going downhill, changing to a lower gear will therefore help to keep the vehicle's speed in check.
| When you only use the handbrake | |
| When you're in neutral | |
| When you change to a lower gear | |
| When you change to a higher gear |
