An important point worth mentioning is the safety aspect. In every scenario I can think of, engine braking is safer than coasting in neutral. When you're in neutral, you just abuse the brakes as it's your only way to slow down. Not only does this wear out your brakes way more, but it also drastically reduces their ability to slow down your car in the event of an emergency (especially downhill). In other scenarios, you might need to use the throttle to avoid an accident (say a sudden obstruction in the road). Having the car in gear means you can act instantly, while having it in neutral puts a small delay before you can accelerate to avoid an accident. I find that the car behaves a lot more predictably when in gear than when it's coasting in neutral. Plus, being in gear allows you to use throttle to correct slides/spins in low-grip scenarios. You just have way more control over the car when it's in gear, which naturally makes it safer. Personally, I'm willing to sacrifice a couple mpg for this reason (and to save my brakes, which could partially offset the cost of 1mpg difference).
@@1EVE1X Not really. The breaking itself happens by a vacuum occurring due to the fuel not being injected and the engine still rotating. But the downshifting itself could wear a clutch a bit, but clutches do not really wear unless theyre overheating. And overheating occurs in extreme scenarios, where youre holding the bite point too long while upshifting and applying gas, or holding the bitepoint too long while downshifting in a really low gear for the current speed at which youre at.
If I had to abuse the brakes to keep a safe speed I wouldn't be in neutral. There are a few hills like coming from Worcester to Hereford, and also Dinmore Hill between Leominster and Hereford where you have steep bits into a tight corner, so you may as well use the engine to hold your speed down a bit. Coasting in neutral is for lowering your total rolling resistance, which is not what you want down a steep twisty hill. Ideally you'd have an electric car battery to charge in this scenario, but with petrol or diesel cars you have to throw the energy away if it brings you to dangerous speeds.
0:50 "Engine Braking is not using the clutch to slow down the car". Funny how this is the case but with the 3 driving instructors I had they all insisted that it was engine braking. Good luck to their clutch I guess.
@@MickDrivesCars I got my license 13 years ago and my instructor insisted I start off in 2nd, then 4th, then 6th. He also insisted I should shift down and let go of the clutch to slow down. And no rev matching😬
@@adarob92 Starting in 2nd is only viable in a couple scenarios, first gear is too short and your car has too much power, and/or your car has a lot of power and you're driving in snow so starting in 2nd will give you more control. Although with proper throttle and clutch control you probably don't need to start in 2nd when driving in low traction condition. My 158hp civic can start in 2nd gear, so you don't need a whole lot of power to do a 2nd gear start, but I don't recommend it as you'd have to slip your clutch longer which will put more wear on your clutch. Your driving instructor probably burns through his clutch every 30k miles, downshifting without rev matching too? Yikes..
Did they mean to engage and disengage the clutch multiple times to slow down each time the clutch connects ? Yeah i don't think that's engine braking either.
I agree. Ive been reading the comments and paid attention to your explanations and you are right. Engine brake for stopping or keeping the car at a reasonable speed down a hill, coasting for when engine brake is too much brake (less likely scenario). Maybe in some hills engine brake or coasting is not the better way but it is to lift just a bit. I hope I am comprehensible.
Having been taught to drive in 1966 by driving a 3½ton Army Bedford, engine braking was paramount. Up until a year ago - 2023, when I bought my first automatic, engine braking was my preferred driving method and it always meant that I was probably already in the correct gear for the moment when I began to pick up speed again! There were times however, when, as a poorly paid soldier, I would coast at every opportunity.
Important thing to notice when going on big descents regarding coasting vs engine braking. There are very steep mountain roads near my city and it seems like a lot of people get confused when it comes to going downhill, especially on steep tight turns etc. The best & safest way is using engine braking on a lower gear and higher rpms so you get more "engine braking". Otherwise if you coast down the hill you'll wear out and overheat the brakes in no time which is a big no no. Using the engine as main braking source means you'll have to use the breaks less and it still uses no fuel. On newer cars injectors shut off automatically and spray no fuel when engine braking.
Some modern MHEV cars automatically coast with the engine turned off getting crazy fuel economy. I've seen a 1.3 petrol Renault Arkana get 5.4L/100km (52.3 mpg UK). It's not a powerful car at 158bhp, but certainly impressive for a family SUV.
Oh yes! I drove a newer hybrid Corolla for a day and averaged 58mpg (99% highway) It did exactly this, when off the throttle it cut the engine and coasted.
@@somebody6996 Of course. This economy was achieved in a long trip with a generally low speed limit (mostly 90km/h). If you enter a city, expect consumption to increase drastically. Combined real world economy might be around 6.5L/100km (43.5mpg UK). Haven't really measured economy in a city, but seeing how it affects the average, it probably is around 7.5 or 8L/100km (37.7~35.3 mpg UK).
@@MickDrivesCars you can go one better - the Corolla is actually lightly regen braking in the scenario you describe. Lift off then replace just a tiny amount of throttle. The car will then truly coast with the engine off. Toyota hybrid hypermilers have been doing this since the early 2000s and the original Gen 1 Prius.
This applies to regular driving too, wack it into neutral at the top of a hill then back into gear at the very bottom. things like that. got like 53.7mpgs out of a 1.6golf doing it once on my commute, granny driving.
I love engine breaking! Have been doing a hell of a lot more of it ever since you mentioned it in passing in a previous vid. But, to be honest, accelerating after a complete stop more fun!
Well , i will always think engine braking is more efficient , after all modern cars cut off fuel injection when you do that , and if it is an automatic they shift in the highest gear , reaching almost the same resistance as coasting. Great video anyway!
Engine braking doesn't use fuel while you're using it (above a certain rpm), but in neutral you can begin the slow down earlier without the car going too slow. So use engine braking on downhill and low speed limit at bottom and coast when you can keep going. Some people turn the engine off to coast to get the best of both worlds but can be dangerous in certain circumstances. I mean you can fail your driving test for extended coasting, but it does have its uses for lowering your rolling resistance because you are not moving those engine cylinders up and down as quickly when you don't need them. Sure you are using a bit of fuel to keep it idling but you don't have to accelerate as much when you finish the coast.
Thanks for the nice video Mick. Any chance you have and OBDII data recorder? That should tell you the instantaneous fuel injection, maybe the inclination and you can make pretty graphs.
You can control the amount of engine braking to be induced by not letting off the throttle entirely. There's a sweet spot just lower than that of maintenance throttle where the transmission gets unloaded the most while still remaining connected. This can maximize the glide effect without sacrificing the safety of being in gear.
I’ve always been a big proponent of coasting > engine braking but pretty much any forum that spoke about it said engine braking is better but this does seem to say otherwise
I would just add, that driving in neutral can be dangerous, as you have no power in case of emergency, perhaps an oncoming car, somebody cutting over, coming in from the back at high speed, etc.But it is a nice feeling, just use it responsibly :)
Yes, but you are using coasting in wrong situation then. If you need to slow down more you never use coasting because it wastes fuel by idling and also uses brakes more. Engine braking is the only correct option for this situation. On the other hand there are situations when it is clearly beneficial to use as it reduces engine noise and increase economy. One clear example is when you are going down a hill with a gear in and you are losing momentum so you need to apply some throttle. But if you were in N you would stay in desired speed or even would be accelerating slightly. That situation doesnt wear your brakes because you dont use brakes on straight road just for no reason you are just conserving fuel and reducing noise. This is easy example when is is just beneficial to coast.
The idea of engine braking in modern trucks and coaches still exists , although most are automatic and the retarder ( electric Thelma brake ) does most of the slowing . However in aspects such as driving light vans with goods such as tools or materials in the back , engine braking ensures you don’t get smashed up plyboard or other materials everywhere .
Can i coast on an automatic cvt car? Is it safe to put the cvt into neutral from drive position while car is in motion and back to drive position when speed decreases?
Yeah you can go D-N as much as you like, just come fully off the throttle Sidenote - if you have a hybrid CVT car it's very likely it turns off the engine automatically which you're off the gas :)
Yeah you can, and I often do. There wasn't really a chance for this during the video since it was all motorway. I think if you have to stop engine braking is better. Rev match or engine brake down to idle rpm and neutral from there.
You can safely brake with your gearbox as long as you a) don't downshift more than 1 gear and b) release the clutch petal just to the initial biting point and then immediately press it down again. I have 350,000 KM on my C220D and the gearbox is just fine. As for coasting vs Engine braking.. the later has the transmission engaged which means mechanical resistance, friction etc so naturally you slow down. Finally, one should never drive in neutral or with the clutch pressed.
The other day I was going to the beach and from my city to the beach is almost 1 full hour of big downhills so i was engine braking through most of it. The problem is sometimes I had to push the throttle, I knew about coasting but heard that the engine heats up and it can be damaging so I didn’t tried it. The thing is idk how true is that information. If anyone knows pls tell me
There's also the pulse and glide, which in a 500 horsepower car with effortless acceleration even if you're only using 2000 revs it's probably more effective relatively speaking than in my Fiesta 1.2 where you are probably using a higher proportion of torque just to keep going. Plus you have a torque gauge on that car so here's what you do on a dual carriageway: Give it a high torque burst in 6th from 60-70 (most of the way down but not all if it runs rich - torque gauge should be at about 80%, learn where this is on the accelerator for muscle memory). Go into neutral until the car's speed has dropped back to 60. Repeat. It will probably be even more fuel efficient at lower speeds, though you might want to use 5th to accelerate if you start getting into the 40-55 range. Below that it might just be less work to putter along in 6th at a steady speed. That or drive it like you stole it to maximize smiles per gallon (within reason so as not to crash). In this test you're better off coasting on the dual carriageway section and then engine braking up to the give way line at the end.
Hey Mick! Loves your videos and have been watching for a while now. Just wondering, what’s the name of your bag that you have in the passenger side in all of your videos? It looks very nice and organized.
Great video, as always. Questions: isn't it dangerous to coast? Decoupling the engine from the transmission makes a car unstable, precisely because you don't have engine breaking. Second, is it safe/healthy for an engine to engine brake at high RPM?
Wait, why do you believe no fuel is entering the engine when you are engine breaking? The throttle body isn't a perfect seal, it allows some air to pass for idling. Your car is basically still trying to idle when you are engine breaking. The MPG measurement on the car is measuring how much fuel is injected over the distance traveled. Since coasting and engine breaking are both attempting to inject the same amount of fuel (attempting to idle), of course engine breaking is worse MPG because you slow down faster and travel a smaller distance while injecting the same fuel as coasting which doesn't slow down as fast and travels longer distance. I do know about DFCO, but doesn't that really only kick in at higher RPM ranges?
@@MickDrivesCars ok can you tell me how you turn when its a 90 degree turn step by step so i can learn please because my instructor tells me to put down my clutch then downshift and as im turning release clutch please help how u do it
@@FxtureYThow fast are you taking these turns? If you are slowing down below the gears minimum speed then yes you should be pushing down the clutch, if you aren't then you should not be pressing the clutch
Hi again, just wanted to give my one personal suggestion. I think that if you want to go further with engine braking go to an even higher gear. What do you think you can try out the tests but this time when you are going downhill go to the gear that will be having RPM of almost Idle for that speed 😅.
If you get in a wreck, driving with your hands on the bottom would save your arms from being injured. The airbag can break your arm, taught to me by professional driver.
I tried an experiment where I "pulsed and coasted" my way to the shops late one night when the roads were quiet. Normally I'd expect 40-45mpg on that drirve. I got 52 that evening. I'm not sure I like how effective "pulse and glide" coasting is 😬...
"Engine braking is not" *describes exactly what engine braking is* Also most, slightly older, cars do not cut off fuel flow to the engine. That's a mostly modern feature, in an older car you are much better off just using your brakes. (Engine braking is leaving the car in gear and letting the engine slow down the car, all while the clutch is still engaged. This won't ruin your car but it is extra wear on your clutch, and brake pads are much cheaper than a clutch replacement)
I don't like to coast, because you don't have immediate control over the car. You have to put it back in gear to accelerate. I would put the car in cruise control to maintain the same speed. The car can than decide to engine break or to help out a little by putting a bit of fuel in. The cruise control wil put the tiniest amount of fuel in to just prevent it from creating a vacuum and engine brake. That should be the same amount of fuel as to have it running stationary. It's very hard to balance that amount with just your feed, because you react to the feedback of the car (increase of speed) but that will add way to much fuel.
What if you will give a bit of throttle during engine “braking” so that car wouldn’t spend energy on pulling vacuum in the engine. Basically just put a little bit of throttle so the car stays at the consistent speed
It is by far the least effective mode engine can operate in. Least kw produced for fuel spent. Much more effective to run engine in idle az 700 rpm than run it very inefficiently at very low load at 3000 rpm for example.
The fact that coasting is better in this instance doesn't make any sense to me? The only reason the engine consumes fuel is to keep the engine active in idle, that energy just gets wasted... My thought is: 1. The highest gear is still running at such a high RPM rate on 6th, and pushing it into neutral drops the revs so significantly it's reducing drag in excess of the force pumping into the engine. If this is the case, the 8 speed automatic should yield different results.
it all depends where you coast, how you plan for risk, and overall how you do it. in the past i have coasted quite a lot, usually didnt need to touch the brakes because of the gradient of the hill, planned to coast in advance when risks were low (little to no other vehicles around, can maintain a safe braking distance, knew the condition of my brakes so not wearing them out). its all down to the driver and risks they choose to take that causes danger, its not from coasting, its from planning ahead and reading the road.
@@Omarock It’s not a problem since you’re driving fast But the brakes will be stiff since there will be no vacuum from the engine intake to support them
I heard engine braking was good for fuel economy, so I started doing it a couple days ago. I didn't realize until now that downshifting to slow the car down is not engine braking. Thanks for letting me know and also can someone tell me how fucked I am?
meanwhile I use engine braking just to go easy on my brake pads lol, wasn't even thinking about fuel economy also I have an automatic so I risk money shifting into reverse if I try to go into neutral while moving
27 днів тому
This is a weird comparison. Coasting is something you can do to save fuel. Engine breaking (it's in the name) is something you can do to save your breaks. It's very useful in mountains, where people not using engine breaking can genuinely have breaks malfunction (if you are on the break for half an hour on a steep mountain and your breaks are not in good condition). Using engine breaking to save fuel (how even? You speed up couple of km above your target speed and let it slow down by engine breaking to the target?) doesn't make sense, just leaving the car at target speed must be better or same. Obviously if you need to slow down a little, i.e. due to traffic slow down, then by all means it's better to use engine breaking (lift your feet off the throttle) than the actual break. But mostly you just won't wear your breaks as much. Don't expect better fuel economy, maybe just due to the fact that using engine breaking, you are less likely to break more than you need.
I may be wrong. But I have an impression that engine consumes same volume of fuel when we lift our foot off completely. This is idle level of consumption and engine never goes lower than that. You would need to shut it down to consume zero. But it will probably start back again, being turned by wheels, if ignition is on. Let's do imaginable experiment. Do engine brake until full stop. It will never stop, once it reaches balance between initial consumption level and resistance and will slowly drift at about 5-10 mph. But if consumption was zero, it would stop eventually. While coasting, you go by inertia and will definitely stop. And you can really switch engine off and go large distance from a hill with zero consumption. Only it is considered not very safe as wheels are not engaged with the engine. So, you always consume idle amount of fuel while coasting or engine breaking. On high speed engine breaking slows down, but at low speed it helps to keep the speed and distance will be longer (as long as you can wait actually).
@@Moñin02Difference should exist. It should be less consumption for coasting. How much less? Depends on everything. For 6th transmission it is close to optimal for the engine at 70 mph, so it makes less resistance, not much of a breaking. But if selection was 4th, it would slow down much faster. And coasting would win a greater deal. But you would need to boost high rpm first in order to swich to 4th transmission, then release the gas.
Please mind my English.. In my opinion, when we lift our foot off from the gas completely and the revs are in about more than 1,200 RPM, the injector cuts off the fuel. I did an experiment, I was coasting a decent downhill on the 3 rd gear (or may be 4 th) and I turned off the ignition while in gear. The car or the engine doesn't make any difference at all. And when I press the gas the car began to slow down more because of more air compression.
DFCO is indeed present with all modern engines and it kicks in when lifting up until the engine revs go below the idle speed - when it deactivates. If your car doesn't display an instant consumption (to help see how this works) this can be easily checked with a cheap OBD reader and an app like TorquePro
Engine braking is better as long as it doesn't mean you have to press the gas to keep your speed. Driving fast won't see the full benefits because even going down quite a steep hill at 70mph will slow you down due to air resistance
Mick, Please keep both hands on the steering wheel, my Mum and Dad were both very safe drivers, they taught me to do this when i was learning to drive. 😉 Au
He's done a video on this that's definitely worth watching. It's really not neccesary all the time, and you should alter your hand positions depending on the situation.
Great video but there's no baseline... you need to re do it with "normal" driving, keep speed (cruise control?) and only brake when you legally have to start braking (no engine braking, no coasting - obviously you can't not engine brake but use your foot brakes as the main source of braking)
Added to this, one can argue that an added benefit of coasting is that you're putting lest stress on the engine. Depending on the speed and the gear engaged when engine breaking, rpms can stay quite high when coasting just keeps the engine at a steady 800 rpm or so. Much nicer to the engine.
Hey! Id love it if youd add things like MPG also in L/100KM somewhere in the screen like in most parts around the world. Same goes for mph when its essential to what youre talking about. :)
Manifesting 1M subs for you man. Your content is in a league of its own
You actually have no idea how much that means to me mate. Thank you 1000x
An important point worth mentioning is the safety aspect. In every scenario I can think of, engine braking is safer than coasting in neutral. When you're in neutral, you just abuse the brakes as it's your only way to slow down. Not only does this wear out your brakes way more, but it also drastically reduces their ability to slow down your car in the event of an emergency (especially downhill). In other scenarios, you might need to use the throttle to avoid an accident (say a sudden obstruction in the road). Having the car in gear means you can act instantly, while having it in neutral puts a small delay before you can accelerate to avoid an accident. I find that the car behaves a lot more predictably when in gear than when it's coasting in neutral. Plus, being in gear allows you to use throttle to correct slides/spins in low-grip scenarios.
You just have way more control over the car when it's in gear, which naturally makes it safer. Personally, I'm willing to sacrifice a couple mpg for this reason (and to save my brakes, which could partially offset the cost of 1mpg difference).
does using engine breaking wear anything else down? like gears?
@@1EVE1X Not really. The breaking itself happens by a vacuum occurring due to the fuel not being injected and the engine still rotating. But the downshifting itself could wear a clutch a bit, but clutches do not really wear unless theyre overheating. And overheating occurs in extreme scenarios, where youre holding the bite point too long while upshifting and applying gas, or holding the bitepoint too long while downshifting in a really low gear for the current speed at which youre at.
@@maremike2691 I appreciate it Mike
If I had to abuse the brakes to keep a safe speed I wouldn't be in neutral. There are a few hills like coming from Worcester to Hereford, and also Dinmore Hill between Leominster and Hereford where you have steep bits into a tight corner, so you may as well use the engine to hold your speed down a bit. Coasting in neutral is for lowering your total rolling resistance, which is not what you want down a steep twisty hill. Ideally you'd have an electric car battery to charge in this scenario, but with petrol or diesel cars you have to throw the energy away if it brings you to dangerous speeds.
coasting with the engine off is the best of both worlds... but you lose power steering and vacuum for your brakes! :D
Hahaha you're the second person to say this and I NEED to try it
My Volvo V60 D5 Twin Engine does that, it shuts of the engine and coasts when I let go of the throttle, but still have power steering and breaks :p
Some mild hybrids work that way while still providing power steering. Hyundai i30 is one example coming to mind
That's just dangerous. Imagine the steering lock to engage if you accidentally remove your key. Or if the car doesn't sense the key anymore.
@edewaal97 oh yeah, definitely not recommended for the risk averse. It's still more efficient... until you hit something and stop!
0:50 "Engine Braking is not using the clutch to slow down the car". Funny how this is the case but with the 3 driving instructors I had they all insisted that it was engine braking. Good luck to their clutch I guess.
There is no group of people that know less about cars than driving instructors 😂
(There are some good ones but the average is BAD)
@@MickDrivesCars I got my license 13 years ago and my instructor insisted I start off in 2nd, then 4th, then 6th. He also insisted I should shift down and let go of the clutch to slow down. And no rev matching😬
It is still engine braking, but it's just a lot at one moment and bad for the car if you do it a lot.
@@adarob92 Starting in 2nd is only viable in a couple scenarios, first gear is too short and your car has too much power, and/or your car has a lot of power and you're driving in snow so starting in 2nd will give you more control. Although with proper throttle and clutch control you probably don't need to start in 2nd when driving in low traction condition. My 158hp civic can start in 2nd gear, so you don't need a whole lot of power to do a 2nd gear start, but I don't recommend it as you'd have to slip your clutch longer which will put more wear on your clutch. Your driving instructor probably burns through his clutch every 30k miles, downshifting without rev matching too? Yikes..
Did they mean to engage and disengage the clutch multiple times to slow down each time the clutch connects ? Yeah i don't think that's engine braking either.
I agree. Ive been reading the comments and paid attention to your explanations and you are right. Engine brake for stopping or keeping the car at a reasonable speed down a hill, coasting for when engine brake is too much brake (less likely scenario). Maybe in some hills engine brake or coasting is not the better way but it is to lift just a bit. I hope I am comprehensible.
Learning everyday with your vids mate. I've been driving manual all my life still found new stuff
Love to hear it! I learned from this too and will be incorporating more coasting into my driving
Having been taught to drive in 1966 by driving a 3½ton Army Bedford, engine braking was paramount. Up until a year ago - 2023, when I bought my first automatic, engine braking was my preferred driving method and it always meant that I was probably already in the correct gear for the moment when I began to pick up speed again!
There were times however, when, as a poorly paid soldier, I would coast at every opportunity.
Important thing to notice when going on big descents regarding coasting vs engine braking. There are very steep mountain roads near my city and it seems like a lot of people get confused when it comes to going downhill, especially on steep tight turns etc. The best & safest way is using engine braking on a lower gear and higher rpms so you get more "engine braking". Otherwise if you coast down the hill you'll wear out and overheat the brakes in no time which is a big no no. Using the engine as main braking source means you'll have to use the breaks less and it still uses no fuel. On newer cars injectors shut off automatically and spray no fuel when engine braking.
ok so i have to admit i have been watching your channel without being subscribed for a few months, but i cant do this anymore so im subscribing!
Haha thank you sir
Some modern MHEV cars automatically coast with the engine turned off getting crazy fuel economy. I've seen a 1.3 petrol Renault Arkana get 5.4L/100km (52.3 mpg UK). It's not a powerful car at 158bhp, but certainly impressive for a family SUV.
Oh yes! I drove a newer hybrid Corolla for a day and averaged 58mpg (99% highway)
It did exactly this, when off the throttle it cut the engine and coasted.
my ibiza fr 1.2 can do about that with not the most efficient eco driving. love it
That's crazy economy but in a city it depens on how many redlights you have
@@somebody6996 Of course. This economy was achieved in a long trip with a generally low speed limit (mostly 90km/h). If you enter a city, expect consumption to increase drastically. Combined real world economy might be around 6.5L/100km (43.5mpg UK). Haven't really measured economy in a city, but seeing how it affects the average, it probably is around 7.5 or 8L/100km (37.7~35.3 mpg UK).
@@MickDrivesCars you can go one better - the Corolla is actually lightly regen braking in the scenario you describe. Lift off then replace just a tiny amount of throttle. The car will then truly coast with the engine off. Toyota hybrid hypermilers have been doing this since the early 2000s and the original Gen 1 Prius.
This applies to regular driving too, wack it into neutral at the top of a hill then back into gear at the very bottom. things like that. got like 53.7mpgs out of a 1.6golf doing it once on my commute, granny driving.
I love engine breaking! Have been doing a hell of a lot more of it ever since you mentioned it in passing in a previous vid. But, to be honest, accelerating after a complete stop more fun!
I've been looking for a vídeo like this for SO LONG. Thank you!!!
Me too!!
I just decided, screw it ... I'll do it myself 😁
I do engine breaking all the time and coasting once in a while but interesting results you got there. :)
Well , i will always think engine braking is more efficient , after all modern cars cut off fuel injection when you do that , and if it is an automatic they shift in the highest gear , reaching almost the same resistance as coasting. Great video anyway!
I think it's due to the fact that you lose less speed and reach the destination slightly quicker hence the 1mpg difference.
Thank you for this video, is really helpful. I love your videos and the way you explain things! Keep it up fam, I am not from the UK btw.
Appreciate this, thank you! I'm not stopping anytime soon :)
Engine braking doesn't use fuel while you're using it (above a certain rpm), but in neutral you can begin the slow down earlier without the car going too slow. So use engine braking on downhill and low speed limit at bottom and coast when you can keep going. Some people turn the engine off to coast to get the best of both worlds but can be dangerous in certain circumstances.
I mean you can fail your driving test for extended coasting, but it does have its uses for lowering your rolling resistance because you are not moving those engine cylinders up and down as quickly when you don't need them. Sure you are using a bit of fuel to keep it idling but you don't have to accelerate as much when you finish the coast.
Thanks for the nice video Mick. Any chance you have and OBDII data recorder? That should tell you the instantaneous fuel injection, maybe the inclination and you can make pretty graphs.
Ooooooooooh now there's an idea
i LOVE this channel and i don't even drive stick! ❤❤❤
Thanks mate!
@@MickDrivesCars actually, i'm an old lady, but now i'm a mate, too! ❤️
Ah we use mate gender-neutrally here so no worries! :)
@@MickDrivesCars no worries at all! i'm really pleased to be called mate! ❤️
I get 23 mpg from my 185 hp Alfa Romeo 159 2.2 JTS saloon manual. I use engine braking all the time, but do mostly city driving.
You can control the amount of engine braking to be induced by not letting off the throttle entirely. There's a sweet spot just lower than that of maintenance throttle where the transmission gets unloaded the most while still remaining connected. This can maximize the glide effect without sacrificing the safety of being in gear.
I’ve always been a big proponent of coasting > engine braking but pretty much any forum that spoke about it said engine braking is better but this does seem to say otherwise
You gotta take clutch and gear use into account also, going into neutral all the time doubles the clutch use (from my experience)
I would just add, that driving in neutral can be dangerous, as you have no power in case of emergency, perhaps an oncoming car, somebody cutting over, coming in from the back at high speed, etc.But it is a nice feeling, just use it responsibly :)
I believe coasting would eat the brakes faster since you’d be using your brakes more to slow down a faster car. What do you think?
I agree, and that's the reason why trucks and normal cars are recommended to use engine breaking on long descends. To not overheat breaks.
100%
Yes, but you are using coasting in wrong situation then. If you need to slow down more you never use coasting because it wastes fuel by idling and also uses brakes more. Engine braking is the only correct option for this situation. On the other hand there are situations when it is clearly beneficial to use as it reduces engine noise and increase economy. One clear example is when you are going down a hill with a gear in and you are losing momentum so you need to apply some throttle. But if you were in N you would stay in desired speed or even would be accelerating slightly. That situation doesnt wear your brakes because you dont use brakes on straight road just for no reason you are just conserving fuel and reducing noise. This is easy example when is is just beneficial to coast.
The idea of engine braking in modern trucks and coaches still exists , although most are automatic and the retarder ( electric Thelma brake ) does most of the slowing .
However in aspects such as driving light vans with goods such as tools or materials in the back , engine braking ensures you don’t get smashed up plyboard or other materials everywhere .
Can i coast on an automatic cvt car? Is it safe to put the cvt into neutral from drive position while car is in motion and back to drive position when speed decreases?
Yeah you can go D-N as much as you like, just come fully off the throttle
Sidenote - if you have a hybrid CVT car it's very likely it turns off the engine automatically which you're off the gas :)
@@MickDrivesCars noted, thanks!
What about engine braking to a stop while rev matching down the gears. Would be interesting to see how that compares to coasting to a stop
I think that for coming to a stop it's better to rev match by just holding the clutch at the bite point.
I mean, I literally told you not to do this in the video 😂
Yeah you can, and I often do. There wasn't really a chance for this during the video since it was all motorway.
I think if you have to stop engine braking is better. Rev match or engine brake down to idle rpm and neutral from there.
You can safely brake with your gearbox as long as you a) don't downshift more than 1 gear and b) release the clutch petal just to the initial biting point and then immediately press it down again. I have 350,000 KM on my C220D and the gearbox is just fine. As for coasting vs Engine braking.. the later has the transmission engaged which means mechanical resistance, friction etc so naturally you slow down. Finally, one should never drive in neutral or with the clutch pressed.
The other day I was going to the beach and from my city to the beach is almost 1 full hour of big downhills so i was engine braking through most of it. The problem is sometimes I had to push the throttle, I knew about coasting but heard that the engine heats up and it can be damaging so I didn’t tried it. The thing is idk how true is that information. If anyone knows pls tell me
I mean surely if the engine doesn't overheat idling while stopped it won't overheat idling with fast air passing through the radiators
There's also the pulse and glide, which in a 500 horsepower car with effortless acceleration even if you're only using 2000 revs it's probably more effective relatively speaking than in my Fiesta 1.2 where you are probably using a higher proportion of torque just to keep going.
Plus you have a torque gauge on that car so here's what you do on a dual carriageway: Give it a high torque burst in 6th from 60-70 (most of the way down but not all if it runs rich - torque gauge should be at about 80%, learn where this is on the accelerator for muscle memory). Go into neutral until the car's speed has dropped back to 60. Repeat.
It will probably be even more fuel efficient at lower speeds, though you might want to use 5th to accelerate if you start getting into the 40-55 range. Below that it might just be less work to putter along in 6th at a steady speed.
That or drive it like you stole it to maximize smiles per gallon (within reason so as not to crash).
In this test you're better off coasting on the dual carriageway section and then engine braking up to the give way line at the end.
ngl your so underrated
Thank you!
New automatics coast for this very reason. Also they use maps to plan your stopping or cornering to improve fuel consumption and safety
Is shifting into N for coasting on a DSG 1.0 Leon okay?
And any tips on improving reliability of driving such a transmission. Cheers!
can you do a video explaining common car terms that you use? like torque, throttle etc etc?
I've added this to the list. Thank you!
Hey Mick! Loves your videos and have been watching for a while now. Just wondering, what’s the name of your bag that you have in the passenger side in all of your videos? It looks very nice and organized.
in hilly conditions engine braking is better, but for small crests coasting is better imo
Great video, as always. Questions: isn't it dangerous to coast? Decoupling the engine from the transmission makes a car unstable, precisely because you don't have engine breaking. Second, is it safe/healthy for an engine to engine brake at high RPM?
1) absolutely. Use at your own risk.
2) none whatsoever
@@MickDrivesCars Roger that 🫡
Wait, why do you believe no fuel is entering the engine when you are engine breaking? The throttle body isn't a perfect seal, it allows some air to pass for idling. Your car is basically still trying to idle when you are engine breaking. The MPG measurement on the car is measuring how much fuel is injected over the distance traveled. Since coasting and engine breaking are both attempting to inject the same amount of fuel (attempting to idle), of course engine breaking is worse MPG because you slow down faster and travel a smaller distance while injecting the same fuel as coasting which doesn't slow down as fast and travels longer distance. I do know about DFCO, but doesn't that really only kick in at higher RPM ranges?
DFCO is used at all RPMs above idle. It'll stop once you get to ~1000-800rpm so you don't stall.
This is obviously for modern, fuel injected cars.
Hi im learning to drive i have a question when you turn a corner do you have your clutch down and then release when u have turned?
Oh god no don't do this
@@MickDrivesCars because when im about to turn i hold my clutch go down to 2nd gear and while im turning i release clutch slowly while adding gas
I don't know how else to say this
Stop 😂
@@MickDrivesCars ok can you tell me how you turn when its a 90 degree turn step by step so i can learn please because my instructor tells me to put down my clutch then downshift and as im turning release clutch please help how u do it
@@FxtureYThow fast are you taking these turns? If you are slowing down below the gears minimum speed then yes you should be pushing down the clutch, if you aren't then you should not be pressing the clutch
Hi again, just wanted to give my one personal suggestion. I think that if you want to go further with engine braking go to an even higher gear. What do you think you can try out the tests but this time when you are going downhill go to the gear that will be having RPM of almost Idle for that speed 😅.
Do you typically hold the steering wheel at the bottom, or is it because you have reclined your seat for video recording purposes?
Side for serious driving bottom for relax
If you get in a wreck, driving with your hands on the bottom would save your arms from being injured. The airbag can break your arm, taught to me by professional driver.
Can coasting be done by keeping the car in 5th or 6th gear and pressing down the clutch fully?
yeah but you're gonna put unnecessary wear on the clutch release bearing
Is it safe to put a DCT into N and back into D at any speed?
Yep, just be off the throttle
There might be a jerk when you go N-D, play around with a little throttle to get rid of this
do the mpg savings whilst coasting also apply to automatic transmissions? (as his car used is a manual)
Coasting is probably more dangerous, best idea, is to keep it to less busy roads, or not very busy motor ways.
What camera do you use for your POV?
Aweoms vid! Are you ever planning on making a super entertaining road trip in cool cars? would love to watch :D
You forgot to reference the video you mention around 1:00
I tried an experiment where I "pulsed and coasted" my way to the shops late one night when the roads were quiet. Normally I'd expect 40-45mpg on that drirve. I got 52 that evening. I'm not sure I like how effective "pulse and glide" coasting is 😬...
Are you driving a G87 M2? Looks like a great time.
"Engine braking is not" *describes exactly what engine braking is*
Also most, slightly older, cars do not cut off fuel flow to the engine. That's a mostly modern feature, in an older car you are much better off just using your brakes.
(Engine braking is leaving the car in gear and letting the engine slow down the car, all while the clutch is still engaged. This won't ruin your car but it is extra wear on your clutch, and brake pads are much cheaper than a clutch replacement)
I don't like to coast, because you don't have immediate control over the car. You have to put it back in gear to accelerate. I would put the car in cruise control to maintain the same speed. The car can than decide to engine break or to help out a little by putting a bit of fuel in. The cruise control wil put the tiniest amount of fuel in to just prevent it from creating a vacuum and engine brake. That should be the same amount of fuel as to have it running stationary. It's very hard to balance that amount with just your feed, because you react to the feedback of the car (increase of speed) but that will add way to much fuel.
What if you will give a bit of throttle during engine “braking” so that car wouldn’t spend energy on pulling vacuum in the engine. Basically just put a little bit of throttle so the car stays at the consistent speed
That's just sounds like regular driving so long as you're in the highest gear the car can comfortably go at
It is by far the least effective mode engine can operate in. Least kw produced for fuel spent. Much more effective to run engine in idle az 700 rpm than run it very inefficiently at very low load at 3000 rpm for example.
Coasting is better, but more Dangerous because the engine is not in gear.
I drive an automatic and coast in ECO all the time. I know how much my car will slow down when I coast so I can go pretty far with it.
Coasting isnt illegal as but you are not in full control of your vehicle could be used against you if you have an accident.
Is coasting the same as drifting?
the real ones coast with the engine off
The fact that coasting is better in this instance doesn't make any sense to me?
The only reason the engine consumes fuel is to keep the engine active in idle, that energy just gets wasted...
My thought is:
1. The highest gear is still running at such a high RPM rate on 6th, and pushing it into neutral drops the revs so significantly it's reducing drag in excess of the force pumping into the engine.
If this is the case, the 8 speed automatic should yield different results.
What car is this, please?
Coasting is almost never worth the additional +1mpg. It's dangerous and you'll put more wear on brake pads to slow down.
it all depends where you coast, how you plan for risk, and overall how you do it. in the past i have coasted quite a lot, usually didnt need to touch the brakes because of the gradient of the hill, planned to coast in advance when risks were low (little to no other vehicles around, can maintain a safe braking distance, knew the condition of my brakes so not wearing them out).
its all down to the driver and risks they choose to take that causes danger, its not from coasting, its from planning ahead and reading the road.
What about turning off the engine while coasting?
That will get you ♾️ miles per gallon until you turn the engine on again
Oh LAWD. This is the stuff I love. Will 100% try next time I'm going down a big hill... If the car lets me 😂
You lose power steering
Will the stearing wheel get locked when car is turned off?
@@Omarock
It’s not a problem since you’re driving fast
But the brakes will be stiff since there will be no vacuum from the engine intake to support them
@@Capt.Startrk
No, unless you remove the key from the ignition switch
Mick, do you know any other languages?
I heard engine braking was good for fuel economy, so I started doing it a couple days ago. I didn't realize until now that downshifting to slow the car down is not engine braking. Thanks for letting me know and also can someone tell me how fucked I am?
meanwhile I use engine braking just to go easy on my brake pads lol, wasn't even thinking about fuel economy
also I have an automatic so I risk money shifting into reverse if I try to go into neutral while moving
This is a weird comparison.
Coasting is something you can do to save fuel. Engine breaking (it's in the name) is something you can do to save your breaks. It's very useful in mountains, where people not using engine breaking can genuinely have breaks malfunction (if you are on the break for half an hour on a steep mountain and your breaks are not in good condition).
Using engine breaking to save fuel (how even? You speed up couple of km above your target speed and let it slow down by engine breaking to the target?) doesn't make sense, just leaving the car at target speed must be better or same.
Obviously if you need to slow down a little, i.e. due to traffic slow down, then by all means it's better to use engine breaking (lift your feet off the throttle) than the actual break. But mostly you just won't wear your breaks as much. Don't expect better fuel economy, maybe just due to the fact that using engine breaking, you are less likely to break more than you need.
I may be wrong. But I have an impression that engine consumes same volume of fuel when we lift our foot off completely. This is idle level of consumption and engine never goes lower than that. You would need to shut it down to consume zero. But it will probably start back again, being turned by wheels, if ignition is on. Let's do imaginable experiment. Do engine brake until full stop. It will never stop, once it reaches balance between initial consumption level and resistance and will slowly drift at about 5-10 mph. But if consumption was zero, it would stop eventually.
While coasting, you go by inertia and will definitely stop. And you can really switch engine off and go large distance from a hill with zero consumption. Only it is considered not very safe as wheels are not engaged with the engine.
So, you always consume idle amount of fuel while coasting or engine breaking. On high speed engine breaking slows down, but at low speed it helps to keep the speed and distance will be longer (as long as you can wait actually).
I concluded from your comment that the differences in the video are maybe withing margin of error?
@@Moñin02Difference should exist. It should be less consumption for coasting. How much less? Depends on everything. For 6th transmission it is close to optimal for the engine at 70 mph, so it makes less resistance, not much of a breaking. But if selection was 4th, it would slow down much faster. And coasting would win a greater deal. But you would need to boost high rpm first in order to swich to 4th transmission, then release the gas.
Please mind my English..
In my opinion, when we lift our foot off from the gas completely and the revs are in about more than 1,200 RPM, the injector cuts off the fuel.
I did an experiment, I was coasting a decent downhill on the 3 rd gear (or may be 4 th) and I turned off the ignition while in gear. The car or the engine doesn't make any difference at all. And when I press the gas the car began to slow down more because of more air compression.
Google DFCO "Deceleration fuel cut-off"
Your (modern, fuel injected) engine uses 0 fuel when engine braking.
DFCO is indeed present with all modern engines and it kicks in when lifting up until the engine revs go below the idle speed - when it deactivates. If your car doesn't display an instant consumption (to help see how this works) this can be easily checked with a cheap OBD reader and an app like TorquePro
Engine braking is better as long as it doesn't mean you have to press the gas to keep your speed. Driving fast won't see the full benefits because even going down quite a steep hill at 70mph will slow you down due to air resistance
i coast and engine break all the time. wasn't even aware it saves me as much gas as it does
Mick, Please keep both hands on the steering wheel, my Mum and Dad were both very safe drivers, they taught me to do this when i was learning to drive. 😉 Au
He's done a video on this that's definitely worth watching.
It's really not neccesary all the time, and you should alter your hand positions depending on the situation.
DAMN, I'm early. also, first comment
Let's go! :)
@@MickDrivesCars hell yeah brother!
When I was taking lessons not to coast as your not in control of the car
You have better control over your car while enginebreaking. Im not gonna risk crashing for a few penny's of fuel i save by coasting in neutral.
Great video but there's no baseline... you need to re do it with "normal" driving, keep speed (cruise control?) and only brake when you legally have to start braking (no engine braking, no coasting - obviously you can't not engine brake but use your foot brakes as the main source of braking)
depends on incline
Added to this, one can argue that an added benefit of coasting is that you're putting lest stress on the engine. Depending on the speed and the gear engaged when engine breaking, rpms can stay quite high when coasting just keeps the engine at a steady 800 rpm or so. Much nicer to the engine.
I rather change my brakes than ruin an engine and clutch to slow down
Rev matching fixes that problem.
Hey! Id love it if youd add things like MPG also in L/100KM somewhere in the screen like in most parts around the world. Same goes for mph when its essential to what youre talking about. :)
Love this comment! I will 100% be adding those in future. Just never thought about it!
so which is more likely to make my car blow up
Only user error can cause such things :)
But coasting can be dangerous, isn't it?
Me when I'm running out of fuel.
now teach rev matching
Engine braking is number one factor for engine wearing. Coasting is number one factor for engine life prolonged. This is in addition to fuel saving.
Yes, you will burn out the clutch..
coasting dosnt slow the car down, thus more miles covered
"I am a big engine breaker"
If you put reverse and give it some gas the miles per galon actually go up instead of down
Its a joke, do not do that loool
Like this comment, for a hopeful future inshallah!
Inchaalah
Inshallah
Don’t use Islam for likes. If you want a good future, make dua, don’t like comments😅
@@deadpixxll yep ur right sry
@@deadpixxll sorry bro, I wasn’t intending it that way but good to know. Thank you.
coasting is unsafe
I am confused by this video
buy a hybrid :DD
Terrible driver awful advice I'm unsubscribing good luck
Really, THIS is the video that pushed you over the edge?