How to Engine Brake With A Stick Shift (Manual) Transmission Car By Downshifting

One of the benefits of driving a car with a manual transmission is the ability to downshift through the gears to slow it down. This is also called engine braking, and can help extend the life of your brakes. Here is how to do it:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Why it works to slow the car down -- When you shift to a lower gear, it causes the engine to spin faster. Since you are not giving the engine any gas at this point, the friction within the engine and the drag from pumping air in and out of the out of the cylinders makes the engine lose speed, therefore making the transmission and the wheels that turn with it slow down as well. The faster the engine is spinning, the greater the friction and pumping losses will be. The car will slow down much quicker if you downshift to a lower gear, which will cause the engine to spin faster than if you remain in the gear you were cruising in.

2. 
    

   When you have been cruising and need to slow down, simply downshift to the next lowest gear (from 5th to 4th, for example). Keep your foot off of the gas pedal until you reach the speed at which you want to cruise.

3. 
    
   Apply the brakes as necessary.

   To decelerate quicker, downshift again once the engine is spinning at 3,000 RPM or less. If the engine drops below 1,500 RPM, you should downshift again so that the engine does not stall. Apply the brakes as necessary while doing this.

4. 
    

   To bring the car to a stop, continue downshifting. However, do not shift into 1st gear until the car is completely stopped. Simply push in the clutch pedal after the engine slows past 1,500 RPM in 2nd gear.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not skip gears (such as going from 4th to 2nd). This could cause your engine to redline and cause serious damage, depending on how fast you are going.
• Do not rely on engine braking alone if you need to stop quickly. Always be ready to apply the brakes.
• Keep in mind that if you are only downshifting to slow down, your brake lights will not come on. If someone is following closely behind you, it is a good idea to tap the brakes in order to warn them that you are decelerating.

Resources

• How to Drive a Car With a Stick Shift (Manual) Transmission
• How to Save Gas by Driving Efficiently and Maintaining Your Car

[swiftman]

on 8/9/2009 i like downshifiting. it sounds good if you have a loud exhaust i also believe it is called blipping the throttle.

[rumblebug]

on 12/23/2008 I am such a believer in downshifting - my husband just pulls it out of gear and pushes the brakes. Downshifting makes me feel like I am THAT good! :) Thanks for the article!

[hopekee]

on 12/22/2008 I can never get enough stick shift tips! Thanks for sharing. FIVE STARS!!