'B' mode: engine braking

[MadJam250]

Just wondered how many use this mode? I rarely have until now but have realised that when timed correctly I can reduce the amount of foot braking needed thus saving wear and tear on the discs and pads and still regenerating electricity too. 

My father was taught (in the 60s) to brake with the engine where possible (changing down in a manual to reduce speed without applying the brake pedal for long durations) so I guess this is the same principle albeit done differentially via the CVT gearbox instead. 

Is it though wise and/or detrimental to engine brake often in the CT? 

[Illogan]

I've been driving for 50+ years, and was also taught to use 'engine braking'  - -

It has several benefits - less brake wear, increased mpg, smoother driving procedure, increased tyre life (and logic suggests longer suspension component life - but I cannot prove that!)

The downside is that the 'erbert driving behind you may be expecting to see your brake lights before he pays any attention - -(so I just dab my brake pedal v briefly)

It also necessitates that one drives 'well ahead' of one's road position - and drive pro-actively rather than reactively, - again - a much smoother drive

Edited May 19, 2021 by Illogan
punctuation

[serbarry]

It is advisable to use the B in long slopes when the Battery is full so that it cannot receive any more regenerating electricity and so doing you reduce the use of the brakes. 

[MadJam250]

48 minutes ago, Illogan said:

I've been driving for 50+ years, and was also taught to use 'engine braking'  - -

It has several benefits - less brake wear, increased mpg, smoother driving procedure, increased tyre life (and logic suggests longer suspension component life - but I cannot prove that!)

The downside is that the 'erbert driving behind you may be expecting to see your brake lights before he pays any attention - -(so I just dab my brake pedal v briefly)

It also necessitates that one drives 'well ahead' of one's road position - and drive pro-actively rather than reactively, - again - a much smoother drive

Indeed, Illogan. 

Intrigued by your username. Are you from there? 

[Moleman]

51 minutes ago, serbarry said:

It is advisable to use the B in long slopes when the battery is full so that it cannot receive any more regenerating electricity and so doing you reduce the use of the brakes. 

I use B in most hills and long slopes, find it very useful.

[PRT68]

Yes, I used B in my Prius, and use the paddles in the RC.

I was also taught to drive in a manual, 50 years ago by my father, a Police class 1 instructor. He told me to always use the brakes when approaching a junction or traffic lights. Reason being it was cheaper to replace pads as against a clutch. Also, if a down change was fumbled it would compromise the slowing down. 

Going down hill, use a lower gear.

Don't know how people are instructed now. 

[Illogan]

1 hour ago, MadJam250 said:

Indeed, Illogan. 

Intrigued by your username. Are you from there? 

😁   Aye - - and it's been too long since I've been back!

[MadJam250]

14 minutes ago, Illogan said:

😁   Aye - - and it's been too long since I've been back!

Just PMd you

[ColinBarber]

4 hours ago, MadJam250 said:

Just wondered how many use this mode? I rarely have until now but have realised that when timed correctly I can reduce the amount of foot braking needed thus saving wear and tear on the discs and pads and still regenerating electricity too. 

My father was taught (in the 60s) to brake with the engine where possible (changing down in a manual to reduce speed without applying the brake pedal for long durations) so I guess this is the same principle albeit done differentially via the CVT gearbox instead. 

Is it though wise and/or detrimental to engine brake often in the CT? 

When you press the brake pedal lightly you aren't using mechanical brakes if you are traveling over 5 mph, you are using regenerative braking. Makes no different if you are in B mode or normal mode. This is why many hybrid owners can go 60k miles on a single set of discs where corrosion rather than wear eventually forces a replacement.

B will apply more regen braking when you are off the throttle than normal, but is no different than just lightly pressing the brake pedal.

If you are at higher speeds then B mode engages the petrol engine so you waste energy turning it over to help with deceleration and is there to stop overheating of your mechanical brakes during a long steep descent. In normal use B mode should not be used, it is uneconomical to do so.

 

Back in the 60s when most, if not all, vehicles had drum brakes then there was case for engine braking. With modern disc brakes it isn't required unless towing or coming down very sleep and long descents where you could end up in a situation of brake fade. As someone has already stated above, it's much cheaper to replace worn pads/discs than it is to replace a clutch/transmission. People aren't taught to engine brake anymore, and whilst its allowed if you do it without using your brakes you would fail a driving test for incorrect use of the brakes.

[stormchaser]

I,ve never used it at all.As just said i lightly use the brake  for gearbox braking as it,s not making any brake contact to the discs.

[Las Palmas]

I use B on long descents. Here the hills are longer than many other places. If selecting B while going faster than 60 the engine makes too much noise. Anyway, on descents where I used to go down faster than 70km/h on bike I only drive around 50 in car.

 

Decelerating shifting down is for people who know how to.

When Porsche made their model 959 super-car long ago a motor journalist was testing the car on Nürburgring. Suddenly the engine died. He tried to shift from 5^th to 2^nd instead of 4^th to slow the car down before a sharp curve. 5^th to 3^rd might have been better.

I did not read which journalist it was, but maybe Porsche was not inviting him again.

 

 

[Mincey]

I haven't got a "B" - am I missing out? :-)

[ColinBarber]

3 hours ago, Mincey said:

I haven't got a "B" - am I missing out? 🙂

🙂 No, because you have the simulated gears so you can drop down a 'gear' or two to produce the same result with more control.