Is it ok to brake after coasting towards a stop?

[SilverCrown9701]

The thing is though, on the hills that are the "steepest" in my area, coasting in Neutral does not work very well. I slowdown just as if I was in drive and engine braking was engaged. That's why I thought it wasn't worth the effort to use Neutral for downhills in my area.

[XYZ]

Originally Posted by SilverCrown9701

The thing is though, on the hills that are the "steepest" in my area, coasting in Neutral does not work very well. I slowdown just as if I was in drive and engine braking was engaged. That's why I thought it wasn't worth the effort to use Neutral for downhills in my area.

This doesn't sound right. When in drive there should be some engine braking. When in neutral, there should be none. Check to see if one of your brakes is hanging up and causing rolling resistance.

When I shift from Drive to Neutral at 40-50 MPH, I feel a slight jerk and lurch. The sane happens when I reengage the transmission.

When you shift into neutral to coast, what you will feel is the release of the transmission. It should feel like there is nothing holding you back. However, the re-engagement in to drive is what concerns me. At higher speeds, such as 40-50, feeling a jerk and lurch when shifting back into drive means it might be detrimental to your transmission. When is the last time you checked the color and smell of your transmission fluid?

[SilverCrown9701]

Originally Posted by XYZ

This doesn't sound right. When in drive there should be some engine braking. When in neutral, there should be none. Check to see if one of your brakes is hanging up and causing rolling resistance.

I can feel it coasting freely but it starts to slow down at the same rate as engine braking does. I like the Toyota dealership service center but theyre so expensive. Who do you know is reasonable on checking brakes? I don't know much about checking brakes.

When you shift into neutral to coast, what you will feel is the release of the transmission. It should feel like there is nothing holding you back. However, the re-engagement in to drive is what concerns me. At higher speeds, such as 40-50, feeling a jerk and lurch when shifting back into drive means it might be detrimental to your transmission. When is the last time you checked the color and smell of your transmission fluid?

That concerns me as well. I had my fluid changed last year at Toyota Service Center.

[2000mc]

Some automatic transmissions will have engine braking all the time. Some transmissions are built to avoid this and will overrun / freewheel when overdrive, or the highest gear is selected, but will have engine braking in a lower gear selection

[RedDevil]

You can (and should from time to time) check your brakes after driving by holding your hand close to the disks.
If one is hotter than the others that one drags.

If you have a OBDII gauge you can see your fuel consumption per hour when idling at a standstill.
In N I use just about 60% of what I use in D.
So even if N is no good for coasting it does save gas at the lights if you don't key off.
I have a CVT though, ordinary autos may act differently.

I don't coast in N as the Insight does not only DFCO but also does something with the valves to further reduce engine braking on DFCO.
In N it just idles and uses half the fuel per hour it would need to maintain a steady speed of 38 mph. No P&G with idling in N for me therefore.

[SilverCrown9701]

Originally Posted by 2000mc

Some automatic transmissions will have engine braking all the time. Some transmissions are built to avoid this and will overrun / freewheel when overdrive, or the highest gear is selected, but will have engine braking in a lower gear selection

This might be a silly question but how would I find out if my transmission does this what you listed??

[SilverCrown9701]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

You can (and should from time to time) check your brakes after driving by holding your hand close to the disks.
If one is hotter than the others that one drags.

If you have a OBDII gauge you can see your fuel consumption per hour when idling at a standstill.
In N I use just about 60% of what I use in D.
So even if N is no good for coasting it does save gas at the lights if you don't key off.
I have a CVT though, ordinary autos may act differently.

I don't coast in N as the Insight does not only DFCO but also does something with the valves to further reduce engine braking on DFCO.
In N it just idles and uses half the fuel per hour it would need to maintain a steady speed of 38 mph. No P&G with idling in N for me therefore.

I have an UltraGauge.

That's a smart idea, I need to try that and see what it displays. I'll also check my disks after my next drive to see if I notice any increased heat. I really hope they're not dragging, ugh :/

[2000mc]

Guess I'm saying, I wouldn't worry about it. If it coasts as well in gear as neutral, it's very likely normal, and if this was the only symptom that it's broke, sounds like a good mod.
In addition to checking for brake drag, I might first find a nice flat parking lot, and see how hard the car is to push by hand.

[SilverCrown9701]

Originally Posted by 2000mc

Guess I'm saying, I wouldn't worry about it. If it coasts as well in gear as neutral, it's very likely normal, and if this was the only symptom that it's broke, sounds like a good mod.
In addition to checking for brake drag, I might first find a nice flat parking lot, and see how hard the car is to push by hand.

How do you mean by broke?

[2000mc]

IF the lack of engine braking is the only malfunction of the transmission (I think it's probably a normal condition anyway) it wouldn't make sense to rebuild the transmission just to resolve the issue