Press the Clutch or Brake When Going Downhill?
2 Answers
When going downhill, press the brake and shift to a lower gear. Try to avoid continuously pressing the clutch. For manual transmission vehicles, you should not shift to neutral or press the clutch when going downhill. Instead, lightly apply the brake to control the speed. This is because when coasting in neutral, the braking relies entirely on the foot brake, which can cause the front brake discs to overheat and reduce their effectiveness. Additionally, if the speed is too high, it becomes difficult to control the vehicle when coasting in neutral, making it very risky to shift to neutral when going downhill. However, you should also avoid slamming on the brakes, as excessively slow speeds can easily cause the engine to stall. The correct approach is to use a lower gear when going downhill, leveraging the engine's braking force to more steadily control the vehicle and speed, with light braking as an auxiliary measure. Do not press the clutch unless you are shifting gears, as this driving habit can severely damage the car.
Back when I just got my driver's license, my instructor slapped the steering wheel and yelled: Don't touch the clutch on downhill! Stomping on this thing for too long can literally kill you. Think about it, pressing the clutch is like letting the car freewheel down the slope, relying solely on the brakes to control the speed. After driving in mountainous cities for ten years, I've seen too many cars with smoking brakes end up in ditches. The correct way is to stay in second or third gear, letting the engine drag the speed. Use second gear for steep slopes and third for gentle ones, with your right foot lightly resting on the brake ready to tap it. If you brake hard for too long on a steep slope, you can burn your skin just by touching the wheel hub. Ever wonder why truckers always pour water on their wheel hubs? It's to prevent the brakes from smoking!
