Should You Press the Clutch or Brake When Going Downhill?

[StIan]

When going downhill, you should press the brake and shift to a lower gear, avoiding prolonged clutch engagement. For manual transmission vehicles, it is not advisable to shift into neutral or hold the clutch while descending. Instead, lightly apply the brake to control the speed. Below are the reasons for lightly applying the brake when going downhill: 1. When coasting in neutral, relying solely on the foot brake can cause the front brake discs to overheat, significantly reducing their effectiveness. Additionally, if the speed is too high, coasting in neutral makes it difficult to control the vehicle's speed, increasing the risk when descending. However, harsh braking downhill can also cause the engine to stall if the speed drops too low. The correct approach is to use a lower gear to descend, leveraging the engine's braking force for more stable control of the vehicle and speed, with light braking as an aid. 2. Avoid pressing the clutch unnecessarily when not shifting gears, as this driving habit can damage the vehicle. Generally, when descending, the recommended method is to first reduce speed (by braking) and then downshift (by pressing the clutch and shifting gears), only engaging the clutch to downshift after the speed has decreased.