What does the B gear mean?
1 Answers
B gear refers to engine braking. The B gear on a car is a rarely seen gear position, which generally appears on Japanese cars. Toyota's hybrid models are equipped with the B gear, such as the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, and Lexus 200h. This gear can be used when going downhill, equivalent to the L gear on a car. When driving downhill with the B gear engaged, the motor intervenes to achieve engine braking, thereby reducing the car's speed. If the car is traveling on a long downhill section, relying solely on the braking system to slow down is very dangerous. If only the braking system is used for deceleration, the car's brake discs and pads may overheat, and in severe cases, this can lead to brake failure. Many automatic transmission models are equipped with an L gear, which stands for "low," meaning low-speed gear. When driving downhill, using the L gear keeps the car's transmission in a lower gear, allowing the engine's braking effect to slow the car down.