Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 10:49:40 -0400
Reply-To: Kenneth Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Kenneth Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Trans. Braking or breaking (same thing)
In-Reply-To: <c17bf63d4e34a3856d9b3ab0fc66c186@bluemarble.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
If I were going down a long winding grade I would shift down and let the
transmission and engine slow down the vehicle just because if you use your
brakes all the way when you get to the bottom you may not have them anymore.
However beside that I use my foot to slow or stop the Van. Brakes are very
easy and cheap to replace. Usually they last more than 50k miles on a
Vanagon. Braking using the transmission (downshifting) puts wear and tear
on the clutch system and the transmission. Last time I checked neither of
these was cheap to fix or easy to get to. So you can down shift when
approaching every red light and you can make your brakes last longer. You
just saved $100 in pads and shoes. Or you can use the brakes and save over
a thousand dollars worth of transmission and clutch. Which makes more
sense?
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
http://www.vanagain.com
http://www.strictlyvwauctions.com
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Phone: (856)-327-4936
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-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Neal Barrentine
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 10:40 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: vanagon Digest - 25 Apr 2006 to 26 Apr 2006 - Special issue
(#2006-359)
> A manual transmission
> automobile can use the engine for slowing down much more effectively
> than an automatic can.
The cost of the energy lost due to braking, and the money spent on
maintaining brakes is a lot less than the wear on the engine, transmission
and clutch after using them as brakes. Neal Barrentine Bloomington, Indiana
1986 GL 1960 Baja Bug
On Apr 26, 2006, at 11:50 AM, Automatic digest processor wrote:
> Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 12:26:27 -0400
> From: Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
> Subject: Re: More Energy Saving (driving)
>
> Essential the philosophy promoted in the John Muir book "How to Keep
> your Volkswagen Alive". Think of brakes negatively. Use them
> sparingly.
>
> My father is an adherent of that philosophy. He'd often get 100K miles
> out of his brakes before they needed to be worked on. Mechanics never
> could understand how he did it. A manual transmission automobile can
> use the engine for slowing down much more effectively than an
> automatic can.
