How to lower a saw with an automatic transmission safely and common mistakes to avoid.

Lowering a saw with an automatic transmission seems simple: just leave the car in D and control the speed with the brake.
But that habit is one of the main reasons why thousands of drivers lose control of the vehicle on long slopes… and many times they do not understand why.

If you’ve ever felt a burning smell, a soft brake pedal, or a feeling that the car won’t stop, you were seconds away from serious trouble.

And it all starts with not using the engine brake.

Why going down in a “D” is a dangerous trap

The automatic transmission is programmed to save fuel.
When you lower a D-saw, the system shifts up and down the engine to consume less.

The problem is that with the engine at low revs, there is no real engine brake.
That forces the driver to use the brake all the time.

On a descent of 10, 15 or 20 kilometers, this causes:

• Overheating of the brakes
• Boiling brake fluid
• Pressure loss
• Spongy Pedal
• Increased braking distance

In other words: the car stops responding when you need it most.

What is engine braking and why it can save you

Engine braking occurs when the engine turns at higher revs without accelerating.
That creates internal resistance that slows the car down without using the brakes.

The ideal range is between 3,000 and 4,000 RPM.

In that range:

• Engine supports vehicle weight
• Brakes only make small adjustments
• System temperature remains stable
• Vehicle control is total

And most importantly: fuel consumption is zero, because the injection cuts off when you don’t accelerate.

How to activate the engine brake in an automatic car

Although automatic, almost all modern vehicles allow you to control the gears.

It may appear as:

• M (manual mode)
• S (sport)
• L (low)
• D3, D2 or D1

They all serve the same function: to prevent the transmission from upshifting.

How it works depending on the type of transmission

1. Conventional automatic

It has good engine brake.
Use M, S, or power limiters. Works great on long descents.

2. CVT

The engine brake is weaker.
Always use L, S, or B modes. Never go down in D.

3. Automated

It has an engine brake almost the same as a manual gearbox.
You can downshift without any problem, respecting the speed.

The most dangerous mistake: going down in neutral

Many believe that putting the car in N saves fuel.
It’s exactly the opposite.

In neutral:

• No engine brake
• The car accelerates uncontrollably
• Brakes work by themselves
• Emergency response lost
• The whole system overheats

It is one of the most dangerous practices behind the wheel.

Step by step to lower a saw safely

1. Before starting the descent, take the car out of D
2. Set it to M, S, L, or D3
3. Keep the engine between 3,000 and 4,000 RPM
4. Use the brake only for spot corrections
5. If you accelerate, you go down a gear
6. If the RPM goes up too much, it goes up a gear
7. Never use neutral

Why you don’t damage the transmission by doing this

Does not harm:

• Switch from D to M or S on the move
• Downshifting within the correct speed
• Use engine brake

It does harm:

• Lower the entire saw with brakes only
• Downshift to very low gears at high speed
• Use neutral on descents

Tips and recommendations

• Learn how your stream works before a real downgrade
• Practice on quiet routes
• Always watch the tachometer
• If you smell burning or the pedal feels funny, stop
• With the car charged, use even more engine braking
• Don’t rely on luck

Lowering a saw with an automatic transmission is not dangerous… the dangerous thing is to do it wrong.
Using the engine brake correctly transforms a risky descent into a stable, safe and controlled driving.

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