Steep descent during the driving test

Amouar

Hi all,

Asking on behalf of my wife: If there is a steep descent during the driving test using an automatic car, should we gently press the brakes when approaching the speed limit in order to make sure that we don't exceed it, or we shouldn't be touching the brakes at all.

I told her that she should gently press the brakes in order to not exceed the speed limit, but her instructor told her that she should never touch the brakes when on a steep descent as she should have approached it on a lower speed and therefore the car will be building speed in the descent.

Her question is: Will she get a mark if she ends up gently pressing the brakes in order to not got above the speed limit? If not, i guess that she will still be marked for going above the speed limit?

Thanks!

SCOOP 64

I would gently touch the brakes rather then speeding and then risk a grade 3, doubt you even get a grade 2 for touching the brakes to slow it down.

MascotDec85

Do what needs to be done to control the speed. Following the instructor’s advice, or at least attempting to, could lead to a Progress fault approaching the slope.

Akrasia

MascotDec85 wrote: »

Do what needs to be done to control the speed. Following the instructor’s advice, or at least attempting to, could lead to a Progress fault approaching the slope.

Brakes are for slowing down. If the car is gaining too much speed going down a steep hill than of course you should press the brakes

MascotDec85

Akrasia wrote: »

Brakes are for slowing down. If the car is gaining too much speed going down a steep hill than of course you should press the brakes

Not sure why you’ve quoted my reply

Akrasia

MascotDec85 wrote: »

Not sure why you’ve quoted my reply

Sorry,I replied on my phone, must have pressed the quote button instead of reply by mistake

MascotDec85

OP, in varying weather conditions like ice then it’s advisable to approach at a much lower speed avoiding touching the brakes to reduce the risk of a skid. It might be that’s what the ADI meant and didn’t go on to fully explain or that your wife didn’t talk in all the info.

J_R

Amouar wrote: »

Hi all,

Asking on behalf of my wife: If there is a steep descent during the driving test using an automatic car, should we gently press the brakes when approaching the speed limit in order to make sure that we don't exceed it, or we shouldn't be touching the brakes at all.

I told her that she should gently press the brakes in order to not exceed the speed limit, but her instructor told her that she should never touch the brakes when on a steep descent as she should have approached it on a lower speed and therefore the car will be building speed in the descent.

Her question is: Will she get a mark if she ends up gently pressing the brakes in order to not got above the speed limit? If not, i guess that she will still be marked for going above the speed limit?

Thanks!

Hi,

What your instructor might be referring to is, if you use your brakes to keep the speed slow on a very long, very steep slope the brake pads will overheat. To avoid this you should use a low gear to give you engine braking instead.

No problem whatsoever with using the brakes on any slope you are ever likely to meet in the test.

Isambard

J_R wrote: »

Hi,

What your instructor might be referring to is, if you use your brakes to keep the speed slow on a very long, very steep slope the brake pads will overheat. To avoid this you should use a low gear to give you engine braking instead.

No problem whatsoever with using the brakes on any slope you are ever likely to meet in the test.

It's an auto

J_R

Isambard wrote: »

It's an auto

So ?

You do know that it is possible to select a low gear in an auto and "Force" it to remain in that gear. ?

Would not the instructor also have know that he was sitting in an auto. But then he would know something about autos, unlike you

BarryD2

Where's she doing the test? Must be Cork or somewhere like that which has steep hills. Most test centres tend to be in towns and urban areas which normally don't have long steep descents. If it was me, I'd be using the gears whether manual or auto to keep appropriate control and only brakes if speed limit is approaching and/or for some other reason you need to stop/ slow.

J_R

Isambard wrote: »

It's an auto

USE A LOW GEAR WHEN GOING DOWN STEEP HILLS

But My Car Has Automatic Transmission!
If your vehicle has automatic transmission, it knows when to shift. Every time you accelerate to pass another vehicle, go uphill or downhill, the appropriate gear kicks in.

This is fully automatic and many drivers never give it a second thought. You can, however, still have some control over when your transmission shifts. With more knowledge and by shifting to low gears during appropriate times, you can increase the power and efficiency of your driving. This will make you a much smarter driver.

How to Shift to a Lower Gear with an Automatic
Here is how you force your automatic transmission to downshift into a lower gear when you approach a downgrade:

First, ease off the gas pedal. As the vehicle slows, you will allow the transmission to shift to a lower gear. Now, keep this speed to maintain the lower gear as long as it is necessary

Most modern cars also have lower gears labeled with 1, 2, 3 or L (Low) or the possibility to up-shift or/and down-shift with + (plus) and – (minus). The system will usually prevent shifting to a lower gear range if you are going too fast and unless it is safe, so make sure you first slow down to an appropriate speed.

When You Want to Use Lower Gear
Going down steep hills and long downgrades are probably the most common use for lower gear. Some also use lower gear when going uphill to get a faster response from the engine. A steady, low gear can also be useful for very slow driving on icy roads, where you want to cut the speed to a crawl without hitting your brakes.

To get a feel for how lower gears work on your vehicle, you should always try them under good road conditions. Learn how to use them before you actually need them. Remember, the system may not be the same on all vehicles.

Amouar

BarryD2 wrote: »

Where's she doing the test? Must be Cork or somewhere like that which has steep hills. Most test centres tend to be in towns and urban areas which normally don't have long steep descents. If it was me, I'd be using the gears whether manual or auto to keep appropriate control and only brakes if speed limit is approaching and/or for some other reason you need to stop/ slow.

She is doing test in Churchtown and there is a steep descent in one of the test routes.

Isambard

J_R wrote: »

So ?

You do know that it is possible to select a low gear in an auto and "Force" it to remain in that gear. ?

Would not the instructor also have know that he was sitting in an auto. But then he would know something about autos, unlike you

yes you can, but they aren't gears and you get no engine braking effect with an auto

J_R

Isambard wrote: »

yes you can, but they aren't gears and you get no engine braking effect with an auto

:eek:

Isambard

J_R wrote: »

:eek:

it's a fluid coupling. There is no mechanical retardation effect by selecting a low "gear"

Wishbone Ash

J_R wrote: »

.... if you use your brakes to keep the speed slow on a very long, very steep slope the brake pads will overheat. To avoid this you should use a low gear to give you engine braking instead.....

Unless the driving test route descends the Stelvio Pass, I wouldn't worry about brakes overheating.

Wishbone Ash

Isambard wrote: »

it's a fluid coupling. There is no mechanical retardation effect by selecting a low "gear"

What do you do in snow/ice when braking is out of the question?

(Any auto I've ever driven had the option of manually selecting a gear to prevent it from changing up).

galwaytt

Isambard wrote: »

it's a fluid coupling. There is no mechanical retardation effect by selecting a low "gear"

.....true, unless it's a modern DSG/EDC type automatic.....OP would want to tell us.


Either way, even if you approached a steep descent at way below the speed limit, it is still likely up speed anyway: it is Gravity we're dealing with here, so feathering the brakes to keep it under the limit is entirely appropriate.