Driving with your engine turned off (good or bad)

[kph]

Let me add the missing Disclaimer...

Never attempt this at home or anywhere else.

[santosh.s]

I feel for bikes it may not matter because they don't have power brakes or steering.

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

When you go downhill with engine off, you need to use brakes to slow down, this will fade your brakes. The same way as you would go down in neutral gear.
Thats why they say use engine braking.
Doing this for a long time could cause brake failure.

Other issue of booster brakes, atleast in Indica it does not matter. As long as your are coasting above 20kmph, there is no lack of "booster". I think the reason is that the alternator belt is still spinning when the car is coasting, and indica has one belt for Alternator, Power steering and brakes.

Excuse me Senior.. How does the alternator belt Spin When coasting above 20kph.. with the Engine Off in an Indica. The Belt connected to the wheels Or the Engine???

[santosh.s]

That makes me ask this serious doubt, never thought about it before-

It is obvious that when the engine is not running, brakes or steering are not going to get any boosting (assuming non-electric mechanisms like vacuum or hydraulic). But when it is 'running' it should provide boosting regardless of whether it is driven by fuel or engine-braking, right?? What I mean is, as long as you don't put the transmission in neutral while rolling down with engine off (I mean ignition off), you should not loose any mechanical boosting. Is that true?

[Sush]

But once I had to rely on this kind of driving style on my way back from Khajiyar (I hope its correctly spelled). Actually the only petrol pump there was shut and I had to urgently drive back to Dalhousie. But rather than turning the engine off, I drove in neutral while driving down hill. So I did save fuel and reached my destination without getting stranded.

Driving with engine off is a strict No No

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by Sush

But rather than turning the engine off, I drove in neutral while driving down hill. So I did save fuel and reached my destination without getting stranded.

Driving with engine off is a strict No No

And so is driving in Neutral because you're again going to over-strain the brakes if you do it excessively and that can again lead to a brake failure.

[sreenivass]

MPFI cars are not supposed to be pushed (no or minimum dhakka). I think the situation is no different here. I am sure it is not mere braking, it may damage the engine. The fiat workshop keeps telling me do not get the car pushed if it stalls, can any knowledgeable guy throw some light on hows and whys ?

[rks]

Originally Posted by sreenivass

MPFI cars are not supposed to be pushed (no or minimum dhakka). I think the situation is no different here. I am sure it is not mere braking, it may damage the engine. The fiat workshop keeps telling me do not get the car pushed if it stalls, can any knowledgeable guy throw some light on hows and whys ?

As far as I know MPFI cars are not supposed to be push-started. This is what my Santro manual says too, and the reason given is that the catalytic converter can be damaged. I think any MT car can be merely pushed, as opposed to push-started. I don't know about AT cars, though.

[manikjeet]

i to checked with my mechanic he said no to push start any of my car its not good for the car

And i get it i did a foolish thing but it was fun and guess what the person sittin next to me doesn't believe that the car had no engine power while coming down hehehe

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by manikjeet

guess what the person sittin next to me doesn't believe that the car had no engine power while coming down hehehe

Good, and I guess he won't believe you when you tell him you have no brake power either, will he?

[manikjeet]

Originally Posted by iraghava

Good, and I guess he won't believe you when you tell him you have no brake power either, will he?

if i tell her she would freak out and probably kill me

but the breaks were working properly only they were hard and the reason she isn't believing is that i over took few cars on the way

[santosh.s]

Originally Posted by manikjeet

if i tell her she would freak out and probably kill me

humm... so it was "she"... then frankly, I wouldn't be surprised at all