honda pilot gearing

[_Intel_]

Originally Posted by whizmo

There is no such thing as an "engine brake" that can be applied. There is "engine braking" which is the general tendency for an engine to slow a vehicle when you let off the gas. (Engines are basically air pumps and when you're not giving the engine fuel, the wheels drive the engine to pump air through it which means the engine brakes the car.) Engine braking is greater the higher the engine RPM.

D1/D2/D3 does not apply a brake. You manually shift the transmission into a lower gear to cause the engine to rev higher which results in more engine braking.

If selecting D1/D2/D3 requires the engine to rev beyond redline, it won't engage the lower gear. If the slope is so steep that the engine would be revving beyond redline in the selected gear, I assume the transmission would upshift to protect the engine, although I've never tried this. It sounds like perhaps that is what is happening in your situation - you select D1 (which gives you maximum engine braking) and start down, but the slope is so steep, it drives the engine to redline where the transmission upshifts to protect the engine which results in a dramatic reduction in engine braking. If this is happening, my suggestion would be to use the brakes sufficiently to keep the speed below where the transmission needs to upshift. If this slope continues though, you might have brake overheating issues simply because you're exceeding the capabilities of the vehicle. (A truck with a dedicated low range might be more appropriate for such use.)

If the slopes are extremely steep, engine braking may not be sufficient to control speed and you'd have to use the brakes also. Most of us use a combination of downshifting and braking on long grades (e.g., descending a mountain pass) - downshifting to handle the general slope and brakes to bleed off any extra speed for an especially steep pitch and for cornering. But I've never been on a slope where D2 didn't provide plenty of engine braking to control the speed.

Hope this helps.

- Mark

i never put my revs beyond 4000. anyway yes. it seems based from my activity, i need a car that has low range.

maybe im just too scared because the slope has a curve+dirt+rock/pebbles and what protects you from the cliff is just a couple of concrete barriers. =D

[rocky]

OP post had me concerned that he planned to slam the car into lower gear as soon as he could get the speed down.
When using CC the car will drop a gear to control max speed close to the set speed.


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[RinconVTR]

Originally Posted by _Intel_

i never put my revs beyond 4000. =D

Sorry to hear that. The majority of gas engines out make their power above 4k. You're missing out!

Even for engine brake use, there is nothing wrong going over 4k.

[_Intel_]

Originally Posted by RinconVTR

Sorry to hear that. The majority of gas engines out make their power above 4k. You're missing out!

Even for engine brake use, there is nothing wrong going over 4k.

yes but that is about to change as im taking my pilot to the sand dunes!! =D

[PHILIP8N]

To somewhat answer your 1st question, at 6300 rpm, the Pilot is 'geared' for:
1st, 45 mph
2nd, 77 mph
3rd, 116 mph
4th, 162 mph
5th, 202 mph

Philip