honda pilot gearing

[_Intel_]

hi guys,

i wanted to know the speed limits of d1-d3.

also as i was told when you are going for downhill, set the gear to D1 to slow it down.

ok i managed to go on a steep hill and before i go down, i set the gear to D1 and proceed without pressing the gas pedal.

i was shocked that at first i thought its working. because i can feel that its going down slowly but after a couple of seconds its like its letting go and i can feel its going fast so i applied the brakes slowly

im not sure if im doing it wrong maybe someone can help me?


another question, can i do downshifting if i want to slow down? for example im on D if i wnat to show down, i would shift to D3 and if i want to further slow down, shift to D2 then D1.

will that kill the tranny or even the engine?




thanks

[rocky]

Why are you doing this? Brakes are cheaper than trannies.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

[tangotango99]

I will suggest buying a manual SUV

[bcarey1981]

Originally Posted by rocky

Why are you doing this? Brakes are cheaper than trannies.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

If you ride your breaks the whole way down a mountain they may get too hot to stop you at the bottom. That is known to happen often to drivers from the deep south that come up here to North Carolina to ski.

I used to use my autostick to somewhat control my Patriot on descent, but I now have a Pilot and also wonder what is the best technique.

[_Intel_]

Originally Posted by bcarey1981

If you ride your breaks the whole way down a mountain they may get too hot to stop you at the bottom. That is known to happen often to drivers from the deep south that come up here to North Carolina to ski.

I used to use my autostick to somewhat control my Patriot on descent, but I now have a Pilot and also wonder what is the best technique.

exactly. well i came here because probably someone can explain a technique or two on slopes because not all of us are knowledgeable on cars.

also im planning to go to places where there are a lot of lose rocks and dust/sand so it will help if i know the way to handle these situations. im not sure if D1+medium braking will do but i hope there's more fool proof solution

[thrash_273]

i dnt see no problem with down shifting. i use it all the time (manual or auto). its there, why not use it

[ltp646]

Originally Posted by _Intel_

another question, can i do downshifting if i want to slow down? for example im on D if i wnat to show down, i would shift to D3 and if i want to further slow down, shift to D2 then D1.

This is a good approach. I use it quite a bit, especially on long and gentle slope (3-4 degrees). Just keep an eye on the engine speed. Also, as Rocky said - brakes are cheaper, but on the other hand you don't want to heat up the brakes too much on a long descent. Try it out to see which work.

[CO_PILOT]

Originally Posted by rocky

Why are you doing this? Brakes are cheaper than trannies. Sent from AutoGuide.com App

I fully agree with that! Brake pads are cheaper to replace.

[whizmo]

People are throwing out simplistic platitudes rather than actually providing any useful information.

Manual downshifting of an automatic transmission to control speed on hills is an absolutely valid technique and is required to avoid brake overheating on long steep grades, especially with heavy loads and a trailer. The OM discussed this technique the recommends it. It's the main reason a car like the Pilot has the D3, D2, and D1 positions on the gearshift.

Routinely downshifting on shorter and less-steep grades is a tradeoff. It will reduce brake wear but increase transmission wear. If you're using the brakes only briefly, it probably makes more sense to just leave the car in D and use them. But there are a few steep hills in my area where I downshift the car to save a little wear/tear on the brakes.

What wear/tear you do to the transmission has a lot to do with how you're doing the downshifting. If you're using the very low gears, D2 and D1, at higher speeds, it does cause a pretty violent jerk as the engine is forced to bring revs up rapidly. I would avoid this. About the only time you'd ever use D1 is descending a very steep grade in the backcountry - it really shouldn't be used in normal day-to-day driving and using D2 should be a rare event. I mostly use D3 now and then and it doesn't typically cause a huge jump in RPM.

Downshifting all the time on with routine stops is asking for transmission trouble.

- Mark

[RinconVTR]

Originally Posted by whizmo

People are throwing out simplistic platitudes rather than actually providing any useful information.

Manual downshifting of an automatic transmission to control speed on hills is an absolutely valid technique and is required to avoid brake overheating on long steep grades, especially with heavy loads and a trailer. The OM discussed this technique the recommends it. It's the main reason a car like the Pilot has the D3, D2, and D1 positions on the gearshift.

Routinely downshifting on shorter and less-steep grades is a tradeoff. It will reduce brake wear but increase transmission wear. If you're using the brakes only briefly, it probably makes more sense to just leave the car in D and use them. But there are a few steep hills in my area where I downshift the car to save a little wear/tear on the brakes.

What wear/tear you do to the transmission has a lot to do with how you're doing the downshifting. If you're using the very low gears, D2 and D1, at higher speeds, it does cause a pretty violent jerk as the engine is forced to bring revs up rapidly. I would avoid this. About the only time you'd ever use D1 is descending a very steep grade in the backcountry - it really shouldn't be used in normal day-to-day driving and using D2 should be a rare event. I mostly use D3 now and then and it doesn't typically cause a huge jump in RPM.

Downshifting all the time on with routine stops is asking for transmission trouble.

- Mark

Wizmo is right on, and I will add more.

I use D3 and even D2 for slowing while towing, and this is not to reduce brake wear, its to reduce brake fade from over heating. I've only had issues pulling higher weights using a trailer without brakes, personally. However, this technique is a must when going down any decent grade, with or without a trailer. Brake fade is scary, so don't ride the brakes down long grades. Use the a lower gear and engine braking.

Regarding gear selection with auto transmissions, you cant downshift to a low gear and damage anything. (at least in the short term) There have been safety mechanisms in place longer than I've been alive to prevent this. Meaning, you can slam into D2 while at 80mph and nothing will be instantly blow up. The "built in safety", whatever it is, prevents the gear change until the correct max speed for that gear is met, and you'll know when that speed it met cause you'll be jolted!

In the Pilot, hitting the OD/D3 button is safe at nearly any sane speed.

[bcarey1981]

According to Wikipedia: "The Pilot also uses a Grade Logic System which holds the engine in a lower gear when on steep inclines for better hill-climbing torque and increased engine braking when going down steep inclines."

Can anyone elaborate on the increased engine braking? I wonder how significant the breaking is.

[whizmo]

Originally Posted by bcarey1981

Can anyone elaborate on the increased engine braking? I wonder how significant the breaking is.

Climbing over passes, my 2006 will hold D3, D4, and stay out of torque convertor lockout to avoid "hunting" between gears, so I think that's the way grade logic works going up. Going down, the only time I've ever noted automatic engine-braking downshifting is when I've had cruise control on.

- Mark

[pilot2013]

here is old thread on this topic

Driving down a mountain in D1/D2/D3????

Originally Posted by bcarey1981

According to Wikipedia: "The Pilot also uses a Grade Logic System which holds the engine in a lower gear when on steep inclines for better hill-climbing torque and increased engine braking when going down steep inclines."

Can anyone elaborate on the increased engine braking? I wonder how significant the breaking is.

[_Intel_]

hi,

sorry im out for a while.

im not planning to use engine braking on a flat paved road. i recently been going to some steep hills that are rocky and dusty. and what i usually do is before going down, i switch to D1 and let it go. but halfway i can sense the speed is increasing so im pumping brakes slowly to reduce the speed.

maybe im now understanding what the low gears from other full time 4x4 are for or correct me if im wrong . it seems D1/D2/D3 will apply engine brake if it exceed its speed limit. like e.g. d1 = 0kph-50kph if it reached 60 on d1, engine brake is applied. but 50kph on a rocky downhill is too fast.

[whizmo]

Originally Posted by _Intel_

maybe im now understanding what the low gears from other full time 4x4 are for or correct me if im wrong . it seems D1/D2/D3 will apply engine brake if it exceed its speed limit. like e.g. d1 = 0kph-50kph if it reached 60 on d1, engine brake is applied. but 50kph on a rocky downhill is too fast.

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