Engine braking with a CVT?

[Elkins45]

I drove up the Mount Washington auto road once and there were signs everywhere about descending in low gear, and I think they even looked in the vehicle and verified you were in L before they let you leave. I was driving a manual so no issues, but I do recall smelling other people's brakes for a lot of the trip.

Remembering that today got me to thinking about CVT transmissions. The only one I've ever driven is my wife's Corolla and it has paddle shifters so you can choose a lower 'gear' if desired. How do cars with just a D setting handle engine braking?

 

[dishdude]

Every CVT I've seen has a L position for engine braking.

 

[Skippy722]

I can’t recall ever seeing a car that didn’t have a low or “manual” mode that allowed you to downshift for engine braking.

 

[Pew]

There is an [L]ow and a hill descent assist on my mom's fusion hybrid that has the cvt. L worked great in creeping traffic too.

 

[CharBaby]

*My 2015 Altima 2.5 SV w/CVT, did not have an "L"ow mode, at least not for the 2.5L 4 cyl. Nor did this 4 cyl's CVT have a "M"annual mode.
*However it did have an "S"port mode which altered the mapping and acted like a step shift automatic(sort of).
*And I could also turn off the OD on the side of the shifter handle.
*Therefore with both features("S" & OD Off), the tranny acted like, "S": LOW & OD Off: LOWER respectively.
*And too, just putting the Altima's CVT into "D"rive mode is this CVTs ECO mode.
*However the Altima V6 did have paddle shifters on the back of the steering wheel meaning that it did have a manual mode
*OTOH, both of the Honda Civic LX sedans (2015 & 2022) that my daughter owned, did have an "S" & "L"ow mode, IIRC.

 

[Delta]

Our Subaru has a "manual" mode with 7 select-able "gears" through paddle shifters. It will hold speed somewhat going down the mountain, but leaving it in "D" and being smart with your braking works just fine. It will get some serious RPM's engine braking in that thing. Typically only use it when behind a slow moving semi.

I do prefer to use my truck with an actual manual going up and down that mountain, but that's not what this is about...

 

[eljefino]

Pretty sure it's a NHTSA rule to have engine braking. My prius has it, "B" mode. Took it down Mt Washington, it had less engine braking power than a stick shift in first.

Some cars do not offer engine braking in D or OD, but will in 2 or 1. Even if you're in D and happen to be in first gear, you won't have the same braking as if you manually slam it down there. Automatics, by default, "coast."

 

[MSCH]

I drove up the Mount Washington auto road once and there were signs everywhere about descending in low gear, and I think they even looked in the vehicle and verified you were in L before they let you leave. I was driving a manual so no issues, but I do recall smelling other people's brakes for a lot of the trip.

Remembering that today got me to thinking about CVT transmissions. The only one I've ever driven is my wife's Corolla and it has paddle shifters so you can choose a lower 'gear' if desired. How do cars with just a D setting handle engine braking?

our Nissan has a L on the shift lever... not having any hills where I live I couldn't tell you but it should work.. just like any other vehicle with a low gear..

 

[Rogueman2016s]

I drove up the Mount Washington auto road once and there were signs everywhere about descending in low gear, and I think they even looked in the vehicle and verified you were in L before they let you leave. I was driving a manual so no issues, but I do recall smelling other people's brakes for a lot of the trip.

Remembering that today got me to thinking about CVT transmissions. The only one I've ever driven is my wife's Corolla and it has paddle shifters so you can choose a lower 'gear' if desired. How do cars with just a D setting handle engine braking?

All the cvt’s my family have and had there is a “L” shifter position and maybe if I recall my fathers 15 Corolla said B or LB not sure. My 16 Rogue has a setting for cvt engine braking it’s one of the drive modes not sure if it’s used for towing or something like a sport mode I haven’t had the time to look further into this.

 

[GSCJR]

I miss my '07 Maxima with a CVT, it powered through the Appalachians with a full trunk and my family in toe with ease. Going up a down was smooth, the engine brake was flawless; I hardly even used the brake pedal and no shifting required. Not the case, with a step shift transmission.

 

[CKN]

I can’t recall ever seeing a car that didn’t have a low or “manual” mode that allowed you to downshift for engine braking.

I had a Subaru that had paddle shifters that had a CVT. Cruising down the canyons here in Utah was a lot of fun downshifting with the paddles.

 

[JTK]

Our 2019 Nissan Patfhinder has PRNDL. Turning OD off with the gear shift knob button makes it feel like a 4AT in 3rd and shifting down to L feels like 2nd gear. I guess you'd expect options for a CVT that is rated by Nissan to tow 6000 lbs.

 

[andrew_j]

I ignored the low gear advice with a Honda Pilot with 8 guys in it and wow did my brakes stink at bottom and making scrape sounds at end. They seemed to sort out as car passed inspection.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Our '19 RX450h allowd for "downshifting"; going down steep mountain grades like Mt Umunhum are far easier and safer.

 

[supton]

My Corolla has B on the shifter and sure enough, it seems to bump rev's by at least 1,000 rpm when I've tried it. Small 1.8L so engine braking is not massive. I did goose the throttle once or twice while using (like rolling hills) and it seem to hold a higher rpm, so B vs L, maybe the same thing, just holds rpm higher than usual.

 

[skippermatt]

I was able to coast down the whole mt Washington road in first gear in my 6 speed wrangler only touching the brakes a few times. Other people tho, they fly down that road and it seems that they don’t use any sort of low gear based off how fast they’re going and the brake smell.

 

[IndyIan]

The Outback downshifts the CVT for engine braking when using cruise control, to maintain your set speed.

 

[Al]

Subaru makes it easy. You just blip the left hand paddel for ever "lower gear" you want. Works great.

 

[mk378]

Some sort of "downhill logic" is almost always built in to a modern automatic car. If the car is increasing speed at zero throttle, the computer considers dropping gears or reducing CVT ratio to effect engine braking.

 

[supton]

The Outback downshifts the CVT for engine braking when using cruise control, to maintain your set speed.

I noticed my Corolla does likewise. Gave up on cruise on all but flat ground--going up the hill, it likes to overshoot, then going down the hill it wants to brake. I'm 98% sure that I can get better mpg if I just deal with the throttle myself.