ACC tips

[corgi]

although it does tend to brake..prefer to engine brake where possible!

Any particular reason?

There is a theory that using brakes is better as brake pads are much easier/cheaper to replace than gearboxes and clutches. There's also a theory that says that engine braking is better for passengers and when the roads are busy gradual changes of speed are better...

[mullermn]

I think that in days gone by there was also the fact that the brakes and brakepads would overheat if they were used too much - so using the engine where possible was a good thing.

These days with modern engineering this isn't a problem anymore, especially with the large brakes on the PP GTI.

[GTI-7-Performance]

I love the ACC  :

 - really sensible on a hilly motorway when all the traffic slows down up the hills and speeds up again going down.
 - use it in town a lot as it will even come to halt and restart in a queue (with DSG anyway)
 - doesn't always use the brakes to slow down (you can check this in the mirror to see if the 'Car of the Year 2013' sticker goes red on the rear screen). Presume regenerating the battery??

Couple of problems:

 - traffic on the off ramp can get mistaken for slowing traffic in my lane and the car slows
 - as mentioned above resumption can be slow. Setting ACC to sport in 'Individual? if DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control) is fitted. otherwise use your right foot
 - indicators override the braking effect and can surprise one when pulling out and a just-passed car is rapidly caught up

[jivemonkey]

I just don't like the idea of all the energy in the car being needlessly wasted through heat, just doesn't sit right. I see no reason why releasing the throttle and letting the engine use air compression to take the momentum out is just as good.

As I've DSG, I've no reason to believe it will be of any detrimental effect to either the clutch or transmission as they're all rev matched prior to changing anyway. Could be wrong though.

Also, I find MPG is effected significantly when letting the engine slow you down rather than just braking. As far as I'm aware, the TDI just stops fuel injection in these situations?

I've no evidence or technical reasons behind my thoughts other than my own experiences, but open to being proven wrong! With these engines being so torquey, I've just always used engine braking where possible, and with enough forward thinking can use it to come to an almost stop and only use brakes for coming out of 2nd when approaching a stopping point.

Interesting to know what others do?

[corgi]

It wasn't a criticism... I was genuinely interested.

For me it depends on the situation. On busy roads, especially motorways I try to use the brakes as little as possible and use engine braking for the reasons state above - I feel that it is smoother and causes much less of a "domino effect". Over the years I've one quite a lot of motorway running (until a few years ago I was driving in excess of 40K miles per year)... for example on my S2000 my brake pads were finally replaced at the 72000 mile service (I owned the car from less than 2K miles)...

If it not too busy (or I am... pressing on) then I will use the brakes...

As stated above though in the past I used to use engine braking far more because, frankly, brakes were rubbish... Before 1985 all non Cooper/GT Minis had drums all-around...

[Gordor]

Surely engine braking is better and the ACC takes a lot of this way? But I reckon In fog it will be awesome.