Ive recently noticed that my front rotors arent too smooth, the more i drive the deeper the grooves get in my rotors..... anyone else notice this....

also on a side issue, i dont use 100% brakes, I engine brake my car(downshift) so im wondering how my rotors could possibly look this bad

 

Compression braking is bad for your clutch, brakes are cheaper than a clutch, so use your brakes

 

Technically using your clutch is 'bad for your clutch'.

Using the transmission/engine to slow down is normal when driving a standard and won't put any excessive strain on the clutch.

 

my rotors look like **** too and i engine brake, ive got 13000 miles on the rotors who knows

 

Actually its almost unanimously agreed in the automotive community that engine braking is no the way to go because it will cost you more (brakes being a cheap fix relative to clutch)

The only time engine breaking is recommended is on a long downhill slope

 

I alraedy had to take my car in because it threw the break fluid light. They had to refill my brake fluid. But im guessing this was because since i was used to automatic cars i always held the brake when i was stopped.

 

I have to agree with you that breaks are cheaper when they are OEM. If you decide to get better pads and rotors then it will not be as cost effective.

I will still say that engine breaking is better than *just* using the breaks and free-wheeling (if that’s what you implied). Utilizing both is what I would say is most efficient.

 

I mix it up...I downshift and gently apply the brakes to help the car slow...I'm so used to it it feels strange when I just apply the brakes and don't downshift the car, I feel like I'm pushing my foot through the floor or putting excess pressure on the pedal. It also seems to feel like the car isn't stopping fast enough. I also likes the fact that it takes the guess work out of picking a gear when you're slowing down behind traffic at a light and they begin to move again...just means I have to think less . I'm well aware it's putting excess wear on my clutch which as you mentioned is not a cheap repair but if it can't stand up to the very day driving when manufacturers know people downshift then a repair job on it would be pretty much inevitable even w/o downshifting...I think I'm just stubborn .

As for the grooves, make sure that your break pads are not rubbing on your rotors during normal operation without the brakes applied. A few people have mentioned that their brake pads were dragging on the rotors but I've also seen mention of normal every day braking causing the grooves on the rotors.

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Agree...I try not to make any serrious downshifts ...I will drag the gears out as I come to a light if I have time ...but I wont make a point of having my drivetrain stop me in a hurry

 

Definitely not. The proper way to drive stick shift is to gear down as you use the brakes to slow the vehicle down. If you are actually good at it (a lot of people aren't) and downshift at the correct RPM's, the downshifts are seemless, yet still help you maintain speed and slow the car down gradually. You can also match revs on downshifts, which creates zero wear on the clutch, instead of a neglibeable amount

Its actually a hazard if you don't gear down at your speed decreases. Say you are cruising in 5th, and slow down for traffic to 20MPH (clutch in). If you suddenly need to move (say to get out of someones way whos not paying attention) you will either have to try and downshift to 1st very quickly or just stall it and get hit. Being in the right gear for your speed is important, the clutch wear is extremely negligeable

Don't pull that BS about "excessive clutch wear" due to normal downshifting - my family had a 1990 Accord 5-speed, and both of my parents downshifted reasonably when coming to a stop, and at 200,000 miles it was still on the original clutch.

 

I also do a mix, I downshift at lowerer rpm's and brake at the same time, so im def not straining my engine

 

Ditto...if I have to stop in a hurry because of traffic or a yellow light it's clutch in and hit the brakes...no point in attempting to downshift just for the sake of downshifting .

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