Does anyone use the 'B' mode

[FiestaRed]

Just had a read of the Getting The Most From Your Hybrid page on the MyT app. One of the tips is to use the 'B' mode for more engine braking when going down long hills, this to save wear on the brakes.

As Derbyshire has more than its fair share of these hills I was thinking of giving it a try and wondered if anyone else used the mode? The tips are a little unclear about changing from 'D' to 'B' when driving so please forgive the stupid question, is it as simple as moving the shift lever as you're moving? I'm new to automatics as you can guess.

[loz8]

I always did [Chunnal Route] but as only 5k mls a yr. the front discs rusted,caliper pins seized,so never again for me.

It is a comfy feel though,highr mls ,go for it ,go B on the move at a brow,40 mph is ok.

[FiestaRed]

Thanks for the help Lawrence. Really appreciated.

[Cyker]

TBH I almost never use B-mode. I think if I was going down hill that was so long it fully charged the traction Battery, it'd be useful, but normally I prefer to brake just enough that the regen bar hits the maximum 3 blocks, but the friction brakes stay off. That way I can harvest as much energy from braking as I can.

I don't know if this is the case with all the Toyota hybrids, but on my Mk4 Yaris the B-mode does almost no regen and wastes all the energy that could have been captured into the traction Battery into spinning the engine.

 

[Catlover]

I have used B as per the manual a few times. Yes you can drop into B, and out of it, whilst on the move, that’s how it is designed.               
we went for a night stay just outside Buxton and on the way home dropping into Macclesfield there was a long drop down. In front of me was a big artic. His brakes started smoking and by the time it was stopped there were flames. I was using B, but because the slope was so long and steep I had to use foot brake as well, though not as much/often if there had been no B.            
I heard another useful tip, use B when travelling slow on snowy/icy roads, helps with the traction I believe.

[MyOpinionIsWorthless]

Best look at B mode as “engine breaking” not “regeneration”. 
it’s designed to simulate normal (non hybrid) automatic engine braking so you don’t achieve a speed overrun downhill. 

[FiestaRed]

2 hours ago, Catlover said:

I have used B as per the manual a few times. Yes you can drop into B, and out of it, whilst on the move, that’s how it is designed.               
we went for a night stay just outside Buxton and on the way home dropping into Macclesfield there was a long drop down. In front of me was a big artic. His brakes started smoking and by the time it was stopped there were flames. I was using B, but because the slope was so long and steep I had to use foot brake as well, though not as much/often if there had been no B.            
I heard another useful tip, use B when travelling slow on snowy/icy roads, helps with the traction I believe.

Welcome to Derbyshire Joe.

[PeteB]

Firstly, you should understand that B mode reduces the amount of regenerated energy recovered.  It's surprising how many Toyota people have said the opposite.  It does nothing while the accelerator is pressed, and works only when the accelerator is released.

As Joe mentioned it can be useful in snow/ice, and I've done that quite a few times.

A good reason to use it is any time doing so helps in controlling the car.  Having said that, most people use it very little or even never, unless they live in very hilly regions or close to one or two very long, steep hills.  The time you really do want to use it is if you've descended a hill that's long enough and steep enough to completely fill the usable part of the HV (High Voltage or traction) Battery (often referred to as "maxed out").  This can be one to two miles after the eighth (fourth for Gen 1 Prius) bar of the Battery gauge lights up.  Depending on which vintage of Hybrid system you have, various things happen at this point, the main one being that all regeneration ceases and all braking is done with the friction brakes.  In some more recent versions I'm told the engine also revs up (not using any fuel) to use pumping action to help slow the the car.

Some cars like the RAV4 Hybrids and many Lexus Hybrids have "S" (Shift) Mode  instead of "B Mode where the transmission selector is moved towards the driver from the "D" position and by pushing it forward or back can shift between different levels of 'engine braking', simulating 'gears'.  A few models can also change levels using paddles behind the steering wheel.

In the original first generation Prius (2000-2003) B Mode could be used in conjunction with Cruise Control and this could be helpful when on a road with undulating hills, to minimise the car going above the set speed when passing the crest of each hill.  For some reason in all subsequent generations of the Hybrid System selecting "B" (or "S") Mode while Cruise Control is active cancels CC.

[Catlover]

4 hours ago, FiestaRed said:

Welcome to Derbyshire Joe.

It was just one night Mike.  😄

[Velvet--Glove]

I've just returned from the Whitby area where I encountered a couple of 20% inclines. Always a bit hairy but I did not hesitate to use B mode on the way down to help control the vehicle. I'm pleased to say the car handled the steep uphill journeys very well too.

I don't know the technical ins and outs of energy savings and whatnot, I'm just a regular driver. I just wanted to chip in and say that personally I use B mode at every opportunity including the short-ish downhill approach to my home address. It helps with controlling the speed of descent and reduces the amount of time my foot is on the brake pedal. 

You do have to remember to switch back to Drive mode when done, though. I have delayed doing that on occasion and wondered why the car wasn't quite as responsive as usual. LOL. 🤪

[Catlover]

1 hour ago, Velvet--Glove said:

I've just returned from the Whitby area where I encountered a couple of 20% inclines. Always a bit hairy but I did not hesitate to use B mode on the way down to help control the vehicle. I'm pleased to say the car handled the steep uphill journeys very well too.

I don't know the technical ins and outs of energy savings and whatnot, I'm just a regular driver. I just wanted to chip in and say that personally I use B mode at every opportunity including the short-ish downhill approach to my home address. It helps with controlling the speed of descent and reduces the amount of time my foot is on the brake pedal. 

Yep, I done those steep hills around Whitby, B mode made for situations like that.        
Your 2nd para.  I too are more interested using B for the purpose it was put there for. Whether energy bars go up, down or stay where they are, steep hills demand respect and I don’t want brake fade so glad B mode is there to help.

[bewA]

Never used it on the last car and I've noticed it doesn't exist on my 2.0, not that I'll miss it 😂

[Cyker]

Yeah, you do quickly notice how much more deceleration the car has in B-mode if you forget to turn it off!  

It's like being in 1st/2nd gear instead of 3rd/4th!

 

[loz8]

I too,forget to drop back into D,so your foot says Go the engine says Whoa. Would'nt like to drive on like that.

[AJones]

I tried B mode, I can't see the engine revs but it sounded and felt like when you put a regular car deliberately in too low a gear, to boost the revs to boost engine braking. 

Only time I did that in my regular car was for particularly steep or long downhills, ones where you might be concerned about over-heating the brakes or loss of control, so far I'm taking the same approach with the hybrid and using B mode only in those particular situations where it's needed.

Plus I can't imagine using it when not needed is good for efficiency, if the engine is running at unnecessarily high revs and getting rid of energy by pumping air through it, that's energy not being recovered into the Battery.

[Ian.S]

1 hour ago, bewA said:

Never used it on the last car and I've noticed it doesn't exist on my 2.0, not that I'll miss it 😂

On the 2.0 the flappy paddles do the same job as the B selection. Selecting S with the gear shift and using simulated manual does so as well. 

[Beta]

I use B mode going down hill when I see the down hill warning triangle with the words engage low gear now underneath. With a manual box you would choose a lower gear to get engine braking with the 1.8 Corolla you use B mode. I'm often in Snowdonia North Wales and use it quite a lot and as Ian says it's S mode and flappy paddles on the 2 litre.

[TonyHSD]

I found B mode useful when driving continuously downhill on any country lanes and B roads where if you don’t switch to B have to keep the brakes constantly on. I like sometimes instead of B mode to switch to neutral N instead and use brakes only, it does help maintain well polished the brake discs and heat up all brake components therefore any trapped moisture can evaporate particularly from around callipers and slider pins to prevent sticking parts due to a rust, something that hybrids suffer a lot. No need to make the discs red hot though 👍

[Roy124]

I use it on some steep hills in Lincolnshire.  Entry speed is usually around 60 and there are sharp bends at the bottom max 30 or so. 

[Cyker]

Sounds fun!  

[Mikw]

I have used "B" mode for steep descent purposes, but i don't like the sound the engine makes, sounds a bit extra loud.

[AisinW]

I drive regularly in Alps during summer vacation. The B is used when I have very long down hill. It helps a lot before I change my front brake rotors because they vibrate after  long down hill from non homogenous hot surface.   After I replace them, I rarely need B mode, only when it is really steep and  heavy brake in the last 10 minutes. B = engine braking.  

[Trewithy]

17 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

I found B mode useful when driving continuously downhill on any country lanes and B roads where if you don’t switch to B have to keep the brakes constantly on. I like sometimes instead of B mode to switch to neutral N instead and use brakes only, it does help maintain well polished the brake discs and heat up all brake components therefore any trapped moisture can evaporate particularly from around callipers and slider pins to prevent sticking parts due to a rust, something that hybrids suffer a lot. No need to make the discs red hot though 👍

Can you move from N back into D when the car is moving?

[TonyHSD]

13 minutes ago, Trewithy said:

Can you move from N back into D when the car is moving?

Yes, no problems at all, you can switch between N, D and B while moving without need to press brake pedal. 

[PeteB]

23 minutes ago, Trewithy said:

Can you move from N back into D when the car is moving?

Yes, although personally I'd try not to do it too often, just because it doesn't seem right.

But I've done it a fair few times over the third of a million miles I've driven in Hybrids with no drama.