Car rolls backwards when on hill in gear.

norm

norm

norm

Soldato
Joined
21 Jan 2003
Posts
5,600
Engine off, handbrake off, and in 1st gear, it jerks backwards slowly.

Is this an indication the the clutch is worn and therefore slipping? Could it be anything else?
 
Perhaps mavity? :D

Your engine turns over a lot easier in 1st gear which is why people always put it in 4th or higher when parking.

EDIT: damn beaten to it. ;)
 
Maybe the weight of the car is overcoming the resistance produced by the engine when it is in first gear. Try sticking it into 4th gear, thats what I do.
 
Wicksta said:
Perhaps mavity? :D

Your engine turns over a lot easier in 1st gear which is why people always put it in 4th or higher when parking.

EDIT: damn beaten to it. ;)
Click to expand...


No, other way around, the engine is much easier to turn over in higher gears. In 1st the engine should hold on a mild slope. If it's a steep slope then the car will creep forward as compression leaks out of the cylinders, especially with a well worn engine.

Scuzi said:
Maybe the weight of the car is overcoming the resistance produced by the engine when it is in first gear. Try sticking it into 4th gear, thats what I do.
Click to expand...

Then lets hope your handbrake doesn't fail! Leave it in 1st or reverse.
 
You sure about that? Pushing a car in first gear is relatively easy whereas if it is in 2nd or 3rd it seems to be harder. At least that's how it seemed when I was helping to bump start a mates car a couple of years ago.
 
Scuzi said:
You sure about that? Pushing a car in first gear is relatively easy whereas if it is in 2nd or 3rd it seems to be harder. At least that's how it seemed when I was helping to bump start a mates car a couple of years ago.
Click to expand...

Dogbreath is totally correct - it's all about ratio. A car parked in 5th will be a lot easier to move than one parked in 1st.

EDIT

Test it out. At 25mph in 1st, turn the ignition off. Then do it at 25mph in 5th. The car will slow dramatically in 1st compared to 5th.
 
Scuzi said:
You sure about that? Pushing a car in first gear is relatively easy whereas if it is in 2nd or 3rd it seems to be harder. At least that's how it seemed when I was helping to bump start a mates car a couple of years ago.
Click to expand...
Why were you pushing it in gear anyway? :p But yes, you should park in 1st (or reverse obviously).
 
Dogbreath said:
No, other way around, the engine is much easier to turn over in higher gears. In 1st the engine should hold on a mild slope. If it's a steep slope then the car will creep forward as compression leaks out of the cylinders, especially with a well worn engine.
Click to expand...

It's easier to turn MORE (compared to the amount of movement) isn't it, but harder to actually get moving in the first place? A full revolution of the crank in fourth would need a lot less distance than in first, therefore you're going to need more force to turn it over surely?

Edited example out, as I think it was irrelevant :)
 
Last edited:
I always leave my car in 1st when parking along with having the handbrake on obv. Much safer imo. Though it has caused some close calls with the gf starting it in gear with only a foot till the car infront.
 
Everyone here seems to have entirely missed the point that I think the OP was trying to make, that the car rolls BACKWARDS. Certainly my idea of mechanics suggest that the car should not be able to do that. I don't what would be causing it though.
 
laissez-faire said:
Everyone here seems to have entirely missed the point that I think the OP was trying to make, that the car rolls BACKWARDS. Certainly my idea of mechanics suggest that the car should not be able to do that. I don't what would be causing it though.
Click to expand...

It's parked on an uphill slope?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom