I suck going up slopes in traffic, HELP!

thedazman67 · 30 Jan 2007 at 13:52

I do this every morning when i get of the M6 onto the A6 into preston, its a very steep incline i just hold it on the if im only stopped for a little bit other wise i just hit the brake. my clutch is still good too

thedazman

Durzel · 30 Jan 2007 at 14:08

Bug One said:
I would never hold my car on a hill using the clutch. Thats what brakes are for.

If I wasn't confident enough to use just the foot brake, I would use the handbrake as a safety net.

On a steep hill, I would use the handbrake regardless. However quick your feet are, you will roll back a little bit, or stall the engine.

Yeah, nor would I. What I meant is that when I'm in traffic going up a hill I will alternate between right-foot braking and a quick switch to biting point and accelerator. I know the car well enough to know where the biting point is, in fact it's something that any driver should be able to do.

If you're gonna be stationary for a couple of minutes or more then fair enough - stick the handbrake on.

tbz_ck · 30 Jan 2007 at 14:28

I Agree with others go find a small slope and practice your hillstarts out the way of others.

My dad used to take me out to an empty car park at the National Watersports Centre (near where he lives) that was empty most of the time. It has a slope where the exit to the car park is. He then made me find the biting point of the clutch, and then move the car a few inches forward, then a few inches back without using the handbrake. I had clutch control down pat when I was 14...... 8)

My dad's no driving instructor but I passed my test first time with no official driving lessons! By the time I was 17 I'd had 5 years or so of weekly unofficial lessons in that car park.

SO GO PRACTICE !

Dr Who · 30 Jan 2007 at 14:46

paradigm said:
Bingo. Can't actually remember the last time I held the car on a hill with the handbrake. Clutch only for me, oh and oddly enough i'm yet to burn out a clutch in 5 years. Strange that.

LOL you better hope nobody hits you up the backside while you are holding it on the clutch then...

You wont burn out the clutch all the time, but you will cause premature wear..

Company car driver behaviour tbh... You should use the handbrake, or go buy an auto

jamoor · 30 Jan 2007 at 14:49

Yeah get an automatic, much easier!

paradigm · 30 Jan 2007 at 14:50

jamoor said:
Yeah get an automatic, much easier!

And much more boring for all those times you aren't pulling off on a hill.

megakid · 30 Jan 2007 at 17:36

In traffic I find myself in my car (diesel mind you) sitting in first gear, clutch up, feet not touching the pedals - engine just above idle - keeping a good 10-20m behind the person infront. It is very rare I have to brake...

I'd do the same on a hill but just a little (and I do mean *tiny*) bit of accelerator when in first to keep the car moving forward at a pace the engine enjoys.

JamesRJ · 30 Jan 2007 at 17:49

The elise is ideal in traffic, depending on traffic speed I either select 1st,2nd,3rd or 4th and just let it idle along. It will also pull off from stand still in either 1st,2nd with no throttle.
Benifits of a very light car.

jamoor · 30 Jan 2007 at 18:26

paradigm said:
And much more boring for all those times you aren't pulling off on a hill.

by the sounds of it he isn't a car nut, so it doesnt really matter. Also I never understand how autos are "boring" they can be just as fun in the twisties in sports mode as any manual.

dirtydog · 30 Jan 2007 at 18:30

Kaiju said:
I've been driving on the road for three months now, but i'm still dreading having to drive up a slope during rush hour and when i'm always having to stop and start in traffic.

At the moment I just use the handbrake all the time, but is it better to find your biting point all the way up? Surely this can cause a strain on your feet? Finding the biting point on a flat slope is fine, but on a hill I end up revving up like mad trying to find it and eventually have to pull my handbrake up in frustration.

I then find it hard to come off the handbrake on a hill as i'm worried i'll stall.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

No offence but you obviously shouldn't have passed your driving test if you can't do something so elementary as drive up a hill in traffic.

Stellios · 30 Jan 2007 at 18:39

dirtydog said:
No offence but you obviously shouldn't have passed your driving test if you can't do something so elementary as drive up a hill in traffic.

Its not that he cant do it, its just he doesnt like it and its obviously knocking his confidence.

Just find a nice hill with a reasonable incline and is fairly empty and practice it. The easiest way i find to do it is:

-Rev engine, ill normally rev a little harder than on the flat
-As im finding the bite be ready on *** handbrake
-Once you feel the back of the car begin to dip you have a good bite
-Remove handbrake and you should roll off

Its no more difficult than on the flat to be honest once youve stopped letting it knock you.

Kaiju · 30 Jan 2007 at 18:39

dirtydog said:
No offence but you obviously shouldn't have passed your driving test if you can't do something so elementary as drive up a hill in traffic.

Have I crashed the car? Who said anything about not being able to go up a hill?

I'm having difficulty doing so, but i'm far from being unable to do it.

Stellios said:
Its not that he cant do it, its just he doesnt like it and its obviously knocking his confidence.

Its no more difficult than on the flat to be honest once youve stopped letting it knock you.

Thanks for the constructive criticism.

dirtydog · 30 Jan 2007 at 18:41

Stellios said:
Its not that he cant do it, its just he doesnt like it and its obviously knocking his confidence.

Just find a nice hill with a reasonable incline and is fairly empty and practice it. The easiest way i find to do it is:

-Rev engine, ill normally rev a little harder than on the flat
-As im finding the bite be ready on *** handbrake
-Once you feel the back of the car begin to dip you have a good bite
-Remove handbrake and you should roll off

Its no more difficult than on the flat to be honest once youve stopped letting it knock you.

He is having the basics of driving explained to him - elementary clutch control and so on. Someone who needs that explained, shouldn't have a full licence yet.

jamoor · 30 Jan 2007 at 18:47

dirtydog said:
He is having the basics of driving explained to him - elementary clutch control and so on. Someone who needs that explained, shouldn't have a full licence yet.

Sue the DVLA for giving him a licence :rolleyes:

What do you want him to do, hand in his licence?

BeatMaster · 30 Jan 2007 at 18:47

Unless there is just one or two cars in front, I'll always go for the handbrake option as its much easier. I don't see how it takes any longer than clutch control as your not exactly go anywhere until you get to the front of the queue anyway

1 - Footbrake then dip clutch and place into 1st gear
2 - Apply handbrake and keep hand on it
3 - Find bite, creep forward as necessary by releasing the handbrake, simple!

Handbrake is much cheaper and easier to replace than a clutch :eek:

BeatMaster

Stellios · 30 Jan 2007 at 18:47

Kaiju said:
Thanks for the constructive criticism.

Im not having a go, and it wasnt meant to sound that way. Ive only been on the road a few month myself. Once you have got full control of the clutch and gettign the bite etc right you wont even think about hill starts as youll jsut do it naturally without thinking.

All we can do here is tell you the best techniques and most seem to be trying to help, but at the end of the day it takes practice.

dirtydog · 30 Jan 2007 at 18:49

jamoor said:
Sue the DVLA for giving him a licence

What do you want him to do, hand in his licence?

Might not be a bad idea

Seriously though, I was fully competent at driving up hills, doing hill starts, balancing on the clutch etc. well before I took my driving test. I worry that an examiner will pass someone who hasn't got the hang of basic car control yet.

Gaygle · 30 Jan 2007 at 19:06

I think within 4-6 months after passing your test (at latest) you should be able to clutch control up a hill in traffic. It comes naturally after you do it quite a few times then you don't even think about it.

Don't worry about burning your clutch out, you're unlikely to do it unless you really really suck or if you have the hand brake on and are holding it on the bite point for about 5 mins. I always use the clutch to hold it, unless im going to be waiting in a queue for a while (ie long wait traffic lights). Makes it so much easier to move forward a bit and with minimal effort.

whitecrook · 30 Jan 2007 at 19:14

In my new car with a wildly different clutch feel it took about 100 miles before I had the muscle memory in my leg to be able to bring the clutch up to bite point in like, 0.25 sec. Before that, I kept bringing it up too low, but I have been driving long enough to be able to control both feet independently and not rev the nuts off the car when I missed the point.

Conscript · 30 Jan 2007 at 19:29

Phate said:
Yes, you also see a lot of these people roll back a few inches.

Plus I'm talking about steep hills, if its for slight slopes then yeah I use the brake, but if its for a proper hill then handbrake every time.

If you hold the car on the clutch, it wont roll back. When I sit on the biting point and then lift off the footbrake, the car stays still. Apply gentle throttle and the car accelerates.

I guess this depends on the car though.