How to deal with Hill-starts

starlit

Hi there, just looking for a bit of advice on hill-starts, probably a few threads on this already but would like a bit of tips on the hill start.

How do you deal with a hill-start without rushing it or without rolling back?

From what I can do myself, is that basically, it’s about the clutch and accelerator pedals, a lot to do with clutch control basically.

Been advised to have hand on handbrake and have handbrake up a bit, button pressed in but not let it go until the car pulls forward. Have clutch in, bring it up a bit, get to biting point of contact between the clutch and accelerator don’t lift off the clutch until the last part until I give enough acceleration for it to pull away but not let the handbrake go until the car starts to pull forward. Give enough gas so it don't stall.

Basically is this the right way to go about the hill-start manoeuvre? A bit like pulling away on the flat but with a hill, just giving more acceleration and handbrake/clutch control without stalling/rolling. Am I right on thinking that I am doing it right?

There is another aspect too hill starts or a fall of ground at a junction or roundabout or in town say I’d like to ask. How do you deal with the pressure of it and concentrate on not rushing it but not taking too much time to deal with the hill-start in this situation? Is it that I need more use of clutch, accelerator and handbrake in this case than a normal hill start in the country-side say? Any tips in this case when there is a load of traffic behind you?

Any help on hill-starts I much appreciate it.

Thanks in advance

**Timbuk2**

What you're doing sounds fine. You'll know you are at that biting point because you can feel the car wanting to move slightly, the engine gets a bit quieter at the biting point and the car might even tilt fractionally!

You just need to practice, as obvious as it sounds. Go to a street that is quiet but is on a hill (won't be hard to find in most places - I live in Dundalk which is virtually hill-less but in most places there'll be be estates and things with hills). Practice constantly stopping and starting, as if in queues of traffic on a hill.

It won't be long until the thought of not being able to do a hill start is laughable - you won't need to think about accelerator/clutch/handbrake, you'll just 'do' it!

This is a bit hard to explain, but if in constant start-stop traffic on a hill (e.g. 90% of the time I drive through Drogheda), then you can kind of get a good balance, where you engage the handbrake just as you come to a stop - you sort of catch the car with the handbrake. Then just do a hill start normally, and back to 'catching' the car with the handbrake just as you stop. The handbrake has a biting point as well, so if you're just going to be stopped for a second, you don't necessarily need to pull the handle the whole way up, let go, then release it again.

leahyl

I live on Cork CIty's northside which has a LOT of hills so I had to master this fairly quick when I was driving!

Basically you need to find the biting point as you say with the clutch and accelerator. You'll get a feel for it soon enough - I always give the accelerator a bit of boot and leave the clutch out at the same time (not too fast) and then leave down the handbrake. It's just a 'feel' you get for it! Don't worry it will come in time:)

Posy

Just wondered, what are hill starts like if you are driving an automatic?

Sinfonia

Posy wrote: »

Just wondered, what are hill starts like if you are driving an automatic?

With an automatic it's as though the 'clutch' is automatically at the biting point. So handbrake down, and hit the accelerator.


I think.

challengemaster

Sinfonia wrote: »

With an automatic it's as though the 'clutch' is automatically at the biting point. So handbrake down, and hit the accelerator.


I think.

Actually, in an automatic I think you'll need to have your foot on the footbrake - if the car is still in D it will move forward unless you've the brakes applied. Handbrake would just be for parking / when the car is out of gear

**Timbuk2**

As far as I know, in automatics (have never driven one), hill starts are the same as normal starts.

You don't need to use the handbrake at all, simply take your foot off the brake, and put it on the accelerator and you will move off. Automatic cars have an 'automatic creep' that happens when your foot is off the brake, so it won't roll back. Maybe if it's an exceptionally steep hill you'd need to use the handbrake, but otherwise, I think, it's just like any other start.