Manual cars will roll back when you attempt to start driving because until you apply the clutch, there is basically nothing that holds the wheels or moves them forward. It means that once you release the brake pedal or the handbrake, the car will roll back under the influence of gravity.
Manual transmission use tips highlights
- Level of importance:High
- Problem prevention:Maintenance, careful driving
- Needed expertise:No
- Needed tools:No tools
- Time taken:1-2 hours for practicing or learning
- Possible issues:Transmission failure, overloading, overheating, destroying gears, burning clutch.
Explaining the phenomenon of roll-back in manual cars
So, we are talking about the problem when you are driving your manual vehicle and want to start moving from an incline. Once you release your brake, you feel that your vehicle is already rolling back and it's unsafe because you can easily hit some other car or another object on the road.
Here's why this happens from the technical point of view:
- in your manual car, the clutch is operated by your left foot, so the car doesn't control the clutch;
- when you are putting the car in the first gear to start driving, you press the clutch pedal;
- also, if you are on the hill, you hold the brake pedal with your right foot so that the car could be in place;
- when the gear is engaged, you want to release the brake and gradually release the clutch to start moving;
- but before your clutch engages, the car is free to move backward because nothing holds it;
- if you release the clutch too fast, the engine will stall;
- so, this is almost inevitable that your car will roll back whenever you start driving on a hill.
Of course, this is one of the most complicated things for starter drivers. My strong recommendation - avoid hills till you get at least some experience. If it's impossible, go on the empty hill and teach yourself how to start without rolling back. This thing has been the reason for thousands of car crashes. They aren't often serious, but they take your time and money, so you better avoid them, anyway.
So, the roll-back happens because, in a manual car, nothing holds the car in its place at the moment when you release the brake pedal and want to start driving. But how can you cope with this?
Dealing with the roll-back problem in the manual vehicle
There are several ways to deal with this problem in a modern vehicle. Here are the most efficient ones:
1) Anti-roll-back system
Usually, it's called hill-start assist or something like that. This is the system that holds brakes a little longer once it spots that the car is stopped on the incline. A lot of modern vehicles have this system and you should check - maybe yours also has this to support your driving and you just need to activate it.
2) Using the parking brake
It's possible to keep your car on the parking brake when you are on the hill. Once you release the clutch enough for it to engage, you should release the handbrake and start driving. This is one of the easiest ways to start driving on a hill. Also, it's good for inexperienced drivers.
3) Develop a new driving style
You should train yourself to start from a hill. This is quite easy and you will need to remember the following:
- keep your right foot on the brake pedal long enough;
- when you start releasing the clutch and feel that it starts engaging, take the foot off the brake;
- immediately add some revs to the engine using the gas pedal;
- release the clutch and your car will be rolling forward without moving back.
In the torque-converter automatic transmission, the clutch which is the torque converter constantly sends some torque to the wheels, so they can roll back only when you put the transmission in reverse. But a DCT transmission will also roll back, so usually such cars are equipped with different hill-start assists.
Final thoughts
Unfortunately, manual cars will always roll back if you do nothing and just release the brake pedal on the hill. To avoid this, you can use my advice from this article. Also, I've just explained to you why this happens and it will be much easier for you to avoid this nasty situation when driving your manual car.
About the authors
The CarAraC research team is composed of seasoned auto mechanics and automotive industry professionals, including individuals with advanced degrees and certifications in their field. Our team members boast prestigious credentials, reflecting their extensive knowledge and skills. These qualifications include: IMI: Institute of the Motor Industry, ASE-Certified Master Automobile Technicians; Coventry University, Graduate of MA in Automotive Journalism; Politecnico di Torino, Italy, MS Automotive Engineering; Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Mechanical University in Skopje; TOC Automotive College; DHA Suffa University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
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