How to drive slowly in reverse?

[crossword]

I’m having trouble with the left reverse turn. I’ve read dozens of articles on the net about how to execute this turn but none tell you how to do it SLOWLY.

I feel I’m executing the turn too fast. How do I do it more slowly and with more control? I doubt it can be a good idea to have my foot on the brake throughout the turn.

Also I tend to get nervous while turning and I hit the brakes before I have completely straightened the car because I always fear I’m going to crash into something like a wall or more likely run over into the stony muddy area beside the lane/road. But I suppose getting that right will come with practice. We have few pavements in India, so I can't check out the kerb through the window but just try to use my judgment as to when the road curves.

[Gareth]

I'm having trouble with the left reverse turn. I've read dozens of articles on the net about how to execute this turn but none tell you how to do it SLOWLY.

If you are practicing on a level road, then the first thing to know is that it should be possible to make the car start to move in 1st gear just by using the clutch pedal.

Reverse gear is typically geared similar to 1st gear, and the same may apply. If not, then the lightest application of the accelerator may be required.

Once the car is moving, then little or no use of the accelerator pedal should be needed, so the engine's idle speed provides the minimum speed for moving forwards or backwards.

If you need to go slower then you need to disengage the clutch, and then by repeatedly engaging and disengaging it you can vary your speed below that which the engine at idle can provide.

This technique can also be used when just using the engine at idle results in jerky movement.

Also I tend to get nervous while turning and I hit the brakes before I have completely straightened the car because I always fear I'm going to crash into something like a wall or more likely run over into the stony muddy area beside the lane/road.

One thing that can help is to have a good look at the road you intend using before you start to reverse. In fact the best time to look might be as you are slowing to a stop on the main road, just as you are passing the side turning into which you intend reversing.

This way you should be able to get a picture of how much room there is before you are positioned to begin reversing, and so while reversing you have some confidence to concentrate of controlling the car rather than also needing to look out for fixed hazards.

[crossword]

Thanks, Gareth. I was surprised to read on the net that the accelerator is used while reversing. I never use it. I can understand using it if you are reversing in a straight line but I cant imagine myself using it while turning. My problem is I want to turn more slowly.

From what I have read, there seem to be two ways to reverse. Some people suggest letting the clutch up slowly as you turn. Others suggest pressing the brake pedal down and putting the car into reverse, keeping your foot on the brake. Then lifting your foot off the brake pedal a little bit at a time to let the car move slowly in reverse.

Which would you say is better to use while reversing: clutch or brake?

[ScoobyChris]

I've always used the accelerator while reversing, but as Gareth says only the lightest of touches is needed. If the car crawls without any throttle applied then you'll need to use the brake to control that speed and then the clutch to disengage drive when you have completed the manouevre. Worth bearing in mind that you don't want to continue dabbing at the brake pedal if you want it to be smooth.

Unfortunately, it's the sort of thing that would be very easy to demonstrate if you were in this country

Chris

[Gareth]

crossword, can you tell us anything about the engine idle speed of the car you are driving. It sounds as if it is turning much faster than I would normally expect.

If this is the case then it explains why you are having trouble with the car going too fast when you are reversing.

[Oddball]

Yes, if the engine is idling very fast, it may be difficult to control the speed using clutch control...

[crossword]

Well, I bring the car to a stop by braking and using the clutch, then I put it in first gear and give no acceleration at all. So I simply dont see how the engine could be going too fast when I start letting out the clutch. I have never looked at the speedometer while turning - my eyes are too busy elsewhere!

I have read this term “engine idle speed” but am not sure what it means.

[Gareth]

I have read this term “engine idle speed” but am not sure what it means.

This simply means the rate at which the engine turns when the car is stopped with the gearbox in neutral and where the accelerator is not being pressed. The engine should be fully warmed up, and if there is a manual fuel-air mixture enrichment device, (often called a choke), it should be set in the off position.

It is measured in engine revolutions per minute, (rpm), and for many cars the idle speed is somewhere between 850 and 1000 rpm. Some cars have dials that show the engine speed, but this is not essential, only nice to have.

If there is no access to the engine manufacturer's specifications, then home mechanics will often adjust the idle speed when the engine is fully warmed, (with the choke off), such that it is as slow as possible while still running reasonably smoothly.

If the engine is running faster than this, for example because the choke is partly or fully on, (for engines that have a choke), or because there is another reason why the air-fuel mixture is too rich, or because the idle speed has been set too high, then it will make reversing a lot more difficult than it should be.

[crossword]

now I suspect the engine idle speed is a bit higher than in your cars but when I asked my father he said it was up to the mechanic to set it and they know what speed is best for what car. He doesnt want to make it any slower for fear the car would then go too slow in first and reverse.

I have come to realize some things I read on the net and in this forum simply dont apply to the car i'm driving, or I cant do anything about it. But I still find it interesting and informative to learn why or why not. I wont always be driving this car and it's good to know how other cars will differ.

[Jasp]

Thanks, Gareth. I was surprised to read on the net that the accelerator is used while reversing. I never use it.

This is interesting. I'm not sure my car could cope pulling away at idle, if that's what you mean. I'll have to try it though.

I'm fairly sure I tend to have about 1000-1200 revs on a reverse.

[Gareth]

This is interesting. I'm not sure my car could cope pulling away at idle

It's one of the ways to test the delicacy of your clutch control ... many people believe it's impossible until you get them to prove themselves wrong.

A minority of cars have so little torque at idle that it is quite difficult, but for many it's not particularly hard.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

What make and model is your car, Crossword?

@Jasp - most moderately torquey engines will pull away at idle if the clutch control is featherlight.

[crossword]

my father's car is a Maruti 800, over 10 years old. It was the cheapest model available at the time. The clutch on my instructors car was a lot easier to handle and moved more smoothly. His was the more expensive Santro.

The speed of both cars in reverse and first gear is about the same, which is why I never needed to use the accelerator when reversing

[Gareth]

Wikipedia tells us quite a lot about this model. There is a page about the Maruti 800 which says it is an Indian built version of the Suzuki Alto.

Maruti has a website devoted to the 800 model, and from the specifications we can get an idea of the performance of a new car. The first wikipedia article claims that the model hasn't been changed much over its lifetime, so I guess we can assume that the specifications are close to accurate for the car that you drive, albeit with the engine derated for over 10 years of wear.

The current owner's manual can also be downloaded, (it's a pdf in a compressed zip archive). It contains lots of useful information, although with a quick skimming I didn't spot anything about the gearbox ratios (so we don't know how close 1st and reverse gears are) or the normal engine idle speed.

I would normally expect the speed of such a car travelling in first or reverse gear without the accelerator being used to be slightly faster than the normal walking pace of an adult man, but that's only a guess and maybe other people here will be able to give a better estimate.

Edited to add: I also found a mad page on engine tuning for a Suzuki Alto and this has some gearbox ratios listed. While they might not be the same as for the car that crossword drives, it looks like it is typical for reverse to be slightly higher geared than 1st gear, meaning that with the gear selected and no accelerator, it will be going slightly faster in reverse.

[ScoobyChris]

Looking at the dedicated page, it looks like the car has MPFI controlled by an ECU so it may be that the idle speed is built into the fuelling map and cannot easily be adjusted (at least without diagnostic equipment)....?

Chris