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Why do stick-shift cars go backwards before going forward?



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 9th 07, 06:59 PM posted to rec.autos.driving
[email protected]
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Posts: 1
Default Why do stick-shift cars go backwards before going forward?

Sometimes I see a car in front of me stopped at the light. When the
light turns green, the car in front of me will move backwards a few
inches before going forward. I've never seen an automatic car do
that, so those cars must be manual. Why do they do that? They could
collide with you if you stopped less than a few inches from them.

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  #2  
Old July 9th 07, 07:39 PM posted to rec.autos.driving
Dave
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Posts: 408
Default Why do stick-shift cars go backwards before going forward?


> wrote in message
ps.com...
> Sometimes I see a car in front of me stopped at the light. When the
> light turns green, the car in front of me will move backwards a few
> inches before going forward. I've never seen an automatic car do
> that, so those cars must be manual. Why do they do that? They could
> collide with you if you stopped less than a few inches from them.
>


Bad drivers. In a manual tranny vehicle, there is NO connection between the
engine and drive wheels until the clutch is at least partially engaged. To
prevent a manual tranny vehicle from rolling backward, you need to do one of
two things:
1) Let out clutch pedal -fast- until clutch starts to engage, in order to
put forward pressure on the drive wheels before the car starts rolling
backward. Doing this, the car might still roll back an inch or so, but
that's not a problem.
2) (method used by inexperienced drivers). Use hand brake/parking brake to
hold car until you feel clutch start to engage

If a manual tranny vehicle rolls backward more than an inch or so, that is a
poorly trained or careless driver. (probably both)

By the way, automatic vehicles will roll backward also. But that's less
common. -Dave

  #4  
Old July 9th 07, 07:57 PM posted to rec.autos.driving
John S.
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Posts: 981
Default Why do stick-shift cars go backwards before going forward?

On Jul 9, 1:59 pm, wrote:
> Sometimes I see a car in front of me stopped at the light. When the
> light turns green, the car in front of me will move backwards a few
> inches before going forward. I've never seen an automatic car do
> that, so those cars must be manual. Why do they do that? They could
> collide with you if you stopped less than a few inches from them.


Because the driver in front of you does not know how to drive a car
with a stickshift properly. It's easy to make a smooth start on a
hill with no rollback if you practice a bit. I've seen the same thing
on automatic transmisison equipped cars on steep hills. Best idea is
to drive defensively and assume the idiot in front of you is just
learning to drive. Give him a at least 3 feet of space and on a steep
hill give even more.

  #6  
Old July 10th 07, 01:13 AM posted to rec.autos.driving
Studemania
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Posts: 890
Default Why do stick-shift cars go backwards before going forward?

On Jul 9, 1:19 pm, Eeyore >
wrote:
> wrote:
> > Sometimes I see a car in front of me stopped at the light. When the
> > light turns green, the car in front of me will move backwards a few
> > inches before going forward. I've never seen an automatic car do
> > that, so those cars must be manual. Why do they do that? They could
> > collide with you if you stopped less than a few inches from them.

>
> That might happen if the road's uphill and the driver's not that good with the
> clutch.
>
> Graham


Both Studebaker and Subaru had a device to prevent this.
I wonder why no one else did.
A friend got a subaru unit from a junkyard and told his mechanic what
it was and how it worked and told him to put it in. The guy did and
the owner was happy. He had no idea how the mechanic did it, but it
can be done.

Maybe a non=factory connected Subaru shop could help

  #8  
Old July 10th 07, 02:04 AM posted to rec.autos.driving
Nate Nagel[_2_]
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Posts: 4,686
Default Why do stick-shift cars go backwards before going forward?

Studemania wrote:
> On Jul 9, 1:19 pm, Eeyore >
> wrote:
>
wrote:
>>
>>>Sometimes I see a car in front of me stopped at the light. When the
>>>light turns green, the car in front of me will move backwards a few
>>>inches before going forward. I've never seen an automatic car do
>>>that, so those cars must be manual. Why do they do that? They could
>>>collide with you if you stopped less than a few inches from them.

>>
>>That might happen if the road's uphill and the driver's not that good with the
>>clutch.
>>
>>Graham

>
>
> Both Studebaker and Subaru had a device to prevent this.
> I wonder why no one else did.
> A friend got a subaru unit from a junkyard and told his mechanic what
> it was and how it worked and told him to put it in. The guy did and
> the owner was happy. He had no idea how the mechanic did it, but it
> can be done.
>
> Maybe a non=factory connected Subaru shop could help
>


Y'know, I've driven Studes with the hill holder and if I actually owned
one I would disable the darned thing. I have driven stickshifts so long
that I'm just used to them; the hill holder seems like it's fighting me
in tight maneuvering situations on a grade (i.e. I'm backing and filling
while facing downhill, and without the hill holder I could just leave
the car in reverse, but with the hill holder if I touch the brakes I
need to shift to first and let out the clutch to move forward)

I know, I just lost some credibility as a Stude owner

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
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  #9  
Old July 10th 07, 03:30 AM posted to rec.autos.driving
MLOM
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Posts: 1,936
Default Why do stick-shift cars go backwards before going forward?

On Jul 9, 9:15 pm, Scott en Aztlán > wrote:
> Studemania > said in rec.autos.driving:
>
> >Both Studebaker and Subaru had a device to prevent this.
> >I wonder why no one else did.

>
> Because most people don't need it?
> --
> MFFYCam Videos Galohttp://www.geocities.com/mffycam/htt...kills.blip.tv/


Necessity is a mother, isn't it?

  #10  
Old July 10th 07, 09:28 AM posted to rec.autos.driving
Eeyore
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Posts: 3,670
Default Why do stick-shift cars go backwards before going forward?



Studemania wrote:

> Eeyore wrote
> wrote:
> >
> > > Sometimes I see a car in front of me stopped at the light. When the
> > > light turns green, the car in front of me will move backwards a few
> > > inches before going forward. I've never seen an automatic car do
> > > that, so those cars must be manual. Why do they do that? They could
> > > collide with you if you stopped less than a few inches from them.

> >
> > That might happen if the road's uphill and the driver's not that good with the
> > clutch.

>
>
> Both Studebaker and Subaru had a device to prevent this.


Actually all cars do.

It's called the handbrake.

Graham

 




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