[raihan]

@ankan.m.blr this is mostly down to your driving technique,nandi hills is a very easy climb due to the well paved road. Rohan has summarized the issue well, especially pts 2,3 & 4.

If one has come to a complete stop while going up hill(willingly or forced due to another vehicle) & is unable to proceed either due to a very steep gradient or loss of traction as in a dirt/slushy road:
1. One can drive in a zig-zag manner to gain momentum.
2. Also in FWD cars one can try climbing up the slope in reverse gear.The weight of the vehicle shifts towards the rear wheels while going up hill & they need more traction but there isn't any in FWD cars, so reversing should help!

Note: Both these techniques should be attempted with extreme caution.
The 2nd one is a last resort, pl don't try it en route to nandi hills or ooty as they as easily passable in 1st gear

[cranky]

Having done Ooty up the 36-hairpin route in a used M800 with 5 adults on board and Tiger Hill the next day, may I proffer that the best way to climb a hill is quickly - whether in a car, on foot or up the side using rope.

Momentum is critical if you don't want to kill the car's mechanical parts. Cars are usually much happier in their powerband than out of it, whereas most cities train you to drive in order to be able to stop urgently. On a hill this will lead to a burnt clutch as you constantly fight gravity at the low end of the rpm range. We are trained to shift the moment we hear the engine. On a hill, you should shift when you hear the engine telling you to shift (those who have driven long enough will know what this sounds like, even without a tacho). City instincts are usually wrong for a hill, and vice versa.

For starting uphill, there isn't a better technique than the handbrake + clutch + throttle, at least that I'm aware. Smooth co-ordination between the arms and legs is required, practice with a block placed a few meters behind if you have access to a sloped driveway, parking entrance, etc.

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by Aroy

I have yet to come across a vehicle that cannot start or go up a hill in first gear, even extremely steep trails, as long as traction is there. Most of the smaller cars will merrily go up pretty steep hills in the 20-30 speed range, in second with 4+ passengers. In case the car cannot, the engine needs checking.

I have. On one of the steepest inclines on the narrow road to Lal Tibba in Mussoorie. I was in Matiz with 2 passengers following an 'oldish' Land Rover with embassy plates. The LR was probably not in the best of shape as it was huffing and puffing to move ahead and up esp after slowing down due to traffic. Or maybe the elderly gentleman at the wheel wasn't comfortable with hill driving. Finally, he suddenly decided to turn back causing me to come to a complete halt. He made a sort of K-turn at a hairpin (struggling all the time), and went back. I tried to move up in 1st gear @standstill with AC off, but no go - the car moved backwards. That stretch is _really_ steep. Finally, I got my co-passengers to get down, revved in neutral, put in 1st gear and with heavy use of accelerator managed to move up.
Mind you, the Matiz is well suited to hill driving (having driven it to many Himalayan destinations), but that stretch was too steep. I believe many cars would have an issue there of some kind if they had to start from stop!

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by cranky

Momentum is critical if you don't want to kill the car's mechanical parts. Cars are usually much happier in their powerband than out of it, whereas most cities train you to drive in order to be able to stop urgently. On a hill this will lead to a burnt clutch as you constantly fight gravity at the low end of the rpm range. We are trained to shift the moment we hear the engine. On a hill, you should shift when you hear the engine telling you to shift (those who have driven long enough will know what this sounds like, even without a tacho). City instincts are usually wrong for a hill, and vice versa.

Very true. One has to know the car well to drive in the hills. And this has to come through experience - learning from mistake and I think everyone has gone through that.

Also I would avoid a situation where I have to brake uphill, if possible. Give sufficient space from the leading vehicle. If there is a steep incline and there are multiple cars in line, wait for the guy in front to cross the peak.

Also, make sure to give way to the guys coming uphill (that is when you are going downhill). That might mean that you may have to stop completely on a hairpin to make way for a vehicle sweeping a uphill turn.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

I believe many cars would have an issue there of some kind if they had to start from stop!

Good point. I remember when I was young we were travelling to Konkan in a Sumo, and en route we came across a very steep ascent. The Sumo kept chugging along for a few moments, but then had to halt (don't remember why). From the stop, the driver couldn't make the vehicle move forward (or should you say upward?). I got down and placed a small rock behind one of the rear wheels, and only then could it move forward. The driver revved it hard so as not to lose the momentum and I was stranded. I had to walk up to the vehicle which had halted at the top of the road, and I got quite a cardio then!

[rajivr1612]

Originally Posted by gbpscars

(I somehow hate the L 'board'ies for this, but have to take them in a good spirit. hehe)

I presume you were never a learner. From the day you received your license you were an expert driver. There is a saying in malayalam " vanna vazhi marakkaruthu" meaning " never forget your humble beginnings"

[knaveen]

Drove an EON recently on the slope out our office basement parking. Was a bit confused on the car's behavior when it slowed down.

It was a pretty steep slope and we had four large adults on the car. I was going up in first gear and since it was chugging along didn't rev it hard. The car gradually slows down mid way and came to halt. The weird thing is that usually when this happens in other cars, the car will shudder before stalling (clutch was fully engaged). But in this EON, the car just came to halt, pressing the accelerator did not do anything, no response.The engine did not stall, even when the clutch is fully engaged and car was unable to move forward. Had to slip the clutch, build up revs and climbed up.

Never seen this happening on any manual cars so far!. Any idea what's different in EON for this to happen?

[ecosport rules]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Hill start

1. Handbrake should be on.
   
2. Depress clutch pedal
   
3. Pull up handbrake and depress ratchet button to release, but keep pulled up.
   
4. Give acceleration (how much depends on slope; experience only is the teacher)
   
5. Bring clutch pedal up to clutch 'biting point'
   
6. You will see the front of the car rise slightly.
   
7. at the same time: Release brake fully; release clutch pedal fully but gently; adjust gas as necessary.

--- Car moves off nicely

If the engine stalls at point 6, you should have given more gas: try again..

I follow the same procedure since 20 years and never faced any problem.
I found it to be the most logical approach

[sabsubs]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Do you mean heal&toe --- operating brake pedal with heal, and accelerator with toe? That is an advanced technique to do exactly the same as above, but witout using handbrake. Or shifting the foot from the brake to the accelerator damned quick? Can work well on lesser gradients.

I have driven extensively in ghat sections. The points you have mentioned are apt for driving uphill. However I usually do not use the hand break and can handle the car by keeping my foot on both the break and accelerator cross ways. I learnt this from my friend who is a professional driver in Ooty area. I keep my foot exactly as you have mentioned. This way it is more easier for me to handle the car and move it on steep incline without using hand break.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by sabsubs

... However I usually do not use the hand break and can handle the car by keeping my foot on both the break and accelerator cross ways. ....

LOL, this is a hangover from the Ambassador days when hand brakes (NOT hand breaks!) did not work!
There is hardly a car around these days where the hand brake will not do its job!
Why not follow correct practice instead of 'jugaad' and exceptional procedures?

[sabsubs]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

LOL, this is a hangover from the Ambassador days when hand brakes (NOT hand breaks!) did not work!
There is hardly a car around these days where the hand brake will not do its job!
Why not follow correct practice instead of 'jugaad' and exceptional procedures?

These are not exceptional procedure as such and not Jugaad also. I have driven cars in Ooty for more than 15 years and driven on all possible roads. I prefer it this way and for me it is more comfortable than using hand breaks. May be if you drive a lot on ghat sections then you would appreciate using this technique.

[bullrun87]

I dont like to use hand brakes either. I have always used the heel and toe technique for steep hill starts. I find it cumbersome to use the hand brakes over and over when stuck in slow moving traffic going uphill. I also find this technique to be especially useful when trying to parallel park on an incline.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by sabsubs

... May be if you drive a lot on ghat sections then you would appreciate using this technique.

I have covered the Himalayas extensively right up to Ladakh!
I never felt the need to use the heel-toe technique, which, by the way, I also was taught when I was a youth in the sixties!

[AJIT R KANALE]

I use the half clutch in my Vento to move the vehicle initially. And then use the accelerator to pick up the momentum. Pretty easy and straightforward. It takes a while to find the exact point when the half-clutch is applied. No handbraking, No pedal switching.

NOTE: This might bring down the life of the brake shoe. So apply the half clutch sparingly.

[shashank.nk]

So I was recently driving back from the hills, and faced this issue when the car had to go up a rather steep slope.

The car had built sufficient momentum to go through easily but that was not to be. A huge group who were shooting at the location decide to cross the road and I had to brake. It was a pretty steep gradient before it leveled off and I was at the apex probably. I tried the heel and toe method but the car rolled back rather scarily. Depressed clutch,Engaged handbrakes,let go of the clutch slowly keeping the handbrake on but the car rolled back again.

So gave it a little gas and got the RPM upto 2k (just when turbo spools in a Swift D) car did nothing,neither rolled back nor moved front. Now gave it more gas till the RPM was at 3k (engine redlines at 5k),turned the AC off and released the clutch slowly whilst keeping accelerator pedal burried nearly,only to scare those nearby and get the dreaded burnt clutch smell.

What could I have done differently here? Or, is it a sign of weak clutch ? I was told I could have reversed a little and driven back again with sufficient momentum since there was no vehicle behind me,but this may not always be the case.