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-   -   WagonR - High Starting Speed (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/37785-wagonr-high-starting-speed.html)

After lot of reserach and advice on the forum, I have purchase a new WagonR LXi model last month. Quite happy with the car so far, and slowly developing decent driving skills.

I have a query regarding the high speed that it seems to reach in first gear even without accelerator. Basically, my parking lot is absolutely flat, and so as I start releasing the clutch in first gear, the car starts moving forward at quite a pace, even without my foot nowhere close to the accelerator. Now the parking lot has a lot of very tight turns as soon as i move the car, and it is very scary to try to negoitate these even at this speed. So, basically, if i do manage to release the clutch fully, i have to start braking almost instantly. Most times, even before I release the clutch fully, I feel the need to brake to control the speed.

Is it alright to press brakes while releasing clutch - will it cause any damage to either of the two. Or is it advisable to try to only release clutch to the point it barely moves forward (though i think this is the half-clutch position, which is not recommended)? What is the right way to handle this?

Thanks
Neeraj

Neeraj,

Since You have purchased it very recently, it takes time to get used to the vehicle.
If You have owned/driven other cars and find this different, maybe Your idle rpm is the culprit.

Neeraj try this.

Do Not press acc before starting the car.
AC off.
ICE off.
Everything OFF.

Start your car.
Wait for atleast a minute.
A little longer will not hurt.

If your' is a VXi wait till the tacho settles down to approx 750 or 800 rpm.
Then take the car out.

Does she feel smoother?

Nearaj, try to practice using only clutch to get out of your parking area. Start the engine with the clutch fully pressed, slot in first gear, then release clutch just enough to give the car a gentle push and press it fully immediately. Repeat this till you are out on free road. Keep your right foot ready for break but use it only in emergency. With practice, your steering and clutch coordination will improve.

Swift petrol (my car) is notorious for the lack of low end torque, but with cold engine, I drive about half a km without the need to touch the accelerator.. using only clutch to control speed.

You can use this technique even in heavy stop and go traffic situation. Swift, unfortunately, doesn't allow this even in first gear once the engine warms up:Frustrati.

Rocky_Balboa: Its my first vehicle, and I AM still getting used to it ;-)

bblost: I dont dare go anywhere near the accelerator. AC is OFF. What is ICE? How does waiting after starting technically help? I wil try this today and let u know how it works. Its not that its not smooth, but just that it seems to just pick speed very quickly (more than i had expected from a car without pressing accelerator - probably the absolutely flat ground is the culprit). Its an LXi, so no tacho :-(

k36 - i will try using the clutch only. Isnt this "supposed" to be bad for the clutch though? I have read that you should "not" control speed using only clutch. Or maybe that much usage is fine, and just that one should not be over-doing it?

After I drive the car for some amount of time (i guess 15 minutes or so probably), it seems to improve a bit, and the speed is not as high when i try to start say from a signal stop. I think I do have to give accelerator then to get it moving.

Thanks !

Neeraj,

I think your Idling RPM might be a little higher. This can be easily adjusted by any local mechanic or MASS if you cannot do it yourself. Ideally, it should be just enough to prevent the car from stalling when idling.

Playing around with the clutch will only result in a worn out clutch plate.
Ideally, the car should not be doing more than 5kmph on a flat surface without pressing the accelerator in first gear. Please check your speedometer. If your car is going much faster, then reduce your Idling RMP as mentioned above.

Hope this helps. Please keep us posted.

Cheers,
Lalvaz

@Lal, I wound not recomend playing inside the bonnet at this early stage.

Neeraj, I understand this is your first car,so take it easy, learn to feel at what level of the clutch release the car starts to move, learn to adapt to it slowly. And as bblost says, wait until the engine heats. Maruti new gen cars tend to have a high initial Idle RPM which can translate to powering the car without pressing the throttle pedal. After 1-2 mins the RPM generally reduces to <1000.

I agree. When starting cold, I do not use the accelerator at all till it is running @ 10kmph. I have to press the pad only after that.
One needs to use clutch to manage the speed when cold.

When the car is just cranked up, the engine RPM is very high for a few seconds and returns to the normal idling after that, i.e. 7-800. I think that is what bblost is referring to. I find this very irritating. Every time I start the car, I have to wait for a few seconds before scurrying off.

Neeraj: ICE stands for *I*n *C*ar *E*ntertainment which is Car Audio/Video in layman's term. I asked the same question yesterday and got the above answer.

^ Thats for cold starting, isnt it ?

Baba, you can drive when the rpm is high. You need not wait. The car is irritated of you every morning for you just wait for her to idle till you start moving. BTW, the Sierra doesn't have this feature. :p

Neeraj,

1. Put the key in the keyhole. Close eyes. Open your ears. Turn them (Edit - the KEYs, not your ears) just two steps, when the lights on the dash are glowing. (do not start now). Did you hear a humming sound for about 3 seconds? It is the fuel pump sucking petrol from the tank.
2. Start the engine. Do NOT touch the accel. The RPM will be high. That is normal. After about 10-15 seconds, it will settle down. Wait till this time to move the vehicle. The RPM is high here to enable engine oil to circulate well inside the engine.

Vehicle moving without using accel is normal. Has been reported by several persons. Don't you think it is a good thing?

Do not worry about braking when moving without the accel. Just remember to press the clutch also simultaneously to avoid stalling.

Learn to control your speed in the parking lot with only the clutch in various positions. Once you get used to the car and driving, you will automatically switch over to using the accel.

Also, try this experiment in the open - NOT in your parking lot.

1. Note the point (of the clutch pedal) where vehicle just starts to move when the brakes are not applied.
2. Apply brakes and slowly start releasing the clutch. At the point you noticed above, the engine / gear lever will start protesting. Release the brakes. Now you will need the accel to move. (that is what I notice on my WagR. But my terrain is different - plain ground - no concrete, no pavement).

Darling, the car wont go into reverse gear at such an high rpm without making the 'trrrrrr' sound of gear teeth grinding. So if I want to move immediately, I have to start the car with reverse gear engaged and clutch depressed.

Get a driver to remove your car & take it on a free road.
With lot of enthusiasm tried bringing my friends car from the parking lot, because of which hit the left side twice. Finally a driver in the lot removed the car for me.
or get lots of protection for body & bumpers, drive your way out.