Morning guys

 

I normally drove an octavia, but this morning I used my wife’s 2014 yeti 1.2 manual box. 

 

I parked on a fairly steep hill, car pointing up the hill, where I’d normally park my Octavia. 

 

When I learnt to drive I was taught to always leave the car in gear, in case the handbrake fails. 

 

I tried that with the yeti, parked in 1st, handbrake off. Released footbrake, let the engine hold the car in gear, then applied the handbrake. 

 

This has worked on a while range of cars over 20 years without fail. 

 

However, in the yeti it rolled back (more like jerked back) as the engine didn’t seem to have enough ‘hold’ of the car in 1st. 

 

Is this usual?

 

im hoping it’s because it’s a heavyish car with a 1.2 which perhaps hasn’t got enough compression to hold it on a steep hill?

 

Has anyone else experienced this or is it a trip to the garage?

 

thanks

Edited 15 January, 20188 yr by Tectonic
Typo’s (autocorrect)

Probably.

I’d also ‘pinch’ the tyre against the curb.

It’s a bit strange that it’s the first car I’ve parked there which hasn’t been able to hold itself when parked in gear. 

 

Everything else I’ve had from 950cc Fiesta, 1.1 Fiesta and upwards has been fine, even when their handbrakes were useless. 

 

Cant be much compression at all in the 1.2 engine 

15 minutes ago, Tectonic said:

It’s a bit strange that it’s the first car I’ve parked there which hasn’t been able to hold itself when parked in gear. 

 

Everything else I’ve had from 950cc Fiesta, 1.1 Fiesta and upwards has been fine, even when their handbrakes were useless. 

 

Cant be much compression at all in the 1.2 engine 

I don’t think you can compare the porkof the Yeti with tiddlers.

The Yeti is a lot higher gear car than any others I've had, that's not going to help it holding on a hill.

 

I thought the gearing might be high so also tried leaving it in reverse. No goodness at all, ‘kangaroos gently down the hill’. 

 

Oh well, glad to hear that nobody else has answered ‘mine doesn’t do that!’ So we can live with it. 

 

 

That's not right! Are you saying the handbrake wouldn't hold the car on a steep slope? The chances of a handbrake failing is so remote I would forget it and just use the handbrake and if you want to be extra cautious just angle the wheel towards the curb.

It is good practice to angle the wheel to the kerb when parked on a hill. It was certainly in the highway code at one point, may not be anymore though.

 

Some cars with rear discs did have issue with the handbrake in the past. If the discs are very hot when the handbrake is applied, the brakes can release slightly as they cool down and heat expansion is lost. 

10 hours ago, Tectonic said:

 

 

I parked on a fairly steep hill, car pointing up the hill, where I’d normally park my Octavia. 

I tried that with the yeti, parked in 1st, handbrake off. Released footbrake, let the engine hold the car in gear, then applied the handbrake. 

However, in the yeti it rolled back (more like jerked back) as the engine didn’t seem to have enough ‘hold’ of the car in 1st. 

 

 

Is this still the EA111 8v cam chain engine? (Think the cam belt  engine EA211 was introduced in the Yeti 2015)

 

With a cam chain engine that has lots of gubbins on the cam shaft (high pressure fuel pump etc) it's not advisable to put it in a situation where the engine could be turned backwards even a bit - ie just rocking backwards taking up the slack after applying handbrake and releasing the footbrake. Pointing uphill in 1st - if car rolls back it would try to turn the engine backwards. Why is this a bad idea? - basically as well as turning the crankshaft it obviously tries to turn the camshaft, the problem is when turning backwards the full force of doing this(remember that fuel pump) puts a lot of pressure on the cam chain tensioner and if it's worn and/or the old type can release it. When you next start the engine there is a danger that the chain could jump a tooth or two

 

If pointing uphill - select reverse or if pointing downhill select 1st. Sounds like engine compression in 1st/reverse not enough here though

 

 

 

 

Edited 15 January, 20188 yr by bigjohn

18 hours ago, kenfowler3966 said:

It is good practice to angle the wheel to the kerb when parked on a hill. It was certainly in the highway code at one point, may not be anymore though.

 

Rule 252:

 

Parking on hills. If you park on a hill you should:

• park close to the kerb and apply the handbrake firmly
• select a forward gear and turn your steering wheel away from the kerb when facing uphill
• select reverse gear and turn your steering wheel towards the kerb when facing downhill
• use ‘park’ if your car has an automatic gearbox.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/waiting-and-parking-238-to-252

 

When I leave the car parked in gear I always try to leave myself a reminder.  Something like leaving the sunvisor down, or leaving the seat belt buckled up.  It's not so important in the Yeti because the engine won't start without the clutch being disengaged, but in the Scooby of yore I made a point of it.

Edited 16 January, 20188 yr by ejstubbs

Well that will turn the engine backwards if I read it correctly and could well damage the 1.2 as above?

Don't blame me, I'm just the messenger!

As usual the Highway code is behind the curve with Electric Handbrakes, and as many know in some locations Hand Brakes are useless in various environments / weathers and might pass a MOT but not a holding a vehicle on a slope.

 

Plenty will have been brought up or learned to drive in steep areas, towns, villages and the likes and had bricks / block available where they parked 

or even carried them in the boot.

 

Like Steering wheel locks are back for car security, bricks in the boot might make a come back.

(Toe rags can then have something to hand incase they forget their Centre Punch.)

Edited 16 January, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

I would say you are relying on each cylinder being 100% gas tight over a long period of time. I remember years ago watching my Opel Rekord reverse itself slowly down my steep drive. Not smoothly, but more a series of slow motion jerks, just like compression was almost holding but then leaking away, until the next cylinder came on to compression. 

Just had to pull the hand break up another notch and it was okay. 

Standard procedure on steep hills, in reverse, handbrake on, rear tyre to the curb,

front wheels turned so the car won't run downhill in a straight run but describe

an arc to stop it running off.

Edited 18 January, 20188 yr by gumdrop

Thanks for all the replies and the advice, but I have lived on a steep hill for years and I know the procedure for parking ie turn the wheels towards the kerb to prevent rolling and to park in gear. 

 

 I was querying because the car will not hold itself in gear and jerked backwards. 

It appears the compression is not high enough in the little 1.2 engine so it’s something to be aware of. 

This seemed strange to me as I’ve never experienced it in over 20years of driving. 

 

Also thanks for telling me about the potential engine damage from the chain slipping of it rolls back, I really wasn’t aware of that. Cheers everyone