Steep Hill Problem

[madjeff22]

I don't know if this was normal or not, but I was on my way home from the park with my son, and I was pulling out of the parking lot and was on a steep up hill and I let my foot off the break and the car started to roll backwards. Evey car I have owned has been an automatic and they haven't rolled back like that before, it felt like I was driving a manual. Just wondering if this is normal with are cars.

[bravid]

Mine does this as well.

[67alecto]

All of my cars would do that, depending on how steep the hill was. There's an intersection in Branson, MO (which if you haven't been there, is basically a series of ravines and "hollers" with roads at the top) where it was like you're driving a stick. If you took your foot of the brake to go to the gas you would roll into the car behind you. You had to have one foot on the brake, one on the gas.

[madjeff22]

This is my fourth car and this is the first one that went backwards on a hill. At leat I found out about it when there was no cars behind me.

[gn300]

Just a thouight, but is the car not in 4cyl mode at idle so there is probibly not enough power to hold it?

[Midnight Magnum]

maybe the mercedes tranny is a whole different beast from what we are used to in the american cars?

[LouieLouie]

I had a 96 Firebird with V6/auto trans, and it would do this only with the "second gear start" button pressed. That made sense, because in 2nd gear there would be less torque available. Having said that, I noticed that my new Magnum (SXT) behaves differently. Where the Firebird would require only a little gas pedal to jump, the Magnum seems to have to "wind up" more before the power gets to the back wheels. Almost like the torque converter slips more than my old car. Since several others have experienced this (myself included), it's probably just the way it was designed. Or maybe it's something as simple as idle speed?

[poliojoe]

I have a 2005 magnum SXT and it does the same thing. All the other dodges I've owned would hold on a hill. I guess this is my biggest complaint with the car.

[magnum lover]

Mine does it too. Noticed it at an intersection, where it's hard to see anything coming from the right, with a steep grade to it.

[cadzilla74]

gn300, no the car does not activate MDS at idle. Good Lord, drag racing would be totally out of the question for these cars if the first thing you had to do off the line is wake up half the motor. However, I am with the group here that the car does not increase idle speed or torque to maintain position on a grade. It will roll backwards on even a small incline. It's like the computer is saying, this is my idle speed and torque setting for a dead stop. I will maintain this until acceleration is applied. That is all. For all you folks that have been stymied trying to light the tires. This is your time to shine. A slight incline to launch from is a free pass to "smoke 'em" city.

[MaxPowerRT]

I have a 2005 magnum SXT and it does the same thing. All the other dodges I've owned would hold on a hill. I guess this is my biggest complaint with the car.

This guy is from Arab, Alabama. Hammer has a buddy so close he can smell 'em. :razz:

[gn300]

So now i'm really confused about 4cyl mode , is it not a deactivated v-8 until throttle pressure calls for all 8 or around 1700, wait brain fart, its a v-8 untill 1700 or throttle calls for it goes to 4 cyl after right ?I think i'm confused it must be the heat or is it the humidity?

[BBMagnumRTAJ]

When you are below about 20MPH 4cyl mode does not engage. Only when you are crusing (in drive) will 4 cyl mode come on. The car is in 8 cyl mode on start, idle, and through 1st-2nd gear. Ive only had MDS come on in 2nd gear once (pulling a hill in 2nd, shifted into D, tranny stayed in 2nd for a bit then shifted.

About the rolling thing, i never thought it was a problem. My 89 Dakota does this (only less because the begining of the torque curve is at 1500RPM's, and peaks at 2000, that and having 3.90 gears in the rear). if we had a taller set of gears it would be so bad, but having 2.82 gears, theres just not enough torque at idle to move this thing up the slightest incline.

[COLORADOMAGNUM]

My SXT AWD does the same thing.

[Rev.Hammer]

I shoulda read this thread sooner!!