Reversing down steepish drive.

[Gray1969]

Hi all,

Might sound a bit daft this but here goes.

We have had the car just over a week now and it is the first automatic we have owned, one issue we are having (along with groaning breaks) is setting off in reverse down the drive.
The drive is quite steep, then levels out at the top, the car is parked mostly on the flat, but the rear wheels are on the sloped part of the drive, when i put the car in reverse to set off, however gentle I am, the parking brake comes off and the car bolts backwards at an alarming speed before I brake to stop it.
I have since found that putting the car into neutral, then removing the parking brake manually and letting gravity take control and reversing to the bottom in neutral seems to be the better option.
But my question is, should the car really bolt backwards like that in reverse gear? we never had this problem with our old manual car.
Anyone else have this problem? and is putting it into neutral the correct thing to do?

Cheers.

[Deleted User 1240]

I park on a sloping drive and find if I just very quickly blip the throttle and put my foot back on the brake then the handbrake will release without the car actually moving. You can then reverse down the drive with your foot brake controlling the speed.

[Gray1969]

I park on a sloping drive and find if I just very quickly blip the throttle and put my foot back on the brake then the handbrake will release without the car actually moving. You can then reverse down the drive with your foot brake controlling the speed.

Yeah, that's what I try to do, I really don't think I could be any more careful if I tried, seems excessively sensitive.

Im sure I will get used to to it in time, I will have another go in the morning.

[Perky]

Same thing happens with me. I always release the handbrake after putting the car in D or R, gives me a lot more control out of tight spaces without any sudden jolt. Basically the "automatic release" is not good.

[Mxyzptlk]

As pp67 mentions I've found a blip or tap does the job. It certainly isn't a press or any discernable movement of the accelerator just a touch

[Gray1969]

Same thing happens with me. I always release the handbrake after putting the car in D or R, gives me a lot more control out of tight spaces without any sudden jolt. Basically the "automatic release" is not good.

Yeah, I think that could be it.

I will put it in reverse in the morning, then manually release the handbrake, the auto release seems far too jolty and sensitive, I turn it off when I am parking, so will get into the habit of doing the same when setting off.
All part of getting to know the vehicle I guess.

[alanplum241276]

I always release the parking brake manually as I read somewhere it will trash the pads or discs with the excessive movement (jolting)