Bad Weather Dilemma

[Aqualung666]

Hi

I park my Rav at the back of the house which is a very steep unadopted road - more of a dirt track, but it is steep. Up to now I've had no problem reversing up, I've just hit the diff lock button and taken it nice and slow and it copes well.

My problem is, on a morning when I set off to work the engine is obviously cold and due to the steepness of the hill there is no way I can get it in 1st gear to go down - it would go far too fast, it's only about 100 meters to the bottom and it joins a road at that point. What I've been doing is just going down in neutral with foot on the brake. This has proved ok as it isnt a long distance and I engage first gear at the bottom. I'm getting worried about waking up to snow and having to get down without the aid of 4x4. Anyone else had similar problems, advice, solutions etc all gratefully recieved!

[Guest]

Park it in first gear?

I would be more worried about not being able to get into first gear, something is not right.

Gus

[firemac]

Park it in first gear?

I would be more worried about not being able to get into first gear, something is not right.

Gus

I don't think the problem is getting it into 1st but rather the fact that if it's cold & on full choke then the tick-over will be high & so will the road speed in first gear ??

Could wait for it to warm up a bit and for the idle speed to drop.

Mind you, if it's diesel then I'm clearly talking out of my !Removed!.

[redlew]

Hi

My problem is, on a morning when I set off to work the engine is obviously cold and due to the steepness of the hill there is no way I can get it in 1st gear to go down - it would go far too fast, it's only about 100 meters to the bottom and it joins a road at that point. What I've been doing is just going down in neutral with foot on the brake. This has proved ok as it isnt a long distance and I engage first gear at the bottom. I'm getting worried about waking up to snow and having to get down without the aid of 4x4. Anyone else had similar problems, advice, solutions etc all gratefully recieved!

Do you mean you can't engage first gear or you can but if you did the revs would be too high? If the former, there must be something wrong with the mechansim. If the latter, what is the difference between braking in neutral and braking in first?

[Aqualung666]

Yep, the problem is exactly that on a cold morning or any morning for that I can't use 1st gear as the hill is too steep so I idle down with brake on. Worried about trying to do this in ice and snow. It is a diesel 2.2

[three5]

Hi Gus,

I think that Aqualung's problem is that if he puts it in first gear, the fast idle speed associated with a cold engine ( maybe 11-1200 rpm ) would mean that he would be going too fast, even at idle speed, if he sets off with a cold engine.

Without warming the engine up before setting off, which I accept might be regarded as a bit antisocial in the wrong circumstances, this is a difficult one. For the number of times it would happen ( fingers crossed!!!!! ), I think that I would sit in the car and run the engine at about 2000 rpm in neutral until the windscreen cleared and the engine temperature moves off the bottom of the scale. You really do need the engine breaking in slippery conditions to make the most of the RAV. Which version, year + model + engine do you have Aqualung?

[Guest]

Oops apologies, got the wrong end of the stick :)

I think you are scoobied as the diesel takes forever to warm up when it is really cold, not sure but would a block warmer help?

Gus

[Aqualung666]

It's a XT-R 4D D-4D 07 plate. I've tried going down in with first engaged and foot on the brake, but it just judders to hell with the 4x4 on. Again I think the fact that the engine is cold is fighting against me. Weather forecast for here tonight is snow! God knows how I'll get it down in the morning lol.

[DominicPriestley]

Why are you worried about going downhill without 4x4? If you lock the diff and roll down in neutral covering the brakes, yes you won't have engine braking, but you should be fine?

[Aqualung666]

THanks Dominic, I assumed that if the gear wasn't engaged the diff lock would have no effect?

[anchorman]

It will judder like hell with the 4X4 off as it always sets off in 4WD automatically. As Chris says you can warm it up a bit but then if you switch the heater off it will drop the revs down to 900 which is as low as it would go even with the temperature at normal. Turn it back on when you get to the bottom. Failing that, you are stuck with going down in neutral on the footbrake. The electronics will use a number of different ways to help you. Unfortunately, the system cannot defy the laws of physics so even at a low idle, ice and snow would probably result in you sliding down if the hill is so steep. You will find normal mortals leave there cars at the bottom. You can go where they cannot but only to a point.

Good luck.

[anchorman]

THanks Dominic, I assumed that if the gear wasn't engaged the diff lock would have no effect?

Maybe a little transmission drag but essentially correct.

[DominicPriestley]

I am probably completely wrong having thought about it. Locking he diff prob won't do anything. I suppose it's your Rav and it's electronics against the snow/ice and how much traction your tyres can manage to get. How about a pic of the Rav on the slope in the snow, give us an idea what your up against? :-)

Edit to add: Anch's has shown above I'm completely wrong. Ooopppssss! Best I can say is, good luck in the morning.

I do go out of my way way to find hills in my Rav during snow, and it's not put a oot wrong yet on normal Yoko G91A's

[Aqualung666]

THanks to you both...I agree Anch that leaving it at the bottom would be the obvious solution...but, the reason I got the Rav was because the road at the bottom is usually completely full with parked cars and there is something of a neighbour war going on with parking down there (snotty notes on windscreens etc).

I think when the snow comes if I can't leave it at the bottom, I'm going to warm up the engine as long as time permits, put the diff lock on, go very slowly in neutral and say a prayer!

The one thing that might help is the guy who live at the top of the hill has a Mitzubushi Land Cruiser which is huge and I'm sure will have down hill assist and true 4x4. If I wait for him to go down he might cut me a path which will be a bit safer.

I promise to take a photo as and when the snow comes. Although photos don't usually show hill steepness paricuarly well. Been told by the postman it's the steepest in Brighouse and boy do we have steep hill here!

[Davrav]

Sounds like you need a winch on the front of the house

[DominicPriestley]

Ah, didn't spot you were in Brighouse. I'm in Morley!

[Aqualung666]

Sounds like you need a winch on the front of the house

Ha ha...I need to move!

[Aqualung666]

Well in that case DOminic oyu will appreciate what kind of hill I'm talking about. West Yorks hills are serious hills!

[DominicPriestley]

Oh yes! I know exactly where your coming from. Mind you, Anch's has some hills round his way. Spent the day in the Peaks today, Tissington and Ashford in the water.

[anchorman]

Don't forget to turn off the heater to get the idle down.

Dom

Second time you've been on the door step and not had a brew!!!

[DominicPriestley]

3rd actually Anchs. I do a bit of HGV driving on my days off shift and had a collection in Chinley on Thursday. Passed the Ferodo shop on my way to it. Nice and tight in Chinley for an artic!

Next time I'm down I'll call for a brew :-)

[silly sausage]

Brighouse and Morley ! proper Towns, where men are men and all that, I'm Halifax originally chaps,my sister lives in Brighouse, , just thought I would mention it in passing, back to the thread...........

[Manxrav]

Paul, didn,t know you where from Halifax, my old stamping ground!!!! Lived in Highroadwell,up to moving to IOM.

Sorry for going off thread

Regards Clare

[silly sausage]

From Soyland Clare, went to North Halifax Grammar, I live just over the hill now looking over The Castleshaw reservoirs in Denshaw if you're familiar. Plenty of run away hills around here....

[Davrav]

Golly, this is getting like 'Friends Reunited'