My Car Goes By Itself.

[Tilly2]

I have a Vauxhall Zafira Estate. It's now one year old.

I have noticed that when trying to drive really slowly in the icy side streets it seems to go by itself. If I take my foot off the clutch and the accelerator, it just keeps going. It scares me to death. It stops if I put the break on but I don't feel in control of the speed. I suspect it's something to do with the automatic choke. Am I activating it in some way?

(I know, I know, this is a really dumb lady's question. All the blokes will be going 'Oh, for goodness sake......................' I can't ask my husband about it because he doesn't drive and won't have a clue.)

[woofgang]

Oooooooo sarky.........

[Hopkirk]

Tilly, you didn't answer Methyl's question about what position the rev counter sits at when the car is idling. It may be set too high.

I agree with the others that you should ignore TWRs suggestion of aquaplaning and using the handbrake. In the situation you describe he is talking rubbish.

[McMouse]

At slow speed on ice, rear wheel drive automatics can be really scary if you apply the brakes as the front wheels have lock yet the rear wheels are still driving.

[Baldric]

Tilly, with the exception of TWR you've been given some good advice,

With reference to aquaplaning, it happens at speed, not on tickover on a housing estate.

[TWR]

Just to put a few right, I have driven the largest, I've driven the smallest, I've had an artic slide on Ice at slow speed with 38tonnes on the back, with the road giving a bad left hand camber, for the bright sparks on here that regards this as rubbish, In ice conditions, the road becomes wet / Ice, between the Tyre & the road surface you have Ice, there is an area the the tyre does not come into contact with "The road surface" You Said Tilly, I have noticed that when trying to drive really slowly in the icy side streets it seems to go by itself. If I take my foot off the clutch and the accelerator, it just keeps going. It scares me to death. It stops if I put the break on but I don't feel in control of the speed. I suspect it's something to do with the automatic choke. Am I activating it in some way?

For some that has driven HGVs & without experience!! Do your homework.

You said Tilly, ""but I don't feel in control of the speed"" Tilly, If I'm wrong, I will certainly say Sorry, But Experience & time has taught me better.

[Zacs-Master]

Are you saying theres a layer of water between the tyres of a 38 t vehicle and the ice?

[Zeuhl]

Fine

But it isn't 'aquaplaning' - it's sliding

from wikipedia:

/There is no precise equation to determine the speed at which a vehicle will aquaplane. Existing efforts have derived rules of thumb from empirical testing. In general, cars aquaplane at speeds above 53 mph (72 km/h), where water ponds to a depth of at least 1/10 of an inch (2.5 mm) over a distance of 30 feet (9 meters) or more./

[Mick-Talbot]

Was the 38 tonne-r aquaplaning?

[Baldric]

Pulls up comfy chair
;o)

[TWR]

Are you saying theres a layer of water between the tyres of a 38 t vehicle and the ice? What I am saying is, when there is Ice on the road which is water as you or may not know! between the tyre & the road surface there is Ice, Bill & Ben will more than likely know, they seem to know the lot.

[Tilly2]

Hopkirk, I didn't answer methyl's question because I had no idea what speed the revs were. This morning whilst I was trying to negotiate the 'S' bend in first gear, the rev counter was on 10 or thereabouts.

TWR, I don't know if you're right or wrong but others seem to feel that you are not being helpful.
I don't really care what it's called. I just want it to go at the speed I feel comfortable with. I am really frightened of breaking. I'm scared that I will slew into the side of a parked car or something. It wasn't too bad tonight, as one half of the road has cleared. Consequently, I drove the last hundred yards on the wrong side of the road.

[EcclesCake]

.....popcorn Baldric?

[TWR]

Tilly, If I did not think that you were driving on Ice, I would not have said what I said, End Of.

[Hopkirk]

What I meant Tilly, was what does the rev counter show when you are sitting stationary and not touching the accelerator?

I would expect it to be about 800, possibly rising to about 1000 or 1100 while the engine warms up. If it is higher than this, then there is something wrong.

As others have said, if you drive it while the engine revs are raised during the warm up, then this could explain the car seeming to pull when you don't want it to.

[Tilly2]

Hopkirk, the rev counter is in units of 10. Does 10 mean 10,000?

[Tilly2]

Sorry too many noughts there. 1000 is what I mean.

[Tilly2]

I don't know the answer anyway. I'll be back tomorrow.

[Mick-Talbot]

I was trying to negotiate the 'S' bend in first gear,



Tilly, do not try to drive in first gear, get it into second

[Tilly2]

Oh, ok Mick. Why is that?

[EDDIE51]

I have a Zafira diesel , only done 3000 miles from new.
I know what you mean it will do 40 mph in 6th gear on 'tickover', to slow down you just have to change down the gear box. It does about 2mph on tickover in 1st gear . Tickover speed on the Zafira is around 1000rpm ( at least it is on mine)
My previous car was a Subaru Impreza so there is quite a diffrence in how you use the gears box.