Car Running On Its Own Without Pressing Accelerator

[johnny37]

In first or second gear if i take my foot off the clutch gently the car proceeds on its own without pressing the accelerator. Is this normal? Is the engine idling too fast? Service is due. Do any adjustments need to be made?

[chiaroscuro]

It's normal - you should be able to do low-speed manoeuvres and creep in a traffic queue without using the accelerator.

[TWR]

Auto? Normal thing.

[jomifl]

Depends a lot on the torque curve of the engine, but most non sporty cars should do this with ease.

[Khandro]

//Is the engine idling too fast?// Unless it's an automatic, yes.

[nescio]

ok,
apart from applying the brake on a vehicle with auto transmission, can someone please explain to me how any vehicle, with the transmission engaged, and the engine running, can NOT move.
What is preventing the wheels from turning?

[jomifl]

Try it Khandro.

[carrot99]

I've noticed that a couple of times recently with my Fiat Panda.
It reminded me of the old days and having to keep half a matchstick on the dashboard to hold the choke out when it was cold in previous cars.

[jomifl]

A friend of ours used to pull the choke out so that she could hang her handbag on it...really.

[EDDIE51]

I can start off in 1st gear changeing up to 6th gear and be doing 40 mph all on tick over without touching the accelerator on my diesel Zafira.

[CrapAtCryptics]

You dont say if you have a rev counter if you do the typical idling speed is around 700rpm - it may be a little higher if you`ve just started from cold.

[ToraToraTora]

Quite normal.

[ToraToraTora]

I find it quite useful in traffic I just lift off and the car creeps along on it's own. Works well with automatics.

[Zacs-Master]

Diesel engine cars do this with ease as the torque effect starts at much lower revs.

[THEMOTLEY1]

///Auto? Normal thing///.
the OP says, " if i take my foot off the clutch gently the car proceeds on its own" so is it normal to have a manual clutch in an automatic?

[anaxcrosswords]

Somewhere up in the Peak District there's a gliding club I visited many years ago with a friend. It was one of those small, friendly places which welcomed visitors helping out with the general running of the place, and after my flight I volunteered to help tow landed gliders back to the apron.
The car was a proper shed, totally unroadworthy and pretty small (about the size of a Pug 205). Maybe they'd tinkered with the engine a bit, I don't know, but it had enough torque to pull a glider in first gear without using the accelerator.

[ToraToraTora]

I just said it works well on automatics motley, I make no comment on the OP. Are you desperately looking round for something to pick holes in?