[Ironside]

Just curious, this car is the MOST FINICKY car to back up/drive in reverse!

I find that it doesn't seem to like it if you use ONLY the clutch to back the car up and the engine tends to want to bog down/stall (so you instinctively push the clutch back in and the engine recovers and revs a bit on it's own until it settles back to idle)

Every time i'm trying to slowly back into a parking spot, I have to fight with it to keep it from stalling, but also to have it drive smoothly.

What is going on here? I don't want to have to give it much gas when backing up (since it's such slow speed, I shouldn't really HAVE to...)

Plus, it's not like i'm backing up a hill or anything, why is this car so FINICKY!!??

I've owned FIVE other cars that were stick-shift and have been driving stick as long as I've had my licence (with the exception of the couple years driving Chargers) and EVERY other car backed up NO problem with JUST the clutch and MAYBE a little bit of throttle, it seems just this fat Challenger is giving me trouble!

What's going on here???

Also, anyone else notice that when your transmission/engine is cold, when you drive in 1st and 2nd the car kinda bucks a bit when applying smooth throttle (such as when driving up the street after backing out of my driveway)

If I really give 'er it'll accelerate smoothly but if i'm just lazily sauntering up to the speed limit it kinda drives like Vrroo-uh-oooo-uh-oooo-uh-oooooom...

WTF :scratchhead:

 

[pab1147]

You need to see a dealer. My 6 speed does none of what you describe. Good luck !!

 

[johnnymopar]

YES it is finicky in reverse. I've stalled it backing up a few times, lol. Hard to find the right balance between clutch and gas. Everything else is fine.

 

[Ironside]

Hmmm... maybe saying the car "bucks" is not the right way to describe it; when you accelerate in first gear (mainly) and a little in 2nd, it's like the car accelerates in increments, rather than one smooooth motion... kind of like when you're driving slowly in 1st gear and you give it a little gas and let off how it's not smooth... only in my case it's when you're giving it gas.

It only happens under LIGHT throttle, and after a few blocks it completely goes away (like maybe the transmission was too cold or something).

Also, if I start the car and wait a few minutes before leaving (i.e. the RPM settles to a normal idle) I dont have any problems.

Is THAT normal or should I be worried and take the car in after putting only 1000km on it. :scratchhead:

Glad to hear reverse is frustrating for someone ELSE! Haha. :browsmiley:

 

[VHFan]

I'm with you Ironside. I know exactly what you're talking about. I have to back into my garage and its a real pain because I cant just back straight in...I have to finagle it in and while I'm trying to do that I'm playing footsies between the clutch and gas trying to keep it from stalling. I've stalled it a couple of times and my wife laughs her butt off at me :disgust:.

 

[BigBear]

I know exactly what your talking about, it's annoying as hell when you Ina parking lot trying to creep out of a spot and it stalls. It happens all the time!

 

[Val'sR/T]

Glad I found this thread. I stall mine in reverse all the time and thought it was just me.:notallthere: It's more like a no gear than reverse gear. May be it's set up like that so you can't accidentally give it too much gas and put through the garage wall.:browsmiley: If I gave it the amount of gas needed in first that I need in reverse, I'd be constantly hitting the car in front of me. I do find shutting the radio off and turning down the fan helps me to hear the engine rather than a distorted version of it, especially backing it into my driveway since it's on hill.

 

[BayouTiger]

Add a substantial cam and give it a try, you thing it's touchy now!

 

[caj]

been driving manual trannys for 40 years. This car is no different that any I've driven. No problems here.

 

[deranged]

I back into my garage every day down a 40 foot driveway and never have an issue. No problem first to second either. You might want to mention this to a good DODGE mechanic.

 

[SpudRacer]

I have also driven lots of manual cars, and will admit I have never had a car so touchy when backing up. It makes me feel like a rookie when I stall it, so I just keep lightly reving it with the clutch only partially engaged, She sounds tough, and doesn't stall.

 

[djwhog]

No issues here, do you have hill assit turned off buddy? If so if it is not you in is your car, 90%+ on the site with 6 speeds no issues in R

 

[426hemicuda]

Mine does fine in reverse...guess some people expect it to be like an automatic...where you don't actually control the car, just the steering wheel and the brake.

 

[aarcuda]

im little confused here. are some of you saying that you are used to backing up a manual just by using clutch its self???

Im not sure Ive ever tried that. i guess i just instinctivly give it gas as i release the clutch....

but i seem to be able to back up just fine. just the typical limited visibility issues....

 

[deezlman]

While I don't really have any problem with it, I do think these cars (mine's a 5.7 - maybe 6.1 is the same) have VERY little torque at low RPM. I know that's expected, but I mean even less than other cars I've had. Or, maybe it's the weight of the car. Whatever, it seems to take more power to move even though the gear ratio seems adequately low. This is on level ground - no hill assist. I've gotten used to it. Just give it a little more gas and slip the clutch a bit.

Then again, maybe I've gotten too used to my Cummins 2500. Just crank it and let out the clutch - the engine doesn't seem to notice! Anything in the way will be moved.

 

[Daddy Kool]

Reverse up an incline can be a beatch. And with the rear visability, or lack there of, any backing up has to be guarded or you could get a poke up your tail pipe! Camming the car doesn't help reverse but sure helps 1 through 6.

 

[Terminal]

I see the exact same thing as the OP. I haven't done it in a while now, but I stalled backing up a couple times when I first got the car. I also feel the bucking you are talking about, it seems to be worse in cold weather though. I only noticed it in the mornings but now that things are warming up I don't notice it.

 

[WyGoSlw]

This car takes a bit of getting used to in many areas and this is one of them. I have experienced this but after some practice it just becomes second nature with feathering the clutch while backing up. It's the same as trolling trough a parking lot at low speeds, that gets annoying as hell with the slack in the drive line and the clunk, clunk, clunk in the diff. It's just something you get used to after a while and develop techniques that minimize the annoyance. Nothing a little practice won't fix.

 

[Hal H]

Since Reverse isn't geared so low, you do have to give more throttle and slip the clutch a bit...just the way things are with these.

Also, since rearward visibility is limited, we're all probably a bit more cautious of not backing into things (walls, other objects, etc) and that adds to not giving as much throttle when backing up.

I back my Challenger into the garage since parking on the left side affords me to have more room to get the car's door open. The other side fits the shorter car better (laundry sink) and I can still access the tools on the back wall behind the Dodge.

 

[bwbike]

I haven't had problems stalling, but I believe the finicky throttle is due to the fly-by-wire set up. I'd bet not of the previous posters would have trouble if the throttle was a direct cable.