Something wrong with the car or my driving?
So I just got my first car (after 15 months of passing my test and not haven driven in between at all) so I'm a little rusty to say the least.
I got a Manual Ford Fiesta Finesse 2005 and generally get on with it. The only problems I am having is with reversing.
Three times now I have been reversing (so obviously handbreak is off and it's in the right gear) and it will just stop, dead in its tracks, doesn't matter how much adjustment on the clutch or accelerator, it refuses to go anywhere, I have to put it in first and move forward a little, then try reversing again. I thought maybe this was because I was reversing very slowly?
The third time which just happened was the worst. The steering wheel completely locked up, and everytime I tried to reverse it just went forward! I made sure about 3 times it was in reverse and it was definitely in gear. Then even going forward the wheel was incredibly stiff/almost locked and would stop. I had to keep stopping and starting the car to eventually get it going, once it was it was fine.
Am I doing something wrong or is it the car???
If it is me I never did this once during my year of learning with my instructor (in a new Ford Fiesta).
I got a Manual Ford Fiesta Finesse 2005 and generally get on with it. The only problems I am having is with reversing.
Three times now I have been reversing (so obviously handbreak is off and it's in the right gear) and it will just stop, dead in its tracks, doesn't matter how much adjustment on the clutch or accelerator, it refuses to go anywhere, I have to put it in first and move forward a little, then try reversing again. I thought maybe this was because I was reversing very slowly?
The third time which just happened was the worst. The steering wheel completely locked up, and everytime I tried to reverse it just went forward! I made sure about 3 times it was in reverse and it was definitely in gear. Then even going forward the wheel was incredibly stiff/almost locked and would stop. I had to keep stopping and starting the car to eventually get it going, once it was it was fine.
Am I doing something wrong or is it the car???
If it is me I never did this once during my year of learning with my instructor (in a new Ford Fiesta).
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Comments
Just get a friend or family member who drive to try to reverse it, if they can then that would point to your driving being the problem, if they have the same problem would seem to be a fault with the car.
But I can reverse ok sometimes? I'm not doing anything different on these occasions.
Well you could get family or friend to sit in the car with you and you do so reversing moves, either way it can hurt as it will help out either way.
Yeah, my dad is having his friend come over tomorrow and have a go with it, see if he can see anything.
Fact of the matter is tho if I have ever made a mistake like stalled or something, I start the engine up and off I go again. It's never taken me about 5 attempts to get a car moving no matter what I do, with the steering locked up, it just felt like something was majorly off with the car.
Dont forget your car is nearly 10 years old, as you said you learnt to drive in a new Ford Fiesta). so there will be differances between the 2 cars, just because of the age and being taught in a newer model which things will have been designed with more modern engine gearbox cluch, al these things can make a differance, even more so when you are a new driver who has only driven 1 type or make of car
Well, a part of me hopes it IS me, so that I can see where I'm going wrong and correct it. Another part of me hopes it's the car so I don't feel so paranoid about going out in it and and get it fixed.
This has been such a stressful experience.
If it goes forward then its obviously not in reverse gear ! I don't know the layout of the gear selector but maybe you are putting it in 4th gear not reverse.
I find that finding reverse gear sometimes isnt that easy - it just doesn't seem to 'take' if that makes sense.
The gear stick needs an extra bit of a shove to get into reverse.
It would also slip out of gear if it wasn't pushed in far enough, that may be why yours stops?
I can't think of an explanation for the third thing you mention though, that sounds odd.
BIB - From that it sounds like your front wheel is hitting something (kerb maybe). this is stopping you going back & the forward motion when you try is the tyre bouncing off whatever you are up against.
Obviously he deserved to pass his test and the vast majority of people on the road haven't got any knowledge at all regarding how cars work.
The only thing he hasn't got is experience and we all start like that.
We haven't driven the car.
Also the other posts appearing to mirror the same or similar thing.
.....I might be reading this wrong, but it sounds as if the steering lock is activating when the engine cuts out....is this correct...thing is the ignition would still be on so the steering lock shouldn't activate - that should only happen when removing the key.
I was just going to ask the OP whether the engine is actually cutting out when the car is not going anywhere, or is the engine running? It's not clear from the post.
OP please could you clarify?
If the engine is cutting out, it might just be that the steering wheel feels stiff because of the lack of power steering.
Obviously if everything is off, ignition switched off, the steering wheel will be very heavy regardless of which system your car uses.
OP,
1 Just do as Tim says.
2 Ignore Black Box.
Well since you know it all, why don't you share some of your superior knowledge with the OP to help them?
Oh wait, you can't, because you haven't got a clue either.
I turned the engine on and off about 5 times, at all times the steering was very stuff.
Thank you to all the replies everyone, My dad had his friend have a look and we drove around and it seems to be ok, I'm just going to have to keep an eye on it I guess!!
You asked if it was the car or your driving.
The car appears to be ok, so ....... who's keeping an eye on you?
The steering problem will almost certainly be unrelated to the gearbox, but it's hard to understand what you mean. IIRC these have hydraulic power steering, is there a squeeking/squealing noise when pulling away? I'm thinking a slipping aux belt affecting the amount of assistance the power steering is giving, though this is a complete guess.
You really shouldn't see THAT much difference between driving a ten year old Fiesta and a new one, it's not like we're talking going from a 1950s car with crash gearbox and the like. I still think of these as modern cars!
This is likely to be the cause of most of the OP's problems.
He thinks that he has selected reverse gear but the gear hasn't properly engaged, or it engages initially but then slips out of reverse and back into neutral.
The "locking" of the steering is harder to diagnose without a clearer description.