Well so far so good with our new caravan, but one small question if anyone can help please, on paper, caravan club, what towcar.com, dealers outfit check that they did, our car and new caravan were a fairly good match, and indeed the Civic towed well on our way home from the dealers, about 40 miles away, but approaching the main road onto our estate, we had to stop on a fairly steep hill to allow oncoming traffic to pass before we could turn right. It was a boiling hot day, and we had the air con on full blast, which i know saps power, although in the excitement of the moment of collecting our new van, l had completly forgotten about this fact. Anyway, we stalled the engine, switched off and tried again, still stalled again, and it was only on the third attempt that we got going.
I know that some of the tow reports do say that there can be difficulties during hill starts with this outfit, but it said that about our Zenith, and even fully loaded to max it was still fine. So my question is, would the heat and aircon been partly to blame at the time, or is it something else? Is there anything that can be done to improve this?
We do have plans to upgrade our car to a 4x4 for next season, mainly because we are now using more CLs, and also to give us a more suitable veichle for getting out to my elderly Dads farm in bad weather.but were hoping to get this season over by towing with the Civic.
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
Air con on uses about 10-15% of the engine power, to be honest it sounds like inexperience v lack of power. You really have to drive smaller cars hard with a van on back more revs and slip the clutch you will be ok
Nothing to do with the heat or the aircon. You need as mike says to give it more revs and slip the clutch more. It may seem hard on the car and it is but doesn't happen that often.
Same with reversing. More revs more clutch.
deisels have more low down torque and tow better but the petrol will do it.
When you are on a hill stationary with a caravan on the back, if you release the car handbrake the car will roll back faster than if the car was solo and this because of the extra weight in tow which of course is quite obvious so basically you need extra power to pull any outfit up a hill from a standing start therefore you need as much power and torque as possible that the towcar can deliver. The BHP of any vehicle is the amount of power that the engine delivers from the crank to which it turns several other units located under the bonnet such as power steering, cam belt, water pump and alternator etc. but the air conditioning is an option that you can either switch on or switch off whereas the other units are in constant motion. Having a smaller car will usually have a lower BHP so by turning off the air conditioning will most certainly help under these circumstances but in saying that it also comes with experience of how to slip the clutch (if it's not automatic) to generate the initial pull and mass of the complete outfit. As stated previously, diesels have more low down torque which is beneficial on hill starts but modern cars now have a DMF (dual mass flywheel) which is now made in two separate halves with bonded rubber in between instead of one a piece steel flywheel so too much strain on the clutch can eventually shorten the life of the clutch.
Thanks for that everyone, I am an experianced tower, but this caravan is the heaviest l have owned to date, and it was the very first time that l had towed this outfit. I will see how it handles next time out with the aircon switched off, but its looking like we may well be buying a 4x4 before next spring and the new season starts, although my O.H says it will probably be a petrol model, something to do with us only doing a fairly low milage, and the potential problems of blocked up diesel filters because of this.
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 22/7/2013
modern cars now have a DMF (dual mass flywheel) which is now made in two separate halves with bonded rubber in between instead of one a piece steel flywheel so too much strain on the clutch can eventually shorten the life of the clutch.
I think that you have a DMF misunderstaning (as I did until not long ago)
theres no bonding involved. im not going to try to explain it, this vid is soo much easier :)
Take the hillstarts steadily and calmly when you're getting used to a new heavier outfit. I don't mean to teach you to suck eggs, but if it feels like it's close to stalling, just increase the revs before letting the clutch out any more. It will move eventually, even if it sounds like you're overworking the car. As others have said, it's just a matter of technique and you will get used to it. I stalled our latest car on a hill the first time I towed with it, but haven't done it since.
I would recommend a diesel for your next car, as you will not need to rev so fast to get the outfit moving (more low down torque). What do you consider to be 'low mileage'? Bear in mind that problems with diesel particulate filters (DPFs) tend to be exaggerated when you're reading internet forums - you tend to only hear about problems, not the thousands of people who have no trouble with them.
Quote: Originally posted by timtheenchanter on 23/7/2013
Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 22/7/2013
modern cars now have a DMF (dual mass flywheel) which is now made in two separate halves with bonded rubber in between instead of one a piece steel flywheel so too much strain on the clutch can eventually shorten the life of the clutch.
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I think that you have a DMF misunderstaning (as I did until not long ago) theres no bonding involved. im not going to try to explain it, this vid is soo much easier :)
Thanks for that. I watched the video clip (in the link) and found it quite interesting and informative and understand more of how the DMF works. When I was briefly told that it was in two halves I assumed it was bonded together by a type of rubber compound to absorb more impact of the contact of the clutch and flywheel but it just goes to show how things can be explained with detailed facts in a short video. Forgive me then if my previous post was a bit misleading.
I have never read that you should not use aircon when towing!
I would suggest that using aircon is only a problem when the ability of the car to tow the van is marginal. Air con uses about 10 bhp, so it has a bigger effect on engines with lower bhp.
I tow with my aircon on in my 163 bhp Mondeo and do not have a problem.
I have changed caravans, my new one 300kg heavier. I have also noticed that i need to give more revs when pulling off on hills, which was no bug surpise, the more weight you pull the harder the car needs to work. Im pulling 1300kg with 115bhp tdci mondeo. It pulls fine, but I would say that i am on my limit power wise, can ever imagine how it could ever pull the 1800kg the handbook says! I for one wont be trying it. You might be near the limit for you your car.
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Topic: Hill starts, engine stalling problem
