You are stopped. You want to start driving uphill. You should...

You are stopped. You want to start driving uphill. You should...

• A. Partly engage the clutch and then release the parking brake
• B. Push the accelerator to the floor and release the parking brake
• C. Release the parking brake completely before engaging any clutch
• D. Shift to neutral and roll backward

Answer: (A)

Preventing rollback on an uphill start with a manual transmission comes down to using the parking brake as a temporary hold while you find the clutch’s bite point. You lift the clutch pedal to the point where the engine begins to engage the wheels (the bite point) and hold the parking brake at the same time. Then, smoothly release the parking brake while continuing to release the clutch and apply a little throttle. This sequence allows a controlled, gradual takeoff and keeps the vehicle from rolling backward. Releasing the parking brake completely before the clutch is engaged can let the car roll back or stall. Pushing the accelerator hard and then releasing the parking brake can cause a sudden lurch or wheel spin and is not smooth control. Shifting to neutral and rolling backward defeats the purpose and is unsafe.

Preventing rollback on an uphill start with a manual transmission comes down to using the parking brake as a temporary hold while you find the clutch’s bite point. You lift the clutch pedal to the point where the engine begins to engage the wheels (the bite point) and hold the parking brake at the same time. Then, smoothly release the parking brake while continuing to release the clutch and apply a little throttle. This sequence allows a controlled, gradual takeoff and keeps the vehicle from rolling backward.

Releasing the parking brake completely before the clutch is engaged can let the car roll back or stall. Pushing the accelerator hard and then releasing the parking brake can cause a sudden lurch or wheel spin and is not smooth control. Shifting to neutral and rolling backward defeats the purpose and is unsafe.