Driving up steep hills: Is it hard on the trans?

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I avoid the really extreme hills here (only will go down them but never up), but some hills I will take if I have to and some can be a decent length to get up. Its not bad and a whole lot easier if Im already cruising into the hill with a lot of speed but if Im accelerating up from a complete stop, forget it, its MUCH harder on the car!

What I want to know is whats the best way to go up a steep hill with the least amount of strain on the trans and engine? Now if it was a hill with a speed limit of 40 or 50kmh, thats fine cause I know im able to climb it under fairly light-moderate throttle keeping the RPMs under 3000.

But if its a hill say 70 or 80kmh, well much different story cause you have to apply more throttle to not only get up the hill but get up to speed. Is it better to climb the hill with light - medium steady throttle, keeping the RPMs as low as you can? Or apply heavier throttle and climb the hill much faster? Which would be like 4000rpms or so. Im not talking about redlining it up the hill, but fairly heavy throttle to get up it.

I hear different stories. Some say its actually harder on an engine to climb a hill slowly with light throttle. But easier on the trans to coast up the hill. But higher RPMs = greater engine and trans heat = greater chance of overheating or even slipping because of the high amount of line pressure in the trans.

I never take my car past 3500rpms, ever, unless I absolutely have to. But sometimes on these hills I have no choice to go up to 3500-4000rpms if its a faster speed hill and I get really nervous. This is why I avoid big hills whenever I can, even if it means I have to take a longer route.

I drive a [censored] civic and some of the hills here are just retarded. I always have cars passing me and its embarassing when I dont floor it up a hill like everyone else in their V6 and V8s. [censored] outdated 4cylinder = not made for hills.

When I finally get up the hill, especially if it was a fairly lengthy hill, I always let off the gas for the next couple mins or so and dont apply any gas. Was told to do this to let the trans cool down and take a breather.
 
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How old is this vehicle? Modern transmissions should have no problem keeping at correct operating temperatures when simply climbing a hill whether you do it at 4000 rpms or 2000.
 
I always just leave the car in a specific gear to make the climb.
Basically 1 gear down to climb any hill.

I don't really worry too much about it, but I don't lug the engine.
 
Originally Posted By: Scorch
How old is this vehicle? Modern transmissions should have no problem keeping at correct operating temperatures when simply climbing a hill whether you do it at 4000 rpms or 2000.


11 years old.

Originally Posted By: SLCraig
I always just leave the car in a specific gear to make the climb.
Basically 1 gear down to climb any hill.

I don't really worry too much about it, but I don't lug the engine.


If its a 50 or 60km/h road I keep in D3 (in third) cause I have more torque in that mode to climb. But if im on a hill 80kmh I put in OD and give it heavier throttle cause in 3rd your RPMS will run much higher when climbing a hill and could overheat.
 
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My inlaws live in the USVI. Their Honda lost its AT at 28k miles (4 cyl accord). Their V6 camry just went bad at 80k.

Their ford truck ATs are fine carrying a ton (literally, these trucks haul a lot of stuff) for 100k.

So severe hills and curves are very bad on an AT. The wife's 4runner would routinely overheat its ATF and not be able to continue up the hill until it cooled. Cooling has gotten better since...
 
I think you're probably overthinking this. That engine will outlast the car, we had an 03 civic that at 80mph would be turning 4000 rpm and I would drive that way 5 hours without thinking twice (and get 38~40 mpg doing it). As for the transmission, well... at least it's not an Odyssey. I wouldn't worry about that much either, provided the ATF gets changed every few years and you're not towing (or doing anything else the engineers wouldn't expect).
 
Originally Posted By: bepperb
I think you're probably overthinking this. That engine will outlast the car, we had an 03 civic that at 80mph would be turning 4000 rpm and I would drive that way 5 hours without thinking twice (and get 38~40 mpg doing it). As for the transmission, well... at least it's not an Odyssey. I wouldn't worry about that much either, provided the ATF gets changed every few years and you're not towing (or doing anything else the engineers wouldn't expect).


But you were probably heading into those hills with speed and not from a stop. MUCH different story when you go up it with speed cause the car will just roll up and you dont have to apply nearly as much throttle. But if youre doing these hills from a stop each time, its absolutely brutal.

I change my ATF every 6 months, and I drive 12-15k KM (not miles, but KM) a year and I drive the thing like a kitten.
 
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Originally Posted By: Carnoobie

I change my ATF every 6 months, and I drive 12-15k KM (not miles, but KM) a year and I drive the thing like a kitten.


So your changing your ATF around every 4000 miles? What a waste why dont you save the money your spending on ATF and buy a new car. Then you wouldnt be embarrassed to be see driving your 11 year old honda
 
I had a brand new Ford Focus that I was afraid to drive 3 hours to the coast because it sounded like a moped going up the hills. It was embarrassing to say the least. Prior to that I had a Ford Ranger that lost it's transmission on one of those hills. It was really embarrassing because it was on the descent! And the truck had less than 20k miles on it! Both vehicles were 4 cyl. My advice is to go out and buy a 20 year old 6 cyl vehicle. That's what I did (ok, technically it was only a 16 year old vehicle).
 
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dont be OCD on this just drive up the hill.
4000rpm wont break anything and its easier on the engine than lugging along at 2000rpm.
 
Oh look...

Resident troll is back...

And with another dumb question...

And I thought the guy was weird...

Then I noticed its Carnoobie...

Irony...

Same guy thought his transmission was about to explode...

Now its fine...

Now all hills are bad...

Why get a job...

Or a life...

When you can invent problems...
 
Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Oh look...

Resident troll is back...

And with another dumb question...

And I thought the guy was weird...

Then I noticed its Carnoobie...

Irony...

Same guy thought his transmission was about to explode...

Now its fine...

Now all hills are bad...

Why get a job...

Or a life...

When you can invent problems...


Someone else suggested that he could be a sociologist fishing for data.

I tend to agree because when you compare the mental composure of the posts he makes (writing is quite good, and his angle of approach is cool, deliberate, and calculated. What he posts of himself doesn't jibe with those qualities either!) this makes sense to me as well.

I guess it could be a marketing/consulting agency looking for metrics.

In any case I find his posts "baiting" in nature, and annoying as well.
 
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Originally Posted By: JavierG
I had a brand new Ford Focus that I was afraid to drive 3 hours to the coast because it sounded like a moped going up the hills. It was embarrassing to say the least. Prior to that I had a Ford Ranger that lost it's transmission on one of those hills. It was really embarrassing because it was on the descent! And the truck had less than 20k miles on it! Both vehicles were 4 cyl. My advice is to go out and buy a 20 year old 6 cyl vehicle. That's what I did (ok, technically it was only a 16 year old vehicle).




Give me a 1971 Plymouth Valiant with the bullet proof 225 slant six!!
grin.gif
 
Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Oh look...

Resident troll is back...

And with another dumb question...

And I thought the guy was weird...

Then I noticed its Carnoobie...

Irony...

Same guy thought his transmission was about to explode...

Now its fine...

Now all hills are bad...

Why get a job...

Or a life...

When you can invent problems...


Someone else suggested that he could be a sociologist fishing for data.

I tend to agree because when you compare the mental composure of the posts he makes (writing is quite good, and his angle of approach is cool, deliberate, and calculated. What he posts of himself doesn't jibe with those qualities either!) this makes sense to me as well.

I guess it could be a marketing/consulting agency looking for metrics.

In any case I find his posts "baiting" in nature, and annoying as well.



Also if you notice, it (no confirmation its a he), never responds to anyone who calls it out as a troll. Completely ignores those posts. I guess if we could only all do the same to it's posts we'd be better off.
 
Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Oh look...

Resident troll is back...

And with another dumb question...

And I thought the guy was weird...

Then I noticed its Carnoobie...

Irony...

Same guy thought his transmission was about to explode...

Now its fine...

Now all hills are bad...

Why get a job...

Or a life...

When you can invent problems...


Someone else suggested that he could be a sociologist fishing for data.

I tend to agree because when you compare the mental composure of the posts he makes (writing is quite good, and his angle of approach is cool, deliberate, and calculated. What he posts of himself doesn't jibe with those qualities either!) this makes sense to me as well.

I guess it could be a marketing/consulting agency looking for metrics.

In any case I find his posts "baiting" in nature, and annoying as well.



i think you both are just insane. just answer his questions, or shut up and move along and stop embarrassing yourself by over analyzing.
 
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As long as you have enough cooling on the trans, it won't hurt anything. With just a big cooler (and the radiator cooler bypassed) on the Jeep, I've stood on it for a WOT 20 - 60 pull up an uphill on ramp with a 6500lb trailer a few times, no issues at all.
 
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