Creep assist/mode?

[jasonstang]

I noticed that this feature makes it difficult to inch forward, whether its to move through traffic, a drive through, or just to park in a garage and need to inch up. At least in my experience the engine revs to about 1100rpm, which causes the car to lunge forward, more than it would if I were feathering the clutch. Speaking of feathering the clutch, I'm concerned about premature clutch wear due to this feature. If I'm inching up during any situation that requires it, and I let the clutch out slightly then push it back in, the engine revs. This would effectively be burning the clutch a little every time. I know its slight and not as damaging as doing a burnout, but over enough time it will decrease the life of the clutch.

I wish the feature could be turned off. If someone knows a way, I'd like to know.

At such low rpm, it will wear very little to none. It would be like coming to a stop at 10mph vs 100mph, more speed (rpm), more rev.
An there is no such feature. It has always been how the idle control works.
The reason your rpm shot up after pushing the clutch in is because you let out the clutch too fast causing the rpm to drop below idle so the computer is giving it more gas to keep it stalling.

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[soldier989]

This is the 1st car I've driven to have the engine rev after slowly releasing the clutch. Including a 2010 V6 MT (as we know, totally different drivetrain) and a 2011 V6.

I'm new to the S550, and have only put about 140 miles on it in 2 weeks. It's an observation my father and I made. I'll pay attention more to how I let the clutch out, try varying it more and do more testing.

So far, driving the MT V6 S550 feels like a "newb" mode to driving stick. I think even my G/F could get this car going. Easier than my Miata for sure.

 

[S550SVO]

This works in EVERY stick car (pulling away with just using the clutch , no throttle) . It is how I was taught to drive a stick . My uncle taught me more than 20 years ago . It's how I taught my girlfriend . But I will say there is something to this creeping aspect . Oh and it works just fine in an ecoboost .

I can actually climb a slight grade with no throttle . There is a trick to it . If you're just creeping along and want a little more speed , rest your foot on the brake just enough that the tail lights come on and you'll notice the rpm's will increase to 1k to about 1100 .

I can shoot a video if anyone needs it .

 

[Norm Peterson]

Seems to me that this "feature" is really just taking advantage of the idle governor. Just like older engines utilized mechanical governors newer engines have software ones. At idle the engine will provide the expected torque to keep the engine idling but if it drops below the engine automatically provides more torque until the speed comes back up. (like a simple PID controller) This is designed to prevent stalling and comes in handy when accessories starting pulling power from the engine. There may be a few exceptions but every manual transmission car should do this as long as it can make enough torque and the engine speed isn't dropped quicker than the governor can recover (letting the clutch out too fast).

Finally. Don't know why car things all have to have "modes" anyway.

I think it's more accurate to call it "stall saver", for its response to suddenly increasing the load on the engine when it's running down around idle speed. At the OE level this is perhaps more to prevent stalling when accessory loads suddenly increase, or when an AT is dropped into gear. But it's there for us MT drivers to take advantage of when it's not necessary to specifically add throttle when starting off.

It can also be programmed into the EFI separate from the basic fuel map, and even aftermarket multipoint speed-density EFI systems had this 20 years ago. One system (Accel's SuperRam) utilized idle air bypass passage metering for this purpose, so yeah, it has its limits.


FWIW, my son taught his oldest daughter as part of her permit driving experience how to get a MT car rolling on zero throttle and without undue slippage . . . not just in 1st, but in 2nd as well. A Mazda 626 with the little 2.5L V6 (all of 160 HP at peak).


Norm

 

[TexasRebel]

Last night while sitting in the local Sonic Drive-In I noticed that I had a nice ~600 RPM idle... until I pushed the clutch pedal in, which shot the idle up to ~950 RPM. There's no way the transmission has that much drag on it. That's a monster amount of bearing preload if so. My only conclusion was the clutch sensors bump the idle up.

pair this with the rev-hang and this gets more annoying every day. Hill assist was the first thing to go. I turned that off before I'd ever moved the car an inch.

Ford really needs to add a toggle option for "Knows how to drive stick" to turn the nanny crap off.

 

[73MachI]

Ford really needs to add a toggle option for "Knows how to drive stick" to turn the nanny crap off.

+1,000,000

 

[NoVaGT]

Turned that stupid thing off as soon as I could figure out how to.

If you need it, more experience driving a stick will be beneficial.

 

[P4RKER]

Last night while sitting in the local Sonic Drive-In I noticed that I had a nice ~600 RPM idle... until I pushed the clutch pedal in, which shot the idle up to ~950 RPM. There's no way the transmission has that much drag on it. That's a monster amount of bearing preload if so. My only conclusion was the clutch sensors bump the idle up.

pair this with the rev-hang and this gets more annoying every day. Hill assist was the first thing to go. I turned that off before I'd ever moved the car an inch.

Ford really needs to add a toggle option for "Knows how to drive stick" to turn the nanny crap off.

Couldn't agree more! And now everyone is complaining camaro has rev match downshift and mustang doesnt so I'm sure we will be stuck with that crap in the near future as well.

 

[TexasRebel]

Couldn't agree more! And now everyone is complaining camaro has rev match downshift and mustang doesnt so I'm sure we will be stuck with that crap in the near future as well.

My '16 GTPP has rev-match downshifting... my right foot.


Although, if they start putting sensors in transmissions to read gear selection, and such, maybe Ford can finally correctly implement remote start on the handshakers.

:rant::rant:It's really not difficult. Leave the car while it idles, lock the car, turn the car off with remote start... if the next event is "start remotely" or "lock doors" it works, anything else cancels the remote start. (Convertibles would have to be top-up to work):rant:

 

[Earlsays]

Sounds about right. Highway 4 right by my house is a nightmare. Not only has it been under construction in the entire 6 years I've lived here, but at one point it bottlenecks from 4 lanes into 2, and suddenly EVERYONE FORGETS HOW TO DRIVE.

I lived in Discovery Bay - right next to HWY 4 - constant non stop vehicle noise...

 

[S550ilver]

First time I had mine in my slightly inclined driveway and was pulling it into the garage, it was a weird feeling to push the clutch in and the car not roll back some....you're so expecting it to roll back slightly, and when it doesn't it almost feels unnatural...

 

[P4RKER]

I was lucky and my dealer turned it off for me before I even arrived to pick it up. I can say I have never experienced hill assist and never plan to!

 

[oldgeezer]

you let the clutch out and let off the throttle and the car should hold at around 750-800 rpm or so. The car can and will stall if you don't quite get it right. Creep mode will not save you. In my experience the car creeps along too slow or too fast in creep mode for traffic generally. just my 2 cents

just let a car length or two open up before you do it. it might not be continuous, but it sure beats riding the clutch . . .

 

[ForTheHordeKT]

yes its good for pricks that get right on your rear, no pun interned

Damn near everyone out here lol. I miss my old banged up '85 5.0 sometimes for them. When people did that to me, I usually let myself roll backwards at them for a little scare repeatedly at each light until they finally got the damn message. Don't want to risk it in this car though lol.

 

[TURTL3]

Am I the only one who avoids this method completely? When I was learning manual I stalled so many times trying to "creep". I finally got it with my GTI where I could do the clutch only method even up a hill, but I avoided it. When I was teaching myself how to drive stick, I came across a video that explained why this is a poor technique for new drivers (for experienced drivers, more power to ya) and it stuck with me. If my clutch is coming out for any reason, I give it throttle, just as a precaution to stop from stalling.

The bite point is very vague in these cars anyway, I wouldn't be comfortable doing this even if it was something I did before. I have a Steeda clutch spring on the way and hopefully that helps with the clutch feel a bit.

As for hill assist, it works way better than in my GTI. Very seamless. Really no reason to complain seeing that you can turn it off. On my GTI, you had to connect diagnostic software and do it the hard way

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