Autobox & Mud

rossnunn · Unread post by **rossnunn** » 17 Jul 2007, 18:16

Had a panic phone call from mum today saying the Xant was suck in the mud. There a little grassy area under a set of trees thats next to the drive.

I go over to find said Xantia well & truly stuck. I started to rock it back & forth with some low revs but she's been sat there a couple of days & its been raining hard. There is also a small hump upto the drive thats also grass.
Next I put the car as far back as I could get it without a wheel starting (it was spinning one or the other or both) to spin, held it there on the handbrake & put some sand/gravel mix in the tyre 'ruts' & pulled forward, this helped abit but soon started to spin again.

Anyways I got it out with a combination of 1st gear selection & sports mode to try & hold the revs first gear & some quite harsh shunting of the box & managed to get it out of the rut, with a little muscle at the rear & some revs, back onto terrafirma.

My question is this, with a Autobox one obviously cannot slip the clutch like a Manual so whats the best way of getting out of such a situation? Other than don't park on it if its wet

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 17 Jul 2007, 20:26

If your Xantia autobox has a sports button I believe it should also have a snow flake button. If so use it as it disables first making the car pull away in second gear (unless kickdown is used) therefore reducing the chances of inducing wheel spin.

Homer · Unread post by **Homer** » 17 Jul 2007, 20:36

Yup, should have locked it in 2nd or used snow mode. Sports mode would have given you the opposite of what you wanted I would have thought.

To avoid wheelspin you want low revs and a high gear.

Using loads of revs and slipping the clutch isn't the way to do it with a manual either.

Another thing which can help is to reverse out (with a FWD car).

Kowalski · Unread post by **Kowalski** » 18 Jul 2007, 11:07

Sometimes you've got to get your tyres to cut through the surface mud to bite into something more solid underneath, thats what spinning the wheels is for, you're going to make a mess of the lawn whatever you try. Lower the tyre pressures, use lots of revs (spin the wheels), rock backwards and forwards, build momentum if you can and if it starts moving, don't stop!

James.UK · Unread post by **James.UK** » 18 Jul 2007, 16:25

You gotta have rhythm

Just use the gear lever to rock the car forward and back gaining a small amount each time. keep it smooth and get into a rhythm. Once you are moving more than a foot or two each time the car will drive gently out ok. just be smooth, rhythmic, and patient..

In my youth, I used to launch lots of small boats off the local beach for holiday makers using an old auto vauxhall Cresta.. getting stuck was quite normal lol.. The trick was not to get stuck when the tide was coming IN!! lmho..

.

mezuk04a · Unread post by **mezuk04a** » 18 Jul 2007, 19:46

Get a' rhythm, when you get the blues

Homer · Unread post by **Homer** » 18 Jul 2007, 22:57

Kowalski wrote:Sometimes you've got to get your tyres to cut through the surface mud to bite into something more solid underneath,

Given the weather we've had recently I think you'd bottom it first, or meet Alan.S

UFO · Unread post by **UFO** » 19 Jul 2007, 13:52

Homer wrote:
Kowalski wrote:Sometimes you've got to get your tyres to cut through the surface mud to bite into something more solid underneath,
Given the weather we've had recently I think you'd bottom it first, or meet Alan.S

Or a few other Aussies! Mind you it's been dampish on the east coast of Aus of late - not a bad thing. However some warmer weather would be nice, it's as cold as an english summer here of late.

Kowalski · Unread post by **Kowalski** » 19 Jul 2007, 15:57

Homer wrote:
Kowalski wrote:Sometimes you've got to get your tyres to cut through the surface mud to bite into something more solid underneath,
Given the weather we've had recently I think you'd bottom it first, or meet Alan.S

Well, you're not stuck properly until you've sunk down to the axles.....

rossnunn · Unread post by **rossnunn** » 20 Jul 2007, 19:14

I tried some rocking but was worried about damaging the box with the 'shunting'.
Also tried keeping the revs low enough to stop wheelspin but high enough to climb onto the drive.

Anyhoo the ruts are half full of water already

To be honist if it was much more of a pain, I'd have nipped home & got the van & pulled her out.

Unread post by **philhoward** » 21 Jul 2007, 09:25

Auto boxes don't like being swapped from R to D (A) when the cars moving as it tends to upset the one way clutches... but that's about it.