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Journey rolls on hills when in drive


k9roo

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My 2014 Journey SXT Plus rolls back like its in neutral even though it's in drive when on hills. I went to Missouri recently where there are some steep hills and while at the red light on one of these hills I came close to rolling back into another car. I had to keep one foot on the brake and one on the accelerator to keep from rolling back. When I say it rolls I mean it really rolls like its in neutral and you let off the brake and rolled back down the hill. An automatic transmission should not do that. It also rolls on driveways and any road that has a slight hill. It does not do it all the time on the slight hills but if it's a steep hill it does. Any idea what causes this? Hoping its a minor fix.

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Mine does the same. I'll take a WAG and say that it is to unload the drivetrain; disconnect the torque converter and the engine doesn't have to fight the driveline while stopped. Probably yields better mileage (the idle up to keep engine idle stable and fight the drive train is probably ~200 rpm) and it will keep transmission temps down. I don't worry about it and I've never relied on the auto transmission (or manuals when I drove them) to hold a vehicle on a hill. Stop on a hill; keep foot on brake. Want to go off a hill; release my foot off the brake and apply gas. I equate it with the fuel savings some cars are trying to get when the shut down completely at a stop light...that still strikes as very disconcerting, I like my cars to keep running so that if I have to "make a quick get-away", I don't have to wait for the darned thing to restart...

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It's a normal condition. Engine RPM at idle is set very low by design for economy and emissions reasons, and there's not enough torque at those engine speeds to overcome gravity on slopes above a certain grade percentage. The Journey is not the only vehicle that exhibits that symptom. Even Hemi powered 300's and Chargers roll back on some hills.

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