Hidden Feature of the 7MT : Low speed cruise control!

[jasonkosi]

Low speed cruise control!

Was driving home the other day, most of my commute is on the highway but due to snow and freezing rain the traffic was stop and go. I found out that by leaving it in first gear, the Bronco will happily putter along at a steady 7kph (~4mph)at engine idle speed. No throttle input, no clutch hop. Do the same in second and it’ll sit at 13kph (8mph). No need to accelerate only to have to brake and clutch in.
Even though I was stuck in slow moving traffic for the better part of half an hour, I only touched the brakes a handful of times. Thanks, 4.46 gears!

Sponsored

 

[RagnarKon]

In pre-pandemic times I used to do this daily in my Ford Focus (yay traffic). If the engine has enough moving inertia at idle it can move the vehicle forward once you engage the clutch without the throttle.

Kind of surprised it works in the Bronco though... very common with compact cars since they are so light, but on larger vehicles usually the inertia can't overcome the weight of the vehicle.

 

[Werkedperformance]

I use crawl in heavy traffic. Everyone is inching and inching. Bronco be like brrrrrrrt. Just putting along

 

[Tdifonzo]

I remember my first manual transmission.

 

[jasonkosi]

In pre-pandemic times I used to do this daily in my Ford Focus (yay traffic). If the engine has enough moving inertia at idle it can move the vehicle forward once you engage the clutch without the throttle.

Kind of surprised it works in the Bronco though... very common with compact cars since they are so light, but on larger vehicles usually the inertia can't overcome the weight of the vehicle.

I think in the Broncos case the low gearing helps to overcome the weight

 

[The Dmv]

I remember my first manual transmission.

Yeah, this worked in 1987 too.

 

[Richtor]

Low speed cruise control!

Was driving home the other day, most of my commute is on the highway but due to snow and freezing rain the traffic was stop and go. I found out that by leaving it in first gear, the Bronco will happily putter along at a steady 7kph (~4mph)at engine idle speed. No throttle input, no clutch hop. Do the same in second and it’ll sit at 13kph (8mph). No need to accelerate only to have to brake and clutch in.
Even though I was stuck in slow moving traffic for the better part of half an hour, I only touched the brakes a handful of times. Thanks, 4.46 gears!

I thought all manuals were 4.7 gears?

 

[wrbix]

Think that’s why it’s called Crawler gear.

 

[balucipher]

I thought all manuals were 4.7 gears?

4.46 unless you get a Badlands, then 4.7

 

[one800higgins]

I’ve only ever driven manuals my entire life until this Bronco. I was able to do this in all of them.

 

[Roger123]

Yeah, this worked in 1987 too.

And 1978, LOL, NP435 in a '78 F-150!

Sponsored