I am working on a Japanese-to-English translation. Apparently this has a word in Japanese: creep. There is a Japanese Wikipedia article but no English:
“Creep” or “creep control” does not seem to be an accepted English term. In any case, the control system makes sure that the vehicle does not move forward when it’s stopped.
Any ideas as to correct English? Thanks!
“creep” is the word I’ve heard used. AFAIK there’s nothing about it that’s not acceptable. and quite honestly I can’t even think of a better word for it.
That’s cool. I just can’t find any really good English references for the term.
Hmmm, creep does appear to be the word. It is when you take your foot off the gas and the vehicle starts moving forward. I never would have imagined this is considered a defect until I googled it, and people want to get rid of it although some people want to put creep into vehicles that lack it. Try searching for “transmission creep” instead of “vehicle creep,” there’s a lot of hits.
If you want to know the word for the speed, I dunno, but probably creep speed. At idle and on level ground, the only thing that really determines the vehicles speed is the transmission and differential gearing (ok RPMs too). Offroaders call this the “crawl speed” or “crawl ratio” but I don’t think that’s what you want.
Some GM transmissions from the 60’s with switch-pitch torque converters had a feature where at idle the vanes in the torque convertor could be set in a way which let them idle in gear without creeping. I have a Buick factory manual from that period and “creep” is indeed the term they use.
Thanks, guys. Good answers!
I’ve also heard “Idling speed”. That’s what happens when the freeway plugs up and you just “idle” along.
FTR: Idle speed is used in boating as well… and it’s common and widely accepted terminology.
Thirding ‘idle speed’. That was my first thought reading the thread title.
‘Creep’ works as well, but I assign that to what a camera’s zoom lens does when pointed downward.
The industry word is “creep” or “idle speed.” One of the few cases where we use the same words as the general populace.
I’ve only heard “idle speed” to refer to the speed (in rpm) of the engine when idling, not the car. Of course, here in the UK we mostly drive manual cars. I remember the first time I rented a car in the USA, which was the first time I’d ever driven an automatic. I didn’t know they move all by themselves without you putting your foot on the gas, and almost went into the wall in the car park. :smack:
There’s no creep in my manual-transmission car, except the one behind the wheel.
I read a few online articles about how transmission creep is bad and that it can cause dangerous scenarios. My favorite was a person leaving their automatic transmission car running, in neutral, with their kid in the car. Then the irresponsible adult gets out in front of the car and opens the garage door. Then the kid puts the car into drive (to go from N to D you don’t need to press the brake or push the button) and the parent is run over.
I think if they got rid of transmission creep it would be worse. People would instead leave their car in drive and get out of their car. Since the car creeps along in todays cars it is more of an incentive to leave your car in PARK.
If the previous scenario had a car with “creep control” and the irresponsible adult left the car in drive and got out, now the kid will hit the accelerator and kill their parent. Leave the creep in the car.
Plus I would rather drive in rain/snow/ice in a car that creeps than one that needs you to use the gas pedal to get started. Creepers and manuals give you fine control for taking off in slippery conditions, but a car with no creep seems more likely to spin. It’s funny that some sites I read called creep a defect and demanded auto makers fix it, while hybrids have creep added to make them feel normal.
I’ve driven vehicles with no creep, the BMW M3 for example has a funky transmission that won’t move in gear or neutral unless you give it gas. I thought it was extremely annoying.
The Citroen DS-19 has what’s basically a manual gearbox. It’s shifted by a slender wand sticking out of the dash; hydraulic cylinders, controlled by clever valves, operate the clutch and shift the gears.
Anyway, if you are sitting still, and take your foot off the brake, the car revs up the engine a little and slips the clutch so that you creep forward. All controlled hydraulically. Those clever French engineers. 
Creeping is very useful in stop-and-go traffic.