Clutch!

*Tripper*

Figured this was the right place!

Basically when i'm driving I always shift down to 2nd before I stop but I have this weird feeling that i'm using the clutch to much. I'm just wondering how you burn out a clutch? Is it by keeping your foot on it to much?


Cheers!

WhiteWashMan

I would have said by trying to change gears without engaging the clutch.

I tended to stop in 3rd usually when i drove manual by the way.
the only time I ever used 2nd gear was when i moved up through the gears, never on the way down.

TwoShedsJackson

You can stop in any gear in a car with a modern gearbox, there's no need to shift down to 2nd unless you had slowed enough before reaching the lights or car in front of you and needed to change down to avoid stalling.

The clutch wears when you have it at the 'bite point' where the two plates that raising the pedal brings together meet. Since it's designed for wear and tear you don't need to worry about burning it out, although doing things like holding the car in place on a hill with the clutch rather than using the handbrake will naturally increase the speed with which the clutch wears and eventually needs to be replaced.

*Tripper*

Thanks lads, I have to say it to my driving instructor about stoping in 3rd. My da is always on about you have to stop in second but its been a long time since he's has a manual!

dudara

You can essentially stop in any gear as long as it doesn't stall the car. Generally I find that driving in the city, I seem to stop in 3rd the majority of the time.

I failed my driving test for coasting first time around, and it's something that I've being paying close attention to ever since. Everyone seems to have a different definition of it - which is half the problem. But looking back now, I did change down through the gears too often when coming to a halt. There's no need to do that and it has the downside that the clutch is in too often.

bonkey

As someone who recently passed a test, here's my experience on both how I was taught and how I drive.

Please note in the following, I did not get taught nor did I qualify in Ireland. This may not be applicable to Irish tests.

My driving instructor taught me to only shift down when I need to. What this means is that if I'm coming to a traffic lihgts in 4th or even 5th, I brake to a stop without downshifting. In my experience, slowing to a stop in high gears in the (admittedly few) modern cars I've driven meant that I didn't need to touch the clutch until maybe the last car-length of the braking distance...and even then, its a slow declutch (compared to, say, changing gears). The car, fully declutched, would travel no more than 1/2 a car-length before coming to a complete stop.

With an older car (18-yr-old Peugeot 205) the only difference was that the declutching had to start a bit earlier (maybe 2 car-lengths), but I could declutch even slower, meaning that the car was still not coasting for more than 1/2 a car-length.

If, at any time during this braking process the lights changed from red to green, only then would I consider down-shifting. The gear I downshifted to would be situationally dependant. It could be anything from 3rd to 1st.

Whether you drive like this or not, I would strongly recommend that learners practice letting their car slowly lose speed in each gear, until they can readily identify the point where the engine starts labouring. Once they can do that, I would recommend they then practice gradual declutching to let the car go even slower in the same gear without stalling. Remember...at no point in this practice do you need to be able to make the car go faster in the gear you are in...thats when you downshift.

Wishbone Ash

*Tripper* wrote: »

My da is always on about you have to stop in second

A lot of older motorists would have learned to drive in cars with 3 and 4 speed gearboxes where the ratios would be much larger. A lot of modern cars are either 5 or 6 speed and therefore the ratios are much closer together.

TwoShedsJackson wrote:

The clutch wears when you have it at the 'bite point' where the two plates that raising the pedal brings together meet. Since it's designed for wear and tear you don't need to worry about burning it out, although doing things like holding the car in place on a hill with the clutch rather than using the handbrake will naturally increase the speed with which the clutch wears and eventually needs to be replaced.

Yup!

pete4130

I was lucky enough that my job paid for me to effectively get 4.5 weeks of solid lessons in order to get my full license (which I did thankfully! imagine the shame of not passing after that amount of intensive lessons!).
You can stop in any gear once you don't stall. During my insruction I was advised to shift down through the gears if its possible when coming to a stop at traffic lights and junctions etc.... where you can se you are going to have to come to a stop. The reason given for dropping to second and stopping in 2nd is that if traffic starts to move off as you are approaching in 2nd you can accelerate and continue on without having to change gears, so you maintaining reasonable progress is alot less effort.
Obviously if you are in 3rd or 4th and a hazard appears that you have to slow down quickly and stop it is ok to do so in those gears once you don't let the car stall.

stainluss

pete4130 wrote: »

I was lucky enough that my job paid for me to effectively get 4.5 weeks of solid lessons in order to get my full license (which I did thankfully! imagine the shame of not passing after that amount of intensive lessons!).
You can stop in any gear once you don't stall. During my insruction I was advised to shift down through the gears if its possible when coming to a stop at traffic lights and junctions etc.... where you can se you are going to have to come to a stop. The reason given for dropping to second and stopping in 2nd is that if traffic starts to move off as you are approaching in 2nd you can accelerate and continue on without having to change gears, so you maintaining reasonable progress is alot less effort.
Obviously if you are in 3rd or 4th and a hazard appears that you have to slow down quickly and stop it is ok to do so in those gears once you don't let the car stall.

what type of job was it to pay for your lessons???prety sound of them:D:D lessons are pretty pricey!!i am nearly 17 now do i hav to wait for my bday before i send off my application for a provisional car liscence or can i send it off just before my birthday and then il be 17 by the time i get my liscence sent to me anyways??cheers:D

Mr. Presentable

Interesting the different advice people get from instructors. I was told only to stop from 2nd or 3rd - never 4th/5th.

chris85

I got my licence last january and never had a lesson but was always taught that stopping in second is best. Also it means you dont have to brake as hard as the engine is actually braking for you as well due to it slowing down.

Ive had some bad motorists cut me off before and the downshifting has avioded a crash as it means you can brake quicker.

Stopping in second also means that if anything happens before you come to a stop (i.e. traffic starts moving. dangerous motorist about to hit you:rolleyes:) that the car will be able to move off quickly.

The wear on the clutch will not occur unless you are not compressing the clutch fully. Always have clutch wither fully disengaged or fully engaged. Obviously when hill starting you need to have clutch in between