Riding the clutch is bad?

moved to the technical arena for a more general concensus.
Good replies PRO ECU and STING...Just goes to show sliding around in neutral is stupid. (when moving AND stopping!)

BTW offtopic , but ive found a "Sweet spot" for good fuel consumption for my civic ~ change at around 3.5-4 every gear and always use the engine to slow down if safe to...im getting 5.8-6 l/100kms aroudn town which is great :)

Anyway , "riding clutch" in traffic or parking etc is bad ofcourse. Alittle slip to stat from a hill etc is hardly bad tho - its the constant crawlign in traffic which cooks the disc methinks :)

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Originally Posted by R123

hey guys.. hope i can bring a few reply from this thread. I had been reading it from start. There are some really good points. Now i have some qs, might b abit repatitive but i really wana re-asure it cos i am trying to build up a good habit of driving a manual car.
1) At wot state are counted as ~ridding cluch~? At friction point only? or? plz give detail in a simpler terms. (Thankz)
2) when u guys mention ~coasting~ a conrner, exactly how u doing that? ( jz put the gear in netural?)
3) Is this a right way to turn into a conrner? E.g i am traving on 5th, approch a conrner, i step on the cluch, apply the break, (select the right gear for the tuning, like 2nd or 3rd) hold the cluch ~while~ the cars turning, let go of the cluch and apply fuel to take off. was this whole procedures got any parts where i am riding the cluth?

so yeah... any useful, related comments will be much appearciated.

many thans

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1) Riding the clutch is exesivly letting the clutch slip Or driving too often with the clutch pedal slightly depressed. Obviously u have to do this occasionaly to drive off from lights etc. But its when u do it excesivly when it becomes a problem.

2) When they were talkin bout coastin, it was without being in any gear... which is bad. Ur car should always be in a gear when driving (actuallly i think that may b a law)

3) This is how i turn:

- See the corner, apply brakes. Then
- I put the clutch in, select a gear then let go of the brakes for a sec to blip the throttle to get the rpm correct for the next gear (or if im going to quick ill heel-toe.
- coninue to brake if need be
-turn steering wheel, through corner applying throttle as need be


Basicly, i should be in gear while going round the corner....

Guys alot of you hear riding the clutch from either bad drivers who do not know how to mix the clutch or from your drag racers who are pushing the clutch.

Just not that your drag racer rides the clutch so as to reduce the load on the engine and get better take-offs. Difference between this and your normal drive is that they usually have double or triple plate clutchs made from strong material than normal clutches. Also the pressure plate are strengthened so that they don't slip.
These clutches wear out the flywheel quicker though. Also they are not as nice to drive daily.

Now hard material and more pressure also put more strain on the engine. Your normal clutches will burn and thus start to slip as they were not designed to be ridden, thus get used up faster. Cos you are wearing the clutch so quick and it might be burnt it will not perform as well in the long run.


Now one thing you got to do with a race car you would regularly change clutch and rebuilt engines and boxes, but who does that to a normal driving street car? Reason is they are extracting every bit out of the engine and do not car about the life of the engine as they usually get rebuilt or replace within a yr or 2.

Now if your gonna ruin your clutch and engine in the long run then go ahead and remind me not to buy a car from you.

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Originally Posted by claymore

Don't forget when you ride the clutch you are wearing out yourThrowout bearing much more quickly than normal.

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Yeah that too forgot about that. I think its too late for me *yawn*:p

ok... so holding the clutch (all the way) while the car is moving (slowing down) and the right foot is off the accelarator, doesnt count as riding the clutch?

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Originally Posted by R123

ok... so holding the clutch (all the way) while the car is moving (slowing down) and the right foot is off the accelarator, doesnt count as riding the clutch?

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No , since the clutch is totally disengaged. That is wearing the release/throwout bearing tho.
And , please dont coast along in neutral ~as said before wastes fuel and is unsafe too

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Originally Posted by bennjamin

No , since the clutch is totally disengaged. That is wearing the release/throwout bearing tho.
And , please dont coast along in neutral ~as said before wastes fuel and is unsafe too

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how abt when i was holding the cluch, i am actually in 2nd or 3rd gear. does that makes a difference?
or more directly, would u plz comment on if thats the right way to make a corner?

E.g, travelling on 5th, see the corner, hold the clutch, break, then selcect the right gear for the corner. mayb 2nd or 3rd. still holding the clutch as steer the car then let go of the clutch while apply fuel to pick up the speed and go.

thanx :rolleyes:

Wow, cant beleive someone actually asked this question


To put it bluntly:
Two spinning plates, rubbing against eachother, getting hot, wearing away, burning...=smell....=bad....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by R123

how abt when i was holding the cluch, i am actually in 2nd or 3rd gear. does that makes a difference?
or more directly, would u plz comment on if thats the right way to make a corner?

E.g, travelling on 5th, see the corner, hold the clutch, break, then selcect the right gear for the corner. mayb 2nd or 3rd. still holding the clutch as steer the car then let go of the clutch while apply fuel to pick up the speed and go.

thanx :rolleyes:

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Please go learn how to drive. Don't brake during a corner, this includes changing gears. Let the clutch out in the new gear BEFORE you start to turn, it's that simple.