Is my driving wearing out my clutch?

Strider590

Can I just add that changing through every gear in sequence is a left over from before cars had synchromesh gearboxes......

Back then you HAD to go through the gears in order, you also had to RPM match AND you had to "double declutch".

fred7777

attila_ wrote: »

I have noticed that I change gear a ridculous amount compared to others. On every slow down/junction/roundabout/lights i will engage and disingage clutch into every gear down. I never ever drop more than one gear at a time and always use the engine revs to slow car down as much as possible. I will never come to a stop without cycling down through every gear.

Going through every gear isn't a problem but it's not necessary. Obviously the clutch will wear less if there is less of a difference between the out of clutch rpm and the in clutch rpm. So going through every gear or missing out gears can cause more wear depending on how you do it.
I was told long ago to avoid engine braking as this caused more wear on the engine than anything else. I was told the brakes should be used to slow down and the engine should be used to maintain a speed.

attila_ wrote: »

So much so i have never had to replace pads on my cars (longest ive had a car is 3 years).

I've replaced pads once in 6 years using brakes to slow rather than the engine.

attila_ wrote: »

I've also noticed in traffic i will press clutch put in first then disingage gear immediately if coming to a temporary stop. I never keep the clutch down...seriously its like OCD.

I was always taught this was the better way. Keeping the car in gear with the clutch down means there is always a chance that your foot will slip and the car move forward. If you were hit from behind this would be more likely making any collision worse.

Ebe_Scrooge

My take on it is :

Way back when, brakes were very prone to failure due to overheating, particularly on long downhill stretches, so using a combination of brakes and gears was very sensible. You still see signs advising HGVs to engage low gear on a long downhill stretch, so there must still be some merit in it.

These days, brakes are a lot better, so there's probably no actual need for it, and brakes are a lot cheaper to replace than clutches.

However, knowing how to use the gears is useful in a worst-case scenario if your brakes should ever fail. Also, if driving in very icy conditions, use the gears rather than brakes to slow down to prevent the wheels locking, which causes you to loose steering.

And my personal best is 155,000 miles on the original clutch, so I must be doing something right :-)

As a slight aside, I had to learn how to double-declutch on my first car as the synchromesh was knackered, I still double-declutch if going from,say, 5th to 3rd to overtake someone. Saves putting too much strain on the synchromesh.

Inactive

Hammyman wrote: »

They need to learn to drive. They would fail a driving test and if it came to light they'd been doing that when they had an accident, they can be done for not being in control of the vehicle.

Really ??..........

Strider590

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

However, knowing how to use the gears is useful in a worst-case scenario if your brakes should ever fail. Also, if driving in very icy conditions, use the gears rather than brakes to slow down to prevent the wheels locking, which causes you to loose steering..

I wouldn't advise using the gears to slow down over the brakes, it confuses the drivers behind..... I once had a woman pull up next to me and tell me my brake lights weren't working..... All 3 of them, even the high level LED brake light

Inactive

Hammyman wrote: »

They need to learn to drive. They would fail a driving test and if it came to light they'd been doing that when they had an accident, they can be done for not being in control of the vehicle.

Really?.............

Limey

Inactive wrote: »

Really?.............

I think he was refering to approaching a junction with the clutch depressed. i.e coasting out of gear. But I may be mistaken.

I got told off by my IAM instructor for my approach to a roundabout. Light brakes, block change 4th to 2nd @ 30-40mph/heel and toe, all the time checking traffic. If it was clear to go then I was in the right gear at the right speed to zip round and be off. He wanted me to stay in 4th until ready to move off again.

birkee

Sitting with you foot on the clutch when stopped? Lunacy.
What happens if your foot slips off, or you pass out?

Nobody has mentioned wear on the clutch release bearing either. In the old days these used to be a carbon ring on some cars, but are probably mostly bearings now. You would have killed a carbon clutch release bearing in no time flat. Soon learned to not sit with your foot on a clutch.

We used to service the car for a GP, and as he did lots of short distances, and made lots of gearchanges, I've known him get through a clutch in 3 weeks. (No, not lying.)
I've also witnessed drivers who use excessive clutch slip too, because of poor driving skill. You know the ones, three thousand revs to pull away from a standing start, and picking up speed very slowly.
50 years driving, and I've learned that it's brakes to slow down, and change down from fourth to second as late as possible, and then to neutral if stopping completely. (Car control is via brakes, for those who say 'freewheeling' is illegal.)
(That's the mechanical empathy of a mechanic, not a random opinion.)

fred7777

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

Also, if driving in very icy conditions, use the gears rather than brakes to slow down to prevent the wheels locking, which causes you to loose steering.

Not sure about this one based on experience in the ice before Christmas. We had several sections of very icy road (think ice rink type ice) nearby and I tried this.

The car still skidded sideways and lost steering. I believe too much engine breaking caused the wheels to loose contact with the ice. They were not locked and were still turning but were turning slower than they would need to be to keep up with the car. Dipping the clutch resolved the problem and from then on I let the ABS prevent the wheels locking which worked in all but the most iced conditions at very low speed.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

i was tought to come down in block 5th-3rd-3rd-2nd etc use brakes to slow down low gear for down hills using brakes to slow you down not the engine and prepare the car for hills not let it struggle in fourth do 10mph then change down to 3rd and struggle even more then have to jump to first as your doing five mph my dads a nightmare for letting the car struggle up hills, and using 3rd or second on decent. keep off the clutch pedal as much as possible and release as quick as possible as not to ride it.

my avarage MPG in my dads car was 39MPG my dads avarage mpg was 32 mpg. i keep encouraging my dad to have refresher courses, but he refuses.