Not sure if I damaged my clutch?

Jlawson118

I was pretty much holding in position using revs and clutch without using the brake on a gradient a few days ago but I didn't realise that the traffic lights were going to be so long winded, and well by the time I moved off, my entire car just stank of burning clutch.

I stopped off at the shop around the corner to pick up a bottle of water before I started work, and when I got back into my car, it still stank. And I'm feeling like my biting point is really far up, by the time it hits bite, my foot is off the clutch pretty much, although I don't know if I'm just overthinking this and it's always been like that, or if I've changed my biting point?

I'm new to driving so I'm a little worried..

Fat_Walt

So what are you asking?

We cannot comment on the biting point before or after this incident.

prosaver

Fat_Walt wrote: »

So what are you asking?

We cannot comment on the biting point before or after this incident.

sounds like a carry on script..:rotfl:

Fat_Walt

prosaver wrote: »

sounds like a carry on script..:rotfl:

Oh matron.

forgotmyname

Dont do it again and when the clutch fails replace it, simple.

After buying a few clutches you will learn to stop.

prosaver

Fat_Walt wrote: »

Oh matron.

lol

lister

The banging noise is my head against my desk - why do so many people insist on either holding with the foot brake or with clutch only? Laziness, stupidity, poor teaching, a little bit of all of these?

Look after your clutch - it's a flipping expensive and annoying thing to have break on your ride.

It really isn't hard. Come to a halt. If you can't move forward you shouldn't be finding the bite - no reason to. So handbrake on. If at traffic lights and no sign yet that you will be moving in a moment, into neutral, foot off clutch. At junctions and the like, I would just take 1st gear with the handbrake on, unless I can see a reason why the queue will be static for a prolonged period of time.

I have been doing that since I started driving 25 years ago, and have always owned 2nd hand cars (for personal use) with unknown clutch histories. Never replaced a clutch - whatever state it was in when I got the car, it didn't get worse.

In five years of being an ADI, I have never replaced a clutch (current instruction car has done 105k, around 80k of which is with learners driving). I don't let my students develop bad clutch habits, pure and simple.

missile

An expensive lesson for the OP.

marlot

Jlawson118 wrote: »

I was pretty much holding in position using revs and clutch without using the brake on a gradient a few days ago but I didn't realise that the traffic lights were going to be so long winded, and well by the time I moved off, my entire car just stank of burning clutch.

As you've discovered, it's an expensive and bad habit to get into.

It's also dangerous. If you're the first car at some lights and someone bumps you from behind, you're going to shoot across the junction.

loskie

you are new to driving OP is this the way you were taught?

cb1979

When you stop at the traffic lights, put the handbrake on and the car in neutral ,wheather or not you are on the level or a graident, when the lights change from red to amber put the car in gear, hold at the biting point by then the light will be green release the handbrake and off you go

Just practice doing a few hill starts on a quiet piece of road somewhere to build you confidance up,with regard to the biting point and handbrake release, you will soon get the hang of it


It seems to be a modern way of teaching people to drive to hold on the clutch rather than put the car in neutral and handbrake on when stopped at traffic lights