Not sure if I damaged my clutch?

Car_54

forgotmyname wrote: »

Things have changed a lot, they no longer get you to put the handbrake on if you stall it, no need to go through the whole process of handbrake, neutral, start the engine, then select the correct gear etc..

Seems its foot on the brake, clutch down ensure its the correct gear to move away and then off you go checking mirrors of course.

Seems sensible that your not wasting time sticking the brake on and into neutral when your probably blocking the traffic.

It's not quite that simple, and depends on the circumstances. The parking brake would still be required unless the road was dead level

facade

usefulmale wrote: »

Has everyone got something against puppies?

Everybody loves puppies!!!

I always assumed that the Nuns carried baskets of abandoned kittens, possibly on their way to drown them?????

Nobbie1967

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.

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..

You probably haven't damaged the clutch, you've just worn it excessively in a short time. If you are in the habit of holding it on the clutch, then it seems likely that you will need a new clutch sooner than later and the high biting point is an indicator of this.

securityguy

"I was pretty much holding in position using revs and clutch"

You could start a new hobby of burning five pound notes to keep your hands warm. It'd be cheaper in the long run.

Jlawson118

Fat_Walt wrote: »

So what are you asking?

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

I'm asking if it is possible for a biting point to change place :rotfl:

lister

Jlawson118 wrote: »

I'm asking if it is possible for a biting point to change place :rotfl:

Yes if you wear the clutch lining down by abusing the clutch...

lister

Car_54 wrote: »

It must be so modern that it began in the 18 months since I retired as an instructor.

That seems unlikely, since it would be marked as a fault on test.

Hmm - no it wouldn't (now) and wouldn't (for at least the last 30 years or so) as a rule.

It would only be marked as a fault if it led to a loss of control of the vehicle.

Now poor control on the clutch at a junction could lead to roll back, stalling, moving over a give way line at an inopportune moment etc., in which case a fault is recorded as appropriate (e.g. Move off control, junctions observation etc.).

My experience, however, is that pupils who tend to sometimes hold the car on the clutch (albeit for too long unless I intervene), generally do so well, and so don't generally incur faults. An examiner would simply say "it's not my clutch - do what you like if you control the car".

Sometimes holding the car on the clutch is appropriate after all. For example, just as you stop the traffic lights go to red + amber. A brief pause of a second or two on the clutch is a very reasonable way to deal with this. 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 2 minutes on the clutch, not so much...

lister

Car_54 wrote: »

It's not quite that simple, and depends on the circumstances. The parking brake would still be required unless the road was dead level

Hate to disagree again, but not really an accurate portrayal.

In the event a stall, safe control of the car should be maintained. That is all.

So if you stall pulling out of a junction and are rolling forwards, and it is still safe to emerge, you don't even have to stop the car - restart on the roll is the safest and most appropriate response.

Stall pulling and and rolling backwards, handbrake on is the often the best response. But, control the car with the footbrake and restart without rollback etc., no problem (and in some cases if slightly quicker, may be the most appropriate response).

For those not in the trade, the simple explanation is that all a student has to do is maintain safe control of the car, drive legally and not unduely affect other road users. How they do it, and how mechanically sympathetic that approach is, is not part of the marking. That said, visibly poor techniques will lead an examiner to expect certain faults and to look more closely for them...

Ebe_Scrooge

Slipping on my Nostradamus mask ...

I predict a post in 6 months' time : "My clutch has gone, but it was only replaced 5 months ago. Surely it's not possible to go through a clutch in 5 months ? Are the garage at fault ? "

Safety considerations aside ( though, for what it's worth, I personally think it's far safer to sit in neutral with the handbrake on, but then I was taught old-school ), if the OP is riding the clutch all the time then it's gonna get expensive.

lister

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

Safety considerations aside ( though, for what it's worth, I personally think it's far safer to sit in neutral with the handbrake on, but then I was taught old-school ), if the OP is riding the clutch all the time then it's gonna get expensive.

No bets offered on your predictions...

Quite agree about going old school. Good techniques are good techniques for good reasons. Sometimes safety, sometimes good for the mechanics, sometimes both. As an ADI I don't spend hours getting students to understand and do these things for a laugh, but I recognise that once passed, many will just go off and do what their mates/parents etc. do because "I've passed my test, now I can drive 'properly'".

But then I'm not the one keeping Mr Clutch and their employees in doughnuts and cheap lager.