[tufc]

(Original post by thefunktopus69)
After passing I do this all the time! Whenever I see a red light, into neutral I go and slowly glide in! Easier!

I just use the clutch to be honest.

[gbduo]

(Original post by Camoxide)
They teach the opposite now. I don't know anyone who's been taught to downshift to slow down. When approaching a red light you put the clutch down keep it down select the gear to 2nd and if you have to come to a full stop you put it in first. A clutch is a lot more expensive than brakes.

You damage a clutch by slipping it. Not using it properly. Gearbox and clutch will go on for years and years, brakes wear out in years. Brakes cost £200 inc labour to change the discs and pads. Most small cars cost £500 to change the clutch. Only take 3 changes of pads and discs to make up a clutch, which last forever if you drive properly.

That logic is completely flawed. If you use the engine braking and foot braking together, you put less wear on both, thus saving you money...especially on modern cars which use no fuel when engine braking.

Driving instructors should all know this, it gets on my goat the amount of BS they spread.

[Camoxide]

(Original post by gbduo)
You damage a clutch by slipping it. Not using it properly. Gearbox and clutch will go on for years and years, brakes wear out in years. Brakes cost £200 inc labour to change the discs and pads. Most small cars cost £500 to change the clutch. Only take 3 changes of pads and discs to make up a clutch, which last forever if you drive properly.

That logic is completely flawed. If you use the engine braking and foot braking together, you put less wear on both, thus saving you money...especially on modern cars which use no fuel when engine braking.

Driving instructors should all know this, it gets on my goat the amount of BS they spread.

The common method is to let the car roll up to the lights keeping it in the same gear and then putting the clutch down shortly before coming to a stop. This works fine you barely have to touch the brakes.

If you live in an area with lots of hills it'd be difficult to make the clutch last the life of the car. Parking up hill every day will wear the clutch out. If however all you do is highway drive then the clutch should indeed last the life of the car.

[gbduo]

(Original post by Camoxide)
The common method is to let the car roll up to the lights keeping it in the same gear and then putting the clutch down shortly before coming to a stop. This works fine you barely have to touch the brakes.

If you live in an area with lots of hills it'd be difficult to make the clutch last the life of the car. Parking up hill every day will wear the clutch out. If however all you do is highway drive then the clutch should indeed last the life of the car.

Ah so you are engine braking...I thought you were advocating coasting which is ridiculously dangerous and bad practice.

You only wear the clutch out if you slip it. If it is fully engaged, unless the springs are old, it will be fine. Wear is caused by friction and heat. There is not a lot when the plates are pressed together (well there is, but the plates are not moving against each other, thus keeping heat down) and thus wear is minimised. It is slipping and riding the clutch that is the major reason clutches wear. If you do hill starts by slipping the clutch, then you are asking for trouble!

Sorry for any confusion!

[Camoxide]

(Original post by R. Murray)
Eh, if I'm sitting in neutral with the handbrake on I've made the car safe. I don't see how I'm not in control as I can get into gear and get the car moving without causing hold ups because 1. it's not difficult and 2. I can see when the lights are going to change. Sitting in gear with the clutch down isn't giving you any more control than I have, and I'm led to believe that it can cause clutch release bearing wear, so best to avoid it in my opinion.

Apparently they were giving people minors for taking it out of gear at out test centre. Probably some crap about having to use your hand to put the car back in your control in an emergency or something.

If i'm at a set of lights that I know take a while I sometimes put it in neutral because I can't be bothered to hold the clutch down. Unless it's a hill. I always keep it in gear on a hill.

The release bearing with easily outlive the life of the clutch. The release bearing is replaced with the clutch during a clutch replacement so it's not something to worry about really.

[MDS3]

You don't have to downshift at all. You can put the clutch in, put the stick in N, and coast + brake if you want.

Downshifting is pretty fun though.

I don't recommend putting it in 1st while moving, even with the clutch disengaged... unless you're going REALLY slow, like 15km/h or less.
I only ever downshift to second, then clutch in... which is useful if you don't come to a complete stop at stop signs... you can just get going again from second.

[Camoxide]

(Original post by gbduo)
Ah so you are engine braking...I thought you were advocating coasting which is ridiculously dangerous and bad practice.

You only wear the clutch out if you slip it. If it is fully engaged, unless the springs are old, it will be fine. Wear is caused by friction and heat. There is not a lot when the plates are pressed together (well there is, but the plates are not moving against each other, thus keeping heat down) and thus wear is minimised. It is slipping and riding the clutch that is the major reason clutches wear. If you do hill starts by slipping the clutch, then you are asking for trouble!

Sorry for any confusion!

It's pulling away from a parking that's the problem and reverse parking parallel uphill. Need to put a bit of throttle on else it'll stall and you can't bring the clutch up too high else it'll pull away too fast. I miss driving a Diesel sometimes. Much easier to drive when using just the clutch.

[A Mysterious Lord]

(Original post by Mbob)
Why not put into neutral, or do you like those racing starts?

I used to think handbrake on and neutral but my instructor says you should always be in a position to move off.

[331sam331]

(Original post by BexiG)
Depends...Like i've been known to be going from 50mph to 30mph and change from 5th gear to 3rd gear without going to 4th...

There's nothing dodgy about that. It is actually much more logical in modern cars. In old cars you had to change down gear by gear because the syncromesh inside the old gearboxes were not as good.

Same goes with block changing when accelerating. You can go from 1st to 3rd and 3rd to 5th on flat or downhill roads to save gearbox wear and fuel/emissions.

Oh and as for after passiing driving tests. First thing to go was the steering wheel shuffle. One handed spinning like a boss when parking

Also guilty of coasting in neutral in the summer. Never do it in the winter though!

Happy drivings!

[Camoxide]

(Original post by 331sam331)
There's nothing dodgy about that. It is actually much more logical in modern cars. In old cars you had to change down gear by gear because the syncromesh inside the old gearboxes were not as good.

Same goes with block changing when accelerating. You can go from 1st to 3rd and 3rd to 5th on flat or downhill roads to save gearbox wear and fuel/emissions.

Oh and as for after passiing driving tests. First thing to go was the steering wheel shuffle. One handed spinning like a boss when parking

Also guilty of coasting in neutral in the summer. Never do it in the winter though!

Happy drivings!

Ah the steering shuffle. First thing you drop once passing.

[331sam331]

(Original post by MDS3)
You don't have to downshift at all. You can put the clutch in, put the stick in N, and coast + brake if you want.

Not a good habit. Ok in the summer, but when winter comes around, engine breaking is far less likely to put you into a skid than normal foot braking. Just a heads up. ( I have the soiled underwear to prove that one)

(Original post by MDS3)
I only ever downshift to second, then clutch in... which is useful if you don't come to a complete stop at stop signs... you can just get going again from second.

Always a good trick. Saves the hassle of shifting down to 1st. Just have to be careful not a labor the engine if going too slow.

[Sam Walters]

(Original post by Camoxide)
The release bearing with easily outlive the life of the clutch. The release bearing is replaced with the clutch during a clutch replacement so it's not something to worry about really.

Will it and is it? Its not the clutch or release bearing you have to worry about really.

[Mbob]

(Original post by A Mysterious Lord)
I used to think handbrake on and neutral but my instructor says you should always be in a position to move off.

Fair enough for a learner, although once you've been driving a while you can put it into gear and move off very quickly.

[bax121]

Drive into a solid object.

[Mbob]

(Original post by Camoxide)
My instructor never taught me to put in neutral at lights. There's need. Means you're not in control of the car.

In what sense are you not in control of the car?

If you're sitting in gear and your foot slips then the car will stall and jerk forward. That's a pretty dangerous situation, especially if a pedestrian is crossing the road in between cars (as they sometimes do).

Instructors often teach people to sit in first gear because new drivers are quite slow to select gear, take off the handbrake etc., and are more likely to stall if they are rushing - possibly getting a minor for undue hesitation in their test.

Experienced drivers (hopefully!) don't have this problem.

[Sam Walters]

(Original post by Mbob)
especially if a pedestrian is crossing the road in between cars (as they sometimes do).

Keeps them on thier toes.

[gbduo]

(Original post by Sam Walters)
Keeps them on thier toes.

...or not if the car has crushed them!

[Mbob]

(Original post by Sam Walters)
Keeps them on thier toes.

Quite the opposite if you hit them!

[331sam331]

(Original post by Sam Walters)
Will it and is it? Its not the clutch or release bearing you have to worry about really.

The release bearing is much more temperamental than the clutch friction plate and springs. If you 'ride' the clutch (rest your foot on the pedal while driving along) you will shorten the life of the release bearing considerably, and it will no doubt fail before the clutch.

If not, then depending on the make of clutch and it's quality, the bearing should outlast the friction plate. You still have to replace the bearing for a clutch change though. Standard procedure.

[twelve]

(Original post by tufc)
I just coast :O

Me tooooo...


I've never changed down gears to stop, since I passed my test