Hello freshahhriot and thank you for your question.
You are quite correct, if you let the clutch out until it "bites" in
first gear facing up a hill, you can hold the car there without it
moving forwards or backwards. However this method puts a lot of
strain on the clutch, and it will wear the clutch out prematurely. By
far the best method is to use the handbrake. As you are new to using
a manual gear change car, it will be clumsy at first, but you will
soon get the hang of it and will be able to do it quickly (and safely)
But you should practice as much as possible on a quiet stretch of road
(with a hill of course!) Maybe with a professional driving instructor.
"Tips and Tricks for Pedals"
"2) Don't use the clutch to hold a position on a hill, use the brakes"
http://www.mechanicnet.com/apps/tips/display?category=Pedals
"To avoid rolling backwards while on a hill, use your emergency brake
instead of your clutch"
http://www.youngmoney.com/wheels/misc/040501
"Also, NEVER hold the car on a hill by holding the clutch in halfway. This puts
trmendous wear on the clutch.
Every car's clutch is a little different, so experiment and see what works.
Also, peeling out (popping the clutch with a lot of gas) can cause damage to
the clutch.
If you are holding the car on a hill, use the brakes. Believe it or
not, some people try to do it by slipping the clutch and reving the
engine. All that gets you is unnecessary wear. One trick to
starting out on a hill without drifting backward too far is to use
the hand brake. Engage the hand brake, put the car in first and let
the clutch out until it just starts to engage. The engine will start
to slow a little. Immediately release the hand brake and you will be
under way without any drifting"
http://www.stormloader.com/yonghuang/car/clutch.txt
"Heres a few tips to prolong the life of car clutches;
Don?t rest your foot on the clutch pedal while driving; you will take
up the slack between thrust and release bearings and wear them out.
Don?t leave the car in gear with your foot on the clutch at traffic
lights for the same reason.
Don?t hold the car on a hill by slipping the clutch for longer than
absolutely necessary when doing a hill-start. You will wear out the
friction surface.
Release the handbrake gradually with your thumb on the release button
as you lift the clutch and press the accelerator.
Don?t slip clutches deliberately to avoid changing gear.
Make sure that there is a little free play in the pedal movement
before you start to feel the weight; if there is no slack you may need
to adjust the cable housing or the clutch rod.
If you have hydraulic clutch control, make sure the reservoir is as
well topped up as that for the brake system. How will I know if my
clutch is worn out"
http://www.f1autocentres.co.uk/clutches.htm
Thank you for your question, and if you need any clarification of my
answer do not hesitate to ask before rating my answer.
Very best regards.
THX1138 (Manual car driver for twenty years)
Search strategy included:
"hill start" manual car
://www.google.com/search?hl=pt&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_qdr=all&q=%22hill+start%22+manual+car&lr= |
Clarification of Answer by
thx1138-ga
on
10 May 2004 10:26 PDT
Hello again freshahhriot
Thank you for the five stars and the tip :)
Of course the lifetime of a clutch depends on many variables
including, the type and model of car, diesel or gasoline, if you live
in a hilly area, how the car is driven etc. But given that all of the
above variables are "average" a ball park figure of say, 80,000
(eighty thousand) miles should be about correct.
"Clutch; (should last 40 ? 60,000 miles)"
http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=140&i=8108
"The clutch should last for at least eighty thousand miles"
http://www.dervman.com/highmileageka.htm
"Driving Manual Shift - A Primer"
"In a new car, a clutch should last at least 200,000 to 250,000 km
(125,000 to 150,000 miles"
http://www.interlog.com/~css/manualprimer.htm
Very best regards and safe driving. (That last link is a good website for you :)
THX1138
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