Clutch Driver...How to Prevent Being one...

[Paulo]

[COLOR=blue]HeLLo,

I often hear this word from auto mechanics...
and I often hear this term when clutch disc are being replaced in less than a year.

May I then ask what are the proper methods of using the clutch?

With the traffic...bumper to bumper ride, we really can't prevent this right? I mean using the clutch to drive our car...

please explain why...

[Paulo]

[B]furthermore, here are my concerns on using the clutch...


#1) Let's say, your car is parked at the basement, for example, in Robinson Galleria basement parking...

As soon as you pay your parking fee....you are faced with a Long Deep inclined road way up...

If your driving your car, what do you do?

#2) Last year I parked my diesel pick-up in a supermarket basement parking, it was raining heavily, as I alighted, you know driving my pick-up van up the runway...inclined eh, the pick-up couldnt go further up. In short, umatras ang sasakyan na pababa...
Luckily, there was no car behind me...if not, wreck talaga.
Thank God, hindi nangyari eto. Well, after 3 tries, I was able to drive my pick-up way up the runway.
...Umakyat ang pick-up when I pressed the clutch halfway, hindi naka Full depressed, mga kalahati lang...Naka-akyat na yung pick-up.
Did I do the correct way? How do you drive your car?

#3) 3rdly, lets say your driving up to the parking runway of SM Megamall, it's a long curve drive di ba...How do you used the clutch and gas pedal and gear shift?

#4) eh kung pababa na, lets say, pababa ka na sa runway, what do you used to go down...clutch and brake lang ba?

#5) Kung pababa ka sa isang slippery road, what gear shift is safe? and how do you apply clutch and brake?

#6) Lastly, if you are running so fast, lets say, naka 120 ka sa speedometer...then stop light na, within 10 meters ahead...what do you do to properly stop your car? as in from 5th gear...oaano mo gagawin...at paano ka mag-preno?

[ghosthunter]

to prevent becoming a clutch driver....







get an A/T car. hehehe

[icon]

my attempt to answer some of your questions
hope i make sense. hehe

Originally posted by Paulo
#1) Let's say, your car is parked at the basement, for example, in Robinson Galleria basement parking...
As soon as you pay your parking fee....you are faced with a Long Deep inclined road way up...
If your driving your car, what do you do?

Dunno about pickups pero with most cars it's more or less you raise the clutch a bit slower than usual and press harder on the accelerator. I stay in first gear, unless hinahataw ko where I can shift to 2nd. If I remember correctly dyan sa galleria

lets say your driving up to the parking runway of SM Megamall, it's a long curve drive di ba...How do you used the clutch and gas pedal and gear shift?

Stay in gear. I could get up to 2nd gear going up. Downshift to 1st as required.
Pero sometimes first lang. Clutch fully released.

#4) eh kung pababa na, lets say, pababa ka na sa runway, what do you used to go down...clutch and brake lang ba?

engine brake usually. Stay in first or 2nd, clutch fully released. Brake as required. The thing is medyo weird kasi for you to drive normally knowing na you're rolling down naman. Pero you have to in order to engine brake.
Pero brake naman ang mauubos or iinit dito not clutch

#5) Kung pababa ka sa isang slippery road, what gear shift is safe? and how do you apply clutch and brake?

don't go too fast and stay in the lowest gear possible. Foot off the clutch as usual. Dyan mo gagamitin engine braking

#6) Lastly, if you are running so fast, lets say, naka 120 ka sa speedometer...then stop light na, within 10 meters ahead...what do you do to properly stop your car? as in from 5th gear...oaano mo gagawin...at paano ka mag-preno?

10 meters? dapat a few meters back nagbrake ka na, yellow na yun e. hehehe.
But for braking usually brake first, para makapag engine brake ka ng konti don't press on the clutch. Last na dapat yung clutch. Try to learn how your car behaves, at what speed at what gear tipong "nagchochoke" na yung engine dahil nakagear ka pa while decelerating.

Mauubos naman yung clutch mo agad if you drive with your foot always on the clutch pedal. Lagay mo sa foot rest. Is this actually the reason why may freeplay ang clutch pedal?
Frequent gear shifting din siguro pero d naman maiwasan yan sa everyday trafik natin sa manila.

[newbee]

I admit I am a semi-clutch driver myself....

But I'm trying my best to improve.

[OTEP]

Nahilo ko sa dami ng tanong. Pero try ko din sumagot later.

[OTEP]

The best way not to wear out the clutch is to minimize its use.

[revoGSX]

sir,

normally eh kanya kanya tayo ng driving technique.. mahirap din i-explain lahat .. actually feeling ko nga eh wala naman secret sa paggamit ng clutch ..

the rule is... don't use it to much.. madalas lang gamitin clutch when in 1st gear pag trapik .. kung slow moving traffic, nasa 1st gear ka lang at nakabitaw na sa clutch ..kung sobrang bagal na eh pwedeng shift to neutral pa minsan minsan..

#1 - sa long deep inclined
syempre 1st gear at timpla sa clutch para umakyat at hindi umatras.. pero kung full stop na ng matagal (mga 10 to 15 seconds lang)... handbrake na at shift to neutral at release mo na clutch..kung umusod na kaharap.. 1st gear ulit tapos andar na..

#2 - supermarket basement parking
kung baba ng sasakyan.. make sure na naka handbrake.. hilahin mo yung handbrake ng mabilis para sure ang kapit sa gulong.. meron kasi ako kilala na mabagal humila sa handbrake kaya di makakapit ng husto
kung naka-off engine.. iwanan sa 1st gear para additional protection just in case na mag-fail ang handbrake..
and.. wag agad bumaba.. pakiramdam mo muna car mo kung aatras or hindi..

when going up-hill at naka full-stop... dalawa ang method ng pag-akyat:
1) handbrake method -> naka-tapak ka sa brake pedal at naka-handbrake.. then tapak sa gas pedal ng medyo malalim..then medyo bitaw na sa clutch at pag na-feel mo na parang hirap na engine at parang gusto ng umusod ng car...release the handbrake..
2) no handbrake, nakatapak lang sa brake pedal tapos tapak gas pedal at timpla ng clutch.. mabilisan technique ito hehe

for me, mas effective ang handbrake method pag sobrang stiff ang pataas na road.. for 1st time drivers.. mas madali ito.. pag matagal ka na nagdri-drive eh matutunan mo na yung isang method. pero sa iba eh baka baligtad..

#3 - going up megamall
I use the handbrake method. actually, I don't know how to call this driving technique.. guys paki correct na lang po ako..

#4 - pababa (sa mga short distance na pababa like malls)
naka neutral lang.. brake lang pag kelangan..

#5 - pababa sa slippery road at ibang pang roads like going down from Bagiuo.
- DON'T use neutral at avoid sudden braking.. use engine brake and use only the brake pedal when needed.. normally eh nasa 2nd or 3rd gear ka dito at usually eh wala ng timpla ng clutch.. ilagay lang sa 2nd or 3rd gear depending on your speed..

#6 running fast at 120kph and slowing down..
for a split seconds full-stop..todo tapak clutch.. then use the brake pedal to stop.. then tsaka lang neutral pag may time ka.. kasi normally eh both hands ka steering wheel pag ganitong situations

one more thing... hindi dapat nagtitimpla ng clutch or naka-half pressed/depressed sa 3rd or 4th or 5th gear.. clutch driver ka nga pag ganito at masusunog clutch.. dapat laging fully depressed clutch sa 3rd, 4th or 5th gear ..

every time I slow down on any gear.. naka todo tapak na ako sa clutch.. mas less (yata) ang clutch wear nito .. kumbaga..bago pa ako gumamit ng brake pedal.. naka todo tapak na ako sa clutch kahit ano pa ang gear shift..

not all people drive the same.. halos 10 years na rin ako nagdra-drive kaya ito lang po yung masasabi ko.. meron nga ako officemate na automatic drive nya.. isang paa sa brake pedal.. at isang paa sa gas pedal... medyo weird pero ganon sya magdrive..

just keep on driving at matutunan mo din lahat...

[mbt]

kahit steep inclines dapat fully released na yung clutch after launching...

sa bumper to bumper traffic usually hanggang half-clutch lang tapos clutch ulit to shift to N

pag pababa naman, pwede nang neutral kung short distances lang naman, then use your brake to control speed. pwede ring 1st gear with the clutch fully released

from high speed to a stop, don't step on your clutch the moment you lift off the gas. step on the clutch only when the engine is at near idle and shift to N as you stop. hindi naman mamamatay yung engine mo kung magbrake ka from 120 to 40 km/h kahit di mo apakan yung clutch

[NightRock]

sakin proper timing lang..assest the situations muna lalo na dyan sa harap ng mega mall.. pataas then trapik... wag ka lang TUTOK sa nasa una mo para maka buelo ka just in case you need it..