Resting your foot on the clutch?

Hxc said:
When accelerating from a standstill I do, but that's cause I'll be in 3rd in next to no time, although I suppose it's not exactly resting, but preparing as said.

I was told by my instructor it wasn't a major problem holding a car on hills with the clutch so long as it wasn't for long periods of time!
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Instructors are nobody. They're just normal people that happen to have a drivers license and got suckered in by the "earn up to 30,000 a year!!!111" adverts. That's all you need to be a driving instructor :p There is nothing "advanced" or knowledgable about them at all.
 
No, driving instructors teach you to drive the crap way. If the car is stationary then you should be in neutral with the handbrake on, when it's time to go, find the biting point, release the handbrake and off you go.

Riding the clutch on hills is just asking for trouble.
 
skippi90 said:
I've been taught by my instructor when on a hill at a junction or whatever, to but the handbrake on but put it in first and hold the clutch just under the biting point.

Is this ok to do?
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Whilst learning ya it's fine... Once you've passed and start to learn how to really drive then you will just whack it into neutral whenever the handbrake is on.
 
There is a distinct feeling when you are actually depressing the clutch and engaging the clutch lever arm. The first few mm of travel is most likely the slack from the clutch pedal spring.
 
it amazes me the number of people who sit at the lights/in traffic on a hill holding it on the clutch. Surely it doesn't take much to realise there's something that's going to get worn, engine speed, wheel speed, difference, where does it all go etc.

I know of people who've done clutches in in 30k. Probably a hell of a lot less for even more people. I'm always careful to minimise killing the clutch, matching revs a bit etc. Mainly as I like not having to spend lots any time soon!

Same with brakes, I wonder how long they last for the nervous braking people.
 
I find myself doing this now and again, not to the point of engaging the clutch at all, just taking up the slack...when I realise I'm doing it I give myself a telling off and don't do it again for a while
 
When the friction material starts wearing down, you'll find the bite point getting higher and higher until eventually, it's right at the top of the pedal travel.
 
Clutch should only be disengaged when changing gear, other than that foot off at all times.

I was given the example that riding the clutch could be:

Approaching/entering a big roundabout in 3rd gear, once going around the roundabout and going a bit fast you put your foot on the clutch to select a gear but don't (due to steering, breaking, etc) and so you are moving but no gear selected and the engine just idling.

All of which demonstrates a lack of control over the vehicle as you don't have a gear selected, even if it's the wrong one.

Is that about right in a rough kinda description?
 
Knubje said:
Clutch should only be disengaged when changing gear, other than that foot off at all times.

I was given the example that riding the clutch could be:

Approaching/entering a big roundabout in 3rd gear, once going around the roundabout and going a bit fast you put your foot on the clutch to select a gear but don't (due to steering, breaking, etc) and so you are moving but no gear selected and the engine just idling.

All of which demonstrates a lack of control over the vehicle as you don't have a gear selected, even if it's the wrong one.

Is that about right in a rough kinda description?
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Isn't that called coasting?
 
Janesy B said:
No, driving instructors teach you to drive the crap way. If the car is stationary then you should be in neutral with the handbrake on, when it's time to go, find the biting point, release the handbrake and off you go.

Riding the clutch on hills is just asking for trouble.
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Damn. Stop/start in London meant that's how I learnt to deal with hills. If I'm going to be stationary for a while (traffic lights or something) then yes, I would handbreak and neutral. But in slow moving traffic... I dunno if I can be bothered!

Will it really break my car then?
 
bledd. said:
i keep my left foot underneath my clutch, resting behind it

-how can you tell when your clutch is on the way out? what behaviour should you look for?
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how high the biting point it is.

Our works pool car is a citroen C5 that gets used and abused by everybody. Biting point is so high its unreal. The biting point is about an inch from resting place.Its done 60k VERY hard miles.
 
Tim said:
Do not many people rest their foot on the clutch then? Not even when going through the gears pretty quickly?
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I do :) always have rested my foot on the clutch pedal, that's with over 5 years driving now. There's no pressure going to the clutch at all, I literally just sort of lean my foot on it.
 
ive found myself resting my foot on the cluch pedal before whilst on the motorway. naughty

as for holding a car on a slope using the clutch... i recommend you change a clutch yourself oneday. you wont hold it on slopes any more
 
Depends on the situation, if you've come to a standstill and your about to move again in a second, putting it into neutral is a waste, and you will be slowing the traffic while your putting it into gear, and sorting out the bitting point.
 
106,000 miles in the current car and I very rarely use neutral on a hill, I must be one of the few lucky ones as neither the gearbox or clutch have ever required any work on them.
 
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