Man of Honour
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Neutral and handbrake. But I keep an eye on the junction so I can be ready to go well in time.
Stopping at junctions / lights
- Thread starter MatsyLR
- Start date
I slow using the brakes, then engage 3rd, then use the combined engine braking and foot braking together, then engage 2nd when I'm just trundling slowly - and do the same, then slowly dip the clutch all the way down as I come to a stop with the footbrake, pull up the handbrake, release foot brake, put it into neutral, release clutch, rest.
Sometimes I skip the down-shift into 3rd. It depends on the condition/type of road, and how abruptly I have to stop, etc.
I sometimes double clutch & heel & toe downshift because I find it immensely satisfying and it is a good way to show off, but I don't generally do that.
Your posts crack me up
Soldato
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When you've depressed the clutch it's actually disengaged so not being worn.
Soldato
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No, but the release bearing will wear out faster, as will your foot
There's no need to do it. None whatsoever.
On my commute it is sometimes stop/start for entire dual carriageways. I just keep the clutch depressed and then lift to creep forward and depress to roll to a standstill. Sometimes I don't even bother using any throttle
Good luck doing a handbrake pullaway every 10 seconds for 20 minutes, which by your own self-imposed rules you'll have to do
Got 124k out of my last clutch before it needed changing so I feel I have the right balance of laziness vs being good to the car.
I don't think I've ever used a handbrake at traffic lights or any time whilst driving, I only use it when I'm not driving. Clutch fully disengaged and light hold on the foot-brake. If it's dark I'll wait until the person behind me has stopped then I just release the brake use the clutch to hold the car.
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On my commute it is sometimes stop/start for entire dual carriageways. I just keep the clutch depressed and then lift to creep forward and depress to roll to a standstill. Sometimes I don't even bother using any throttle
Good luck doing a handbrake pullaway every 10 seconds for 20 minutes, which by your own self-imposed rules you'll have to do
Got 124k out of my last clutch before it needed changing so I feel I have the right balance of laziness vs being good to the car.
No need to keep applying the handbrake all the time. Use the footbrake if you're worried about rolling somewhere!
Although my clutch died while being depressed, it wasn't due to the clutch release bearing. However I've come across this happening to people on here and out of habit now leave it out of gear unless I'm about to pull off.
Typically even at the front of the queue I will have it in gear and have started pulling away before the car next to me has noticed the lights are now green so I'm not holding anyone up
A leave it in "D" and put my foot on the brake, then when it's time to go I move my foot to the accelerator
This ^^^^
I absolutely love my auto, first one ever and I would never go back to a manual now!
Soldato
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- 12 Oct 2007
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On my commute it is sometimes stop/start for entire dual carriageways. I just keep the clutch depressed and then lift to creep forward and depress to roll to a standstill. Sometimes I don't even bother using any throttle
This type of journey would drive me insane in a manual. Autos remove 90% of the stress of driving for me. Clearly I'm getting old.
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The same for me. Earlier in the year I was 99% sure I was going to buy my old man's Mini Cooper S off of him. I drove it for a week on my normal commute and almost instantly recognised that I preferred using an automatic on my commute!
Instead of the MCS, I replaced it with a 2.0 DSG instead. Quicker and auto
On the flip side, I would go bat **** insane in an auto. There's nothing to keep yourself occupied, at least a manual requires user input. Just having two pedals, go and stop, would make the same commute journey quite boring.
Soldato
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Having an extra pedal and a gearstick to operate hardly makes a commute interesting.
I never thought I'd say it but getting an automatic sounds appealing
You must hate cruise control then.
All cruise does is saves you from having to rest your foot on one pedal, making slight movements now and then, it isn't like you would be doing anything with your feet in a situation where you would use cruise?
A long journey holding your foot in a constant position can become uncomfortable, even painful. After driving my MX5 500 miles to the south of France a few years ago, I certainly wished it had cruise control fitted.