[Icarus]

The car on which you learn to use a clutch will need a clutch replacement before you know it, guarantied!
And routinely balancing your car on a hill using the gas and clutch pedals will wear out the clutch in no time.
Yes, clutch replacements are pretty costly.

 

[raymondlin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icarus /img/forum/go_quote.gif The car on which you learn to use a clutch will need a clutch replacement before you know it, guarantied! And routinely balancing your car on a hill using the gas and clutch pedals will wear out the clutch in no time. Yes, clutch replacements are pretty costly.

A friend's Porsche 911 turbo had to have its clutch replaced after 6 months, he wasn't happy. Since it is class as wear and tear it wasn;t even covered under the warranty. Ouch....

 

[ls20]

Quote:

Originally Posted by splaz /img/forum/go_quote.gif My instructor said not to double clutch or leave it in neutral at the lights. Apparent reason is if theres an accident involving your car if you have it in gear it will stall or won't get very far, but say if someone goes up your ass at a red light on a hill, you have it in neutral and you have your foot knocked off the brake pedal for example and roll straight through the lights. Similar bad scenarios could come to mind while in transit and in neutral.

should be taken with a grain of salt. being in gear at a light accelerates wear on the throw-out bearing. pretty much nobody stops in gear at lights. following that practice, auto transmission drivers should leave their car in Park when stopped... which, of course, does not happen

also, never ever ever balance a car on inclines using the clutch... likewise, never balance an auto car on inclines using the gas... bad practice

 

[Icarus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raymondlin /img/forum/go_quote.gif A friend's Porsche 911 turbo had to have its clutch replaced after 6 months, he wasn't happy. Since it is class as wear and tear it wasn;t even covered under the warranty. Ouch....

Anyone who pays the kind of money required for purchase of a Porsche Turbo deserves to be hit(and hard!) with astronomical maintenance/repair bills!

 

[XxATOLxX]

Thenk god for the new manual-auto gearboxes like the VW DSG. It has a computer controlled double clutch doohickey thing that can make perfect .2ms shifts every time without me even knowing how to use a stick.

 

[MD1032]

Quote:

Originally Posted by splaz /img/forum/go_quote.gif My instructor said not to double clutch or leave it in neutral at the lights. Apparent reason is if theres an accident involving your car if you have it in gear it will stall or won't get very far, but say if someone goes up your ass at a red light on a hill, you have it in neutral and you have your foot knocked off the brake pedal for example and roll straight through the lights. Similar bad scenarios could come to mind while in transit and in neutral.

Interesting, I've never heard of that but it's a good safety point.

Also, this is something I've always wondered... why do people bother to double-clutch? We have modern vehicles. The need for double-clutching no longer exists thanks to the invention of the synchronizer.

But anyway, FYI, I drive a '97 Civic, 5-speed manual. Very small, easily driven car with a clutch that's on the way out (hit the accelerator, engine revs a little occasionally and I have to let it sync, then go). But bottom line, I gotta say the same thing that everyone else is saying: learn to drive without the gas, and learn exactly where that engage point is. If you find yourself revving to compensate for how grabby the clutch is, you will go through clutches far faster than anyone else, and you need to change your driving habits. I did that a little for a while and unfortunately it's something that only improves with time and muscle-memory. The key, in reality, is to clutch then gas exactly with the perfect interval, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, to learn that the clutch is not on or off, it must sit at the engage point slightly before you fully release the pedal in order to have a smooth transition. Hope this helps.

 

[MorpheusZero]

Cool. I drive a '97 5sp Maxima with 180k miles--the synchros on the tranny are bad to begin with but at this point double-clutching is second nature. Double-clutch heel-toeing is a hoot.

Rev-matching FTW, everyone who drives stick should learn it.

 

[nogrot]

I double-clutch whenever possible and always sit in Neutral at traffic lights. Minimal wear on the clutch and synchros sounds like the way to go for me, I don't care how new my transmission is. I drove my last car for 67k miles, and I guarantee the synchros were practically brand new on it when I traded it in.

I also engine brake whenever I can (high speeds especially), which makes my brake pads last a very long time. Getting behind the wheel of an Auto just makes me shiver, what with the (seemingly) lack of efficiency and all.

 

[Carl]

Considering how much I use the clutch for cornering, the thought of driving an auto creeps me out.

 

[pezzy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XxATOLxX /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thenk god for the new manual-auto gearboxes like the VW DSG. It has a computer controlled double clutch doohickey thing that can make perfect .2ms shifts every time without me even knowing how to use a stick.

Those are great, but in the end i prefer a full manual drivetrain. I enjoy the interactivity and feedback i get driving a manual car. Which is also why i double clutch even if it isn't necessarily to do so.

Also for balancing the car on hills using the clutch, i do it all the time even though i know it's bad. However i don't see my clutch dieing anytime soon? Im currently clocked at 120k's and still using my original clutch.

I also use my clutch like an on and off switch lol . I find the transaction smoother? Maybe this is a sign my clutch IS wearing out haha?

 

[fureshi]

it's great that the OP bought a car with a manual tranny. i can't believe how the majority of americans nowadays don't know how to drive a stick. of course i think most americans don't care as the car is just a transportation device and don't drive for enjoyment. if you love to drive, you have to drive a stick to get the most out of the car and have the most control. the lack of control and sluggishness is shifting on an auto tranny annoys me so much that i'd rather put up with using a manual tranny in stop and go traffic than to lose the control.

so once you learn how to drive the manual tranny well, you can start to consider other techniques that are used on the race track, such as heel and toe shifting, which allows you to corner more neutrally rather than coasting or braking in a corner. it might be too advanced right now but once you learn how to drive the manual transmission, you won't want to go back to an auto.

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icarus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, clutch replacements are pretty costly.

It's mostly the labor that gets you, but yes, it aint cheap. I've been reading that most dealerships are charging $1500-2000 to install a new clutch on sub-$20K vehicles. It's one of those things you want to find a local mechanic for

 

[450]

Hmm... I'm getting my car in less than a year...

I don't know what to buy - auto or manual. I really want a manual but my dad says it's silly and auto's FTW! (just not like that)

If I could I'd get a used get with a DSG. I saw one used in my area for like $19k. Hopefully there are more.

 

[Arainach]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nogrot /img/forum/go_quote.gif I also engine brake whenever I can (high speeds especially), which makes my brake pads last a very long time. Getting behind the wheel of an Auto just makes me shiver, what with the (seemingly) lack of efficiency and all.

Brake pads are cheap. Clutches are not. Engine Breaking makes absolutely no sense EXCEPT where absolutely needed and when trying to slow down without braking after you just noticed a cop.

 

[plus_c]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 450 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm... I'm getting my car in less than a year... I don't know what to buy - auto or manual. I really want a manual but my dad says it's silly and auto's FTW! (just not like that) If I could I'd get a used get with a DSG. I saw one used in my area for like $19k. Hopefully there are more.

To me, learning to drive stick is an essential life skill. Plus, it's tons of fun! I'd recommend getting something that's full manual, if only so when you get something with DSG you'll appreciate just how awesome it is.