Someone said your taught to hold the car in gear with clutch down in your driving lessons these days when stopped at lights Is that right?

I was always taught into neutral and handbrake on?

If you are going to be stopped for a very short time then yes, clutch down in first gear ready to set off.

 

Otherwise it's handbrake on, neutral and off the clutch.

 

Phil

I always thought that the reason for neutral and handbrake was in case you got rear ended, having the handbrake on will lessen the jolt forward, in theory when using the 'Tyres and Tarmac' term, unless hit hard you shouldn't hit the car in front. 

 

If the above is still the case, having the car in gear, on the bite would increase the likelihood of jumping further forward and hitting Mr and Mrs Innocent.

I know sharkrider is an instructor, although I believe he uses the vrs so no clutch. But still may be able.to answer for you?

Read that leaving it in gear gives you more control if you need to pull away quickly? Doesnt it wear your clutch quicker though?

I was taught neutral, handbrake on.

That was only 5 years ago.

And holding on the clutch is a really bad habbit IMO.

Read that leaving it in gear gives you more control if you need to pull away quickly? Doesn't it wear your clutch quicker though?

Not if you hold the clutch in. Why would you think it would wear out the plates aren't touching?

It won't wear the clutch plates but weaken the splines in the pressure plate so eventually clutch will be partially engaged when foot to the floor . The labour cost for replacing a pressure plate is the same anyway so might as well replace the whole clutch if it will not fully disengage

I was taught in lessons, if coming to a stop for a short to medium period of time, to just put the clutch down but stay in neutral, quicker to get away when the lights turn green I think was the reason.

Now a days I know better and just sit in neutral with the clutch out, no matter how long /short the wait will be.

JRJG

If you leave a modern manual car in gear with the clutch depressed whilst stationary, the stop/start won't kick in to stop the engine.

 

I wonder if driving instruction / driving tests will take account of the need for economical driving with modern cars fitted with stop/start technology?

Read that leaving it in gear gives you more control if you need to pull away quickly? Doesnt it wear your clutch quicker though?

 

 

Not if you hold the clutch in. Why would you think it would wear out the plates aren't touching?

 

 

It won't wear the clutch plates but weaken the splines in the pressure plate so eventually clutch will be partially engaged when foot to the floor . The labour cost for replacing a pressure plate is the same anyway so might as well replace the whole clutch if it will not fully disengage

It will also increase wear on the release bearing, and load the diaphragm more for longer. So I'm agreeing blueR36's reasoning but expanding on wear caused by riding the clutch pedal.

Its a bad habbit anyway.

See soo many people holding the car on the clutch whilst waiting at traffic lights up a hill too.

Its a bad habbit anyway.

See soo many people holding the car on the clutch whilst waiting at traffic lights up a hill too.

 

I normally just see a sea of flamin brake lights too :(

 

I was taught the same as is echoed above with regards to coming to a complete stop for some time. I was taught/advised that when waiting as the first vehicle it would be acceptable to an examiner to have the handbrake on and be in first gear ready to go. Not that it was specifically the best practice or the thing to do.

 

Further than that as Preston Motors mentioned above, doing so when impacted from behind in a que of traffic (or head of)etc, would substantially increase the forward propulsion and force there of. Getting pushed forward is bad enough, utterly stupid to assist the process by having your vehicle in a position which will encourage the distance covered and force of impact with anything in it's path to be greater. On the biting point or not, a persons reflex/reaction not being entirely predictable in such a position with their foot coming off the clutch with already forward motion, it's less likely to stall and more likely to go 'giddy up'!

I normally just see a sea of flamin brake lights too :(

I was taught the same as is echoed above with regards to coming to a complete stop for some time. I was taught/advised that when waiting as the first vehicle it would be acceptable to an examiner to have the handbrake on and be in first gear ready to go. Not that it was specifically the best practice or the thing to do.

Further than that as Preston Motors mentioned above, doing so when impacted from behind in a que of traffic (or head of)etc, would substantially increase the forward propulsion and force there of. Getting pushed forward is bad enough, utterly stupid to assist the process by having your vehicle in a position which will encourage the distance covered and force of impact with anything in it's path to be greater. On the biting point or not, a persons reflex/reaction in such a position with their foot coming off the clutch with already forward motion, it's less likely to stall and more likely to go 'giddy up'!

Thats true. Never thought of that tbh!

Just like when people are waiting to turn right, they point their wheels into the oncoming traffic.

Not ideal to be shunted into the face of an oncoming lorry, if somebody behind forgets to stop.

I always take the car out of gear when stopped at lights ect ... I have witnessed clutch cables/pedals/forks breaking and hydraulics failing ... some folks don't realise what is happening until it is too late.

 

Alan.

I always used to hold in the clutch or ride the clutch in hills.

And the only car Ive had that needed a clutch replacement was a old Golf who had done over 300000km.

The only time i use my handbrake is at the start of the journey and at the end!

If im waiting for a short period of time i'll sit on the clutch ( i mean short )

Other than that when stopped i sit in 1st with the clutch depressed and my foot on the brake. When ready to go, off with the brake and get the biting point sharply.

Stuff this messing about with a handbrake carry on. The way i see it..... The light changes to green im ready to go straight away. Wheras with the handbrake and in neutral they take ages clutch down and select first, then get the biting point, disengage handbrake, pull away (absolute faff)

The only time i use my handbrake is at the start of the journey and at the end!

If im waiting for a short period of time i'll sit on the clutch ( i mean short )

Other than that when stopped i sit in 1st with the clutch depressed and my foot on the brake. When ready to go, off with the brake and get the biting point sharply.

Stuff this messing about with a handbrake carry on. The way i see it..... The light changes to green im ready to go straight away. Wheras with the handbrake and in neutral they take ages clutch down and select first, then get the biting point, disengage handbrake, pull away (absolute faff)

I just use neutral and foot on the brake.

If im in a queue of traffic I'll sometimes use the handbrake. Takes ages for all the cars infront to get going anyway, so i can still be ready by then

I would be interested to hear what any of our resident insurance people have to say on this matter as years ago a friend of mine was shunted into traffic whilst waiting [clutch in ] at a red light and his insurance company kicked up a hell of a fuss because they said he should have had his handbrake on.