Driving the Octavia today I had a thought..... If your car has a trip computer that can display instantaneous MPG, drive with that on all the time, if your getting high MPG you're generally driving sympathetically. You will also see that driving at higher revs is sometimes better than lower revs. Flat roads at 30mph in 5th may seem like a good idea, but you may find 4th actually uses less fuel and puts less strain on the car.

Don't rest your hand on the [gear'] stick whilst driving.

No matter how hard I try I can't stop doing this. It's been a habit since I first passed my test and I always think I should stop, but just find myself doing it all the time without realising.

What does it actually do that's bad?

What does it actually do that's bad?

You've got one hand on the wheel so you aren't in full control of the car.

Also it can screw up the gear linkages and rubs the silvering off the gearnob.

Actually some cars won't start if you depress the clutch

LOL, some cars won't start if you don't depress the clutch (US ones mainly).

Weird!

Some older Jap/Korean cars didn't start without the clutch pressed too. I always press clutch on startup.

Hi Joey

Using the throttle at startup interferes with the ECU flare control (the optimum start up to get cat warm and not over rev the engine).

Resting the hand on the gear lever can wear out linkages, but worse still, you can end up using the lever as a rest, thus applying continuous force to the selector fork faces. This will eventually lead to premature wear and result in the car not going ito gear properly (not to mention the lack of steering control and resulting effects such as bump steer).

On US market cars, there is an interruptor that stops you starting the car unless the clutch is pressed. It is good practice as it seperates the mass of the gearbox moving parts from the starter motor. On a cold morning, imagine the force / battery current required to turn the gearshaft in that thick syrupy oil.

Generally, an engine does its most efficient work at or near peak torque. Also, because an engine is less efficient at small throttle openings under load, you are better off using a bit of decent acceleration. Lastly, if you drive like that all the time, people will get impatient and try to overtake you at inopporune moments, incerasing the risk of involving you in an accident.

Chris

Thrash seven bells out of it from day one, change up at no lower than 7000rpm for a petrol and 5k for a diesel.

Keep it serviced regular however

excelent thats the best way to do it thrash it everywhere:thumbup: