Hey guys, I was just wondering, what is considered burning the clutch? I know that if you press the clutch down and give it gas..this wears the clutch. What about being at a stop with the clutch all the way down and in 1st gear ready to give it gas..does this burn the clutch? or how just even with the clutch down without being in gear at a stop sign..? My other question is..does being in gear while coasting.. better than coasting in neutral? Should I be in gear while the cars moving until it almost stalls and then put it in neutral? or let it be in neutral all the way until a stop? Which yields better gas mileage? I seen someone talk about it in another thread but..there was not much input from anybody else. Your still using gas even if your foot is off the gas pedal in gear..right?
Clutch riding + Coasting in neutral
- Thread starter Ahdo
- Start date
RonJ
Banned
This engages the throw out bearing and will wear it out prematurely.
Slowing down with the transmission in gear and throttle closed saves gas because the
ECU goes into fuel cut-off mode. Slowing down in neutral uses more gas because the engine idles, which uses some gas.
i thought clutch riding was... when your in first.. and you dont balance the clutch right and... you give too much gas and not enough clutch??
i coast everytime i can.. i leave it in gear while coasting if i need to stop sooner than if i just coast in neutral. the differences in gas usage... would probably be not too much. in my head i say... engine brake or just brakes?
and. you use gas... everytime the car is running.
i coast everytime i can.. i leave it in gear while coasting if i need to stop sooner than if i just coast in neutral. the differences in gas usage... would probably be not too much. in my head i say... engine brake or just brakes?
and. you use gas... everytime the car is running.
RonJ
Banned
Incorrect. When you are decelerating in gear at closed throttle, the ECU goes into fuel cut off mode, which uses no gas.
Engine braking saves gas.
Yup. Coast in gear until the very last minute. It will save you a big deal of gas. It's the main reason why 'manual transmission cars save more gas than automatic cars'. The motion of the car will keep the car on, as opposed to forcing it to idle in neutral, thus using gas.
Your clutch will be fine when sitting at a red with clutch pedal to the floor. But your throwout bearing wears out with your clutch disengaged for a long time. So...keep it in neutral with your foot off the clutch until it turns green, and then go! But in a stop sign, it's kind of unavoidable, unless it's a busy road with very slim chance of getting in.
Your clutch will be fine when sitting at a red with clutch pedal to the floor. But your throwout bearing wears out with your clutch disengaged for a long time. So...keep it in neutral with your foot off the clutch until it turns green, and then go! But in a stop sign, it's kind of unavoidable, unless it's a busy road with very slim chance of getting in.
RonJ
Banned
When you push the clutch pedal down, the throw out bearing becomes engaged. If you want to avoid wearing it out prematurely, don't hold the clutch pedal down when stopped.
What would you consider last minute? 1000 rpm?
RonJ
Banned
Depends on the engine. Fuel cut off is turned off at a minimum engine speed (see diagram above).
my understanding of riding the clutch which leads to burning it out and faster wear is when your on a hill in gear and you balance the revs and the biting point and hold your position not needing to apply to handbrake. coasting is illegal in the UK not sure bout US and it gives you no real control of the car.
so you can leave your car on running for months and use no gas? i never knew that.Incorrect. When you are decelerating in gear at closed throttle, the ECU goes into fuel cut off mode, which uses no gas.
Engine braking saves gas.
RonJ
Banned
So you still won't accept the existence of fuel cut-off during deceleration? If you could figure out a way to decelerate with your throttle closed for months, then you would use no gas. But how will you accomplish this?
define prematurely! This is the way I've always done it and my clutch lasted 206K miles. It may have lasted more, but my tranny needed replacement, so I replaced the clutch as well. The effect must be negligible.
What wears clutch is balancing on half-engaged clutch.
What wears clutch is balancing on half-engaged clutch.
RonJ
Banned
The flaw here is that you are drawing a general conclusion from a single anecdotal experience. On the average, you will extend the life of your throw out bearing (TOB) by reducing the amount of time that it is engaged. You have heard of Civic TOBs going bad before the clutch, right? You'll find many examples by reading Civic forums. The habit of holding down the clutch pedal while stopped may contribute to some of these early failures.
i was getting at the point of your using gas as long as your car is running. sitting still driving.. no matter what its using fuel.
you can decelerate in neutral. and eventually you'll come to a stop. but no matter what since the car is still running. your consuming fuel.
and how does engine braking save gas? id like to know since were on the subject.
RonJ
Banned
You are not yet understanding the concept of fuel cut-off during engine deceleration. Fuel cut-off occurs only when the engine is decelerating (transmission in gear) not just when the car is decelerating. If your transmission is in neutral while your car decelerates, then the engine is technically idling, which does use fuel.
RonJ. I have not drawn much of a conclusion besides stating that based on my experience I consider TOB failure due to depressing clutch on stop signs a negligible effect, and asked you to give some estimate of premature wear due to this effect. (I should say that on "long" traffic lights I put car into neutral and drop the clutch and shut the engine completely when waiting for long train to pass).
My point here is that there might be other factors that may influence clutch life in far more dramatic fashion. Factors based on driving habit. E.g. I will not be surprised if most ppl with TOB issues race their cars.
My point here is that there might be other factors that may influence clutch life in far more dramatic fashion. Factors based on driving habit. E.g. I will not be surprised if most ppl with TOB issues race their cars.
nutshell: the more your left foot plays with the pedal, the more the clutch and tob wear out
put it in gear and leave it there
coast in gear when decelerating
put it in neutral at long stops
don't powershift the b***h like speed racer. in fact, quit watching speed racer and F&F all together. those actors shift gears like 15 times between 0-45mph
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put it in gear and leave it there
coast in gear when decelerating
put it in neutral at long stops
don't powershift the b***h like speed racer. in fact, quit watching speed racer and F&F all together. those actors shift gears like 15 times between 0-45mph
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oka i have a question too, there is this monster hill by my house. about two miles long i can do the speed limit coasting all the way down in neutral. shold i just leave it in neutral until i stop all the way or should i shift to third or so when im ready to stop.
is that when your sayin that the fuel is cut off, when i downshift?
is that when your sayin that the fuel is cut off, when i downshift?
if you put it in 5th (or any gear) and coast all the way down the hill you will use no fuel. this is what is trying to be explained, that when youre in gear and coasting your engine gets no fuel, hence why it slows down. it may still sound like its firing but its actually not
when you coast down the hill in neutral your engine uses fuel to stay idling. it's a small amount, but it adds up over time
when you coast down the hill in neutral your engine uses fuel to stay idling. it's a small amount, but it adds up over time