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Skoda Auto India has come out with a 'Clutch Campaign'

?koda Auto - Clutch Campaign 2010

**EDIT**
Mods put in appropriate thread if post repeated/similar.

From the SKODA website
Clutch Care Tips

1• Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal
2• Excess revving of the engine before engaging the clutch may damage the clutch
3• Do not drive unnecessarily at too high or too low engine revolutions
4• Always drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear
5• Always shift up into the next higher gear at approx. 2000 to 2500 engine rpm
6• Avoid slipping the clutch especially in slow moving traffic
7• Make proper use of handbrake for hill start rather than letting the clutch slip excessively
8• Always refer to your car owner's manual for driving tips
9• Have your car inspected at authorized Škoda dealer only

All the points make sense other than point 4 and 9;)
Specifically point 4 - I thought its best to drive in low gear in the morning rather for reving up, till engine temperature rises a bit ?

are the prices listed in the PDF significantly less than the regular dealer quotes?

I have noticed the most common patterns of clutch-frying are:

1. people hate to down shift to 1st gear even if the car begs for it. i noticed most drivers try to manage in 2nd gear at speed humps, in stop-and-go traffic, etc. it might work for some cars, but very bad for Laura TDI

2. Many don't use handbrake. Doing uphill reverse parking, or uphill traffic junctions that require slow-inching. in fact, it is very common to get the clutch-fry odour during these times. handbrake technique will save the clutch abuse.

my daily office commute (b'lore peak traffic hours) involves old-madras-road, cricket-stadium-rajbhavan-chalukya, cauvery-theater,etc which are some of the most painful stretches of traffic, i also deal with lousy parking conditons and I can say after ~33K KM and close to 3 yrs with 95% of it covered by my daily city commute that Laura TDI clutch is holding out well. it may not be the strongest but it is certainly above average and by no means a lemon. To be honest I am surprised that it even lasted this long considering the excruciatingly painful commute I put up with. I will be happy if it lasts for 50K km, anything beyond that will be a bonus.

I'm not a very experienced driver (maybe just 6 years), so I have to ask: is it really so wrong to drive in 1st gear? I notice that I use 1st a lot more than almost anyone else I've observed. But in really slow moving conditions is it not necessary?

Then why make engines that redline at 6000 rpm or even higher?

1st gear is meant for moving the car from a stationary position. As soon as the car gets rolling, you should shift to 2nd. The distance traveled to get the car rolling on a plane road (not inclined) is roughly one car length.

Nothing wrong with using the 1st gear in stop and go traffic. But one should avoid downshifting to 1st if the car can be moved in 2nd without slipping the clutch.

Rohan