Team-BHP - Half Clutch position

The motor training schools tell you about the Half Clutch position. However in my Alto Lxi I find it very difficult to keep such Half Clutch position. The moment slight vibration starts and if I don’t release the break at that point, the engine stops.
Is this normal for cars? Is it that the training school vehicles are modified w.r.t. clutch break sensitivity?
Thanks..

Hi Patkim,

When they say "half clutch" they do not mean that you have to release the pedal exaclty 50% of the way.

Every car's clutch feel is different. With some cars the clutch engages in the first 10% of pedal travel, whereas in others it could be the last few mm of releasing the clutch.

The trick is to go slow, and trust your feel. Even at the slightest engagement of the clutch you can afford to leave the brakes on a slope and the car will not roll back.

Releasing the clutch too much with the brakes pressed can put a lot of stress on your engine and wear out your clutch quite quickly as well.

So in short, "half clutch" does not literally mean half-way. Be smooth and slow and when you feel like it is begining to engage, let go of the brakes slowly.

cya
R

Hi,

Half clutch is the thin line between engine shut down and still. if you keep releasing the clutch slowly you would reach a point in the slow upwards where you dont have to apply breaks at all.

One way of knowing the half clutch position is to hold your gear lever when releasing your clucth. As and when the clutch bites into the engine, you can observe two things.

1. Engine Noise changes ( You need to tune your ears to it)
2. Gear stick vibrates, indicating the bite of the clutch.

At this moment keep your clutch pedal at the same position and you can confidently release the brake pedal smoothly, now vehicle will NEVER roll back. Move to accelarator pedal, slowly pushing it and simultaneously releaseing the clutch a bit more. You vehicle should move forward. Hope this helps in your learning process to know the bite point

Quote:

Originally Posted by patkim (Post 707250)

The moment slight vibration starts and if I don’t release the break at that point, the engine stops.
Is this normal for cars? Is it that the training school vehicles are modified w.r.t. clutch break sensitivity?
Thanks..

the vibration is because maybe you are not pressing the accelerator,
you must use both the clutch(release) and accelerator(press) simantaneously,

goto HowStuffWorks.com

find the article on How clutches work.
You will get the idea.

Note: I did not give a direct link, because IMHO this website is a MUST EXPLORE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayz (Post 740357)

In my swift, the clutch gets engaged towards the last 10%, i would prefer it to be a little more towards the half position, can this be done?please:

Yes. Ask your service station to reduce the play of the clutch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by theMAG (Post 740365)

Yes. Ask your service station to reduce the play of the clutch.

When i enquired with the service guy, he was tellling that its a cable mechanism and cannot be adjusted and was saying that all the swifts will be having the same position. Is this true?

The service guy does not know what he talking about. Get the clutch play adjusted in such a way that the clutch bites when the pedal is half way through its travel.

i don't understand why this service guys usually say it can't be done(though it can be) incase they don't know how to do it ???

are they worried about customer loosing hope on them ???lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayz (Post 740368)

When i enquired with the service guy, he was tellling that its a cable mechanism and cannot be adjusted and was saying that all the swifts will be having the same position. Is this true?

clutch play has got nothing to do with cable thing.

The cable should be terminating holding a half rotary kind of metal shaft(i dunno exact name).

The cable is joined onto the metal shaft using the loops on the cable and there play can be adjusted easily by just rotating the cable.

similar like the brake adjustment of enfield bullet.

can be a DIY job if you wish.

Quote:

Originally Posted by simply_sunny001 (Post 740777)

can be a DIY job if you wish.

I had a similar problem with 'too high' engagement point of the clutch in my wagon R and I got it adjusted at the service station two times but still it's too high for me (I have to release the clutch more than half way). After doing it the second time, the service guy told me that it was the max it could be adjusted.

I'd like to know how far it could be adjusted within the safe limits. Some DIY references would be highly appreciated. I find that driving is easier if the point is rather within the first 50% of pedal travel.