Is it possible to drive without riding the clutch in India?

lynx · 25th July 2009, 23:33

Couldn't really find a public forum so posting here.

My car has barely run 10k and the clutch is starting to become heavy already. How do you guys manage to drive in the city traffic controlling the speed without using the clutch and still manage to drive without jerks?

smilenow · 26th July 2009, 00:51

Is it possible to drive without riding the clutch in India?
Yes, in an automatic.

[pause]

Jokes aside,my santro's clutch lasted for around 60k before wearing out.
Maybe its a car specific issue,or rather a clutch specific one in your case?
10k is too small a distance for the clutch to be replaced even in our conditions.[Proud to be in these conditions btw].

Sometimes i have observed a wire or a nut obstructs the proper depression of the clutch into the slots,which results it in being heavy. Get it checked.

Parm · 26th July 2009, 01:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynx

Couldn't really find a public forum so posting here.

My car has barely run 10k and the clutch is starting to become heavy already. How do you guys manage to drive in the city traffic controlling the speed without using the clutch and still manage to drive without jerks?

take you foot off the clutch the moment gear is changed and keep it away till you change the gear again!

it will take some time to get rid off the habit of riding the clutch!

otherwise automatic is the BEST option!

lynx · 26th July 2009, 01:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parm

take you foot off the clutch the moment gear is changed and keep it away till you change the gear again!

Well, doesn't it jerk?

It's not always that you get to accelerate after changing up in traffic is it? In that case, when you clutch-shift up-declutch how do you deal with the jerks when it is too slow or when you get a chance to accelerate from lower than ideal rpm?

smilenow · 26th July 2009, 02:07

Quote:

Well, doesn't it jerk?

It's not always that you get to accelerate after changing up in traffic is it? In that case, when you clutch-shift up-declutch how do you deal with the jerks when it is too slow or when you get a chance to accelerate from lower than ideal rpm?

The magic/trick lies on how you use your feet,and the car.
It takes a bit of practice and knowing the response of the car which leads to an automatic avoidance of jerks.
Can't really be explained in words,this is has to be self learnt.

lynx · 26th July 2009, 02:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by smilenow

Is it possible to drive without riding the clutch in India?
Yes, in an automatic.

[pause]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smilenow

Jokes aside,my santro's clutch lasted for around 60k before wearing out.
Maybe its a car specific issue,or rather a clutch specific one in your case?
10k is too small a distance for the clutch to be replaced even in our conditions.[Proud to be in these conditions btw].

Sometimes i have observed a wire or a nut obstructs the proper depression of the clutch into the slots,which results it in being heavy. Get it checked.

Yeah, got it checked today. Apparently it's just the wear. :(

le_doctor · 26th July 2009, 02:40

seriously speaking, in cities such as mumbai, it is not possible to drive 100% without riding the clutch. when you are in stop and go traffic and moving up the speed just in gear one, you are bound to do a significant amount of damage to the clutch. at best, what you could do is maybe try and avoid this when not stuck in traffic, or by avoiding things like jacking the clutch suddenly for screeching acceleration. i faced the clutch problem with my esteem. the ford ikon seemed to hold quite well though. so i do feel that manufacturer and quality also have a role to play here.

phamilyman · 26th July 2009, 06:02

We can all wax eloquent - but if your commute, your reality needs riding the clutch, so be it

Sawyer · 26th July 2009, 06:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parm

take you foot off the clutch the moment gear is changed and keep it away till you change the gear again!

it will take some time to get rid off the habit of riding the clutch!

otherwise automatic is the BEST option!

Right on! Actually the one time I owned an automatic, I avoided holding it on the brake for long times too - preferred to shift it to N, and then use the brake, or the parking brake.
The other thing I do is to keep shifting to neutral in traffic, in crawl situations. And coast. Don't need to have the worry of a runaway car in that situation as you would going downhill in neutral.
But I keep my foot away from the clutch exactly as set out above.
PS: In modern cars, it also easy to get into first while the car is moving, so I see no reason why you should not always be able to take off without slipping the clutch.

Takumi-san · 26th July 2009, 07:03

I tend to use neutral a lot in mumbai traffic and just roll to stops smoothly. I also accelerate slowly (to avoid sudden braking) which gives me a bit of space for gear change too. Of course thats exactly when the auto driver in the neighbouring lane senses a lot of place is being wasted and decides to cut me off. Its also what results in a big ruckus and traffic jams. Its also why I am now going to buy a SUV and not stop at all for the next pesty black n yellow tripod that crosses into my lane.

Goog god, I really hate those fellas. Sorry for going OT here. But 10k is too short for any car. You just need to drive with a lighter foot and try to get a smooth ride without clutching all the time ; it can be done and the other advantage is of course fuel savings.

prince_pervez · 26th July 2009, 07:37

I have seen PMC bus drivers change gears without depressing the clutch pedal.

sanagg1 · 26th July 2009, 07:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by phamilyman

We can all wax eloquent - but if your commute, your reality needs riding the clutch, so be it

Very true. +1 or +2
All we can do IMHO is try to change our habbit of changing gears to do it more swiftly. This will reduce clutch engagement/ dis-engagement time and hence clutch life.
Additionally we can try using
Engine braking
Neutral roll
Anticipated driving (become sedate mostly

)
cheers

Takumi-san · 26th July 2009, 08:15

Gear shifting without depressing the clutch is possible theoretically but you need a lot of experience with the engine revs and sounds to know exactly when to shift. Truckers are known to be able to do this, but its highly not recommended for normal drivers. You are looking at major damage to the car if you persist.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

I have seen PMC bus drivers change gears without depressing the clutch pedal.

headers · 26th July 2009, 08:43

It takes practise NOT to ride the clutch -else go for an AUTOMATIC!!

SLK · 26th July 2009, 08:46

I'd say, if the clutch is slipped for making the car move from stand still, it's not called riding the clutch!

The rule is, apart from the 1st gear (when starting from standstill), you should not need to slip the clutch in any other gear.

When I'm done with getting the car to move, I always dump the clutch. Clutch is normally not the core reason for a jerk, accelerator is! keep a check on that instead.

25th July 2009, 23:33	#1
lynx BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: TN-09 Posts: 164 Thanked: 4 Times	Is it possible to drive without riding the clutch in India? Couldn't really find a public forum so posting here. My car has barely run 10k and the clutch is starting to become heavy already. How do you guys manage to drive in the city traffic controlling the speed without using the clutch and still manage to drive without jerks?
	() Thanks

26th July 2009, 00:51	#2
smilenow BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 123 Thanked: 269 Times	Is it possible to drive without riding the clutch in India? Yes, in an automatic. [pause] Jokes aside,my santro's clutch lasted for around 60k before wearing out. Maybe its a car specific issue,or rather a clutch specific one in your case? 10k is too small a distance for the clutch to be replaced even in our conditions.[Proud to be in these conditions btw]. Sometimes i have observed a wire or a nut obstructs the proper depression of the clutch into the slots,which results it in being heavy. Get it checked.
	() Thanks

26th July 2009, 02:40	#7
le_doctor BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 38 Thanked: 0 Times	seriously speaking, in cities such as mumbai, it is not possible to drive 100% without riding the clutch. when you are in stop and go traffic and moving up the speed just in gear one, you are bound to do a significant amount of damage to the clutch. at best, what you could do is maybe try and avoid this when not stuck in traffic, or by avoiding things like jacking the clutch suddenly for screeching acceleration. i faced the clutch problem with my esteem. the ford ikon seemed to hold quite well though. so i do feel that manufacturer and quality also have a role to play here.
	() Thanks

26th July 2009, 06:02	#8
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,975 Thanked: 4,673 Times	We can all wax eloquent - but if your commute, your reality needs riding the clutch, so be it
	() Thanks

26th July 2009, 07:03	#10
Takumi-san BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Melbourne Posts: 368 Thanked: 121 Times View My Garage	I tend to use neutral a lot in mumbai traffic and just roll to stops smoothly. I also accelerate slowly (to avoid sudden braking) which gives me a bit of space for gear change too. Of course thats exactly when the auto driver in the neighbouring lane senses a lot of place is being wasted and decides to cut me off. Its also what results in a big ruckus and traffic jams. Its also why I am now going to buy a SUV and not stop at all for the next pesty black n yellow tripod that crosses into my lane. Goog god, I really hate those fellas. Sorry for going OT here. But 10k is too short for any car. You just need to drive with a lighter foot and try to get a smooth ride without clutching all the time ; it can be done and the other advantage is of course fuel savings.
	() Thanks

26th July 2009, 07:37	#11
prince_pervez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Redwood shores, CA, USA Posts: 4,211 Thanked: 53 Times View My Garage	I have seen PMC bus drivers change gears without depressing the clutch pedal.
	() Thanks

26th July 2009, 08:43	#14
headers Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Greater Chennai Posts: 4,667 Thanked: 564 Times	It takes practise NOT to ride the clutch -else go for an AUTOMATIC!!
	() Thanks

26th July 2009, 08:46	#15
SLK Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Nomad Posts: 1,798 Thanked: 1,417 Times	I'd say, if the clutch is slipped for making the car move from stand still, it's not called riding the clutch! The rule is, apart from the 1st gear (when starting from standstill), you should not need to slip the clutch in any other gear. When I'm done with getting the car to move, I always dump the clutch. Clutch is normally not the core reason for a jerk, accelerator is! keep a check on that instead.
	() Thanks