The Clutch is a very important integral part of your car, it smoothens the process of changing gears without cutting off the engine in a manually operated transmission. In a city where there is a huge amount of traffic and you are a daily car commuter, you can imagine how many times a clutch comes into play. This could be a problem for your clutch because it wears it out. Apart from this, there are a lot of other reasons for your clutch to wear, let’s discuss some of them.
1. Resting your foot on the clutch pedal
People have the tendency to rest their leg on the clutch pedal. This could cause the pressure plates to compress and in turn, it makes the friction plates come in contact and there are some unnecessary wear and tear. So it is good that your leg doesn’t rest on the clutch pedal.
2. Having your car in gear at a stoplight
When you are waiting at a stoplight or someplace where the car is not moving it is advised not to hold the car in gear. You end up holding the clutch compressed for a long period of time causing wear and tear. So keep your car in neutral gear during such situations.
3. Clutching on a hill or inclinations
When you are stopped in an inclined position or road, drivers usually tend to hold the car completely from the clutch force. When you do this there is not enough juice left to move the car without experiencing jerks and damaging your clutch. To overcome this tricky situation we recommend you use handbrakes to hold your car. When you want to move, gradually release both clutch and handbrake together by increasing the throttle. This puts less effort on the clutch to move your car. It may sound complex by you can master it by practice.
4. Resting your hand on the gear
Resting a hand on the gear lever
This may not sound like a threat to your clutch, but it ruins your gear assembly in the long run. When you put your hand on the lever you are applying pressure on the selector fork which comes into contact with the rotation collar. This can have premature wear to the selector fork and dog clutch collar.
5. Never slow down with brake and clutch simultaneously
One more mistake people forget they are doing is to slow down by the application of both brakes and clutch. This not only causes unnecessary usage of the clutch, but you are also losing a lot of brake force by taking away the load from the engine. For the better life of your clutch, it is important to use it only when necessary.
6. Lugging the engine at low speeds
When you drive your car in higher gears at low speeds you put extra pressure on the engine know as lugging. That means you are making the engine work harder for the same amount of work. This also wears your gears, so you need to recognise the right gear for the right speed. We recommend you drive your car in optimum gear for the given speed.
7. Changing gears slowly
This is usually observed in newbies, the change from one gear to another should be instant. But people tend to apply clutch, take some time to change between gears. This extra application of the clutch causes some wear.
8. “Launching” your car
Launching cars is fun and exciting but comes with a price. Regular cars can’t take the launches without damaging the clutch. When you rev your engine for 4000-5000 Rpm while pressing the clutch itself wears out the clutch. When you release your clutch, all the force is exerted on the pressure plates and the input shaft which is connected to the gears.
9. Avoid Engine Braking
Many people tend to use engine braking to slow their cars. However, it can come in handy in a few situations, it can also damage your clutch. Engine braking is to be done by a professional with the proper level of rev-matching which will not eat up the clutch.
10. Towing
When you have a heavy-duty truck specifically to tow your ATVs or dirt bike or anything, for instance, make sure you have the right towing capacity. Attempting to tow more than the capacity of your vehicle will wear out your clutch.
Also, read: 9 Distinct Smells In A Car And What Do They Mean?
Clutch life can Depend on the type of car make and the driver’s method of driving the car. Usually, a car that is driven normally without causing any stress on the clutch should run up to 1,00,000kms. To get the better out of your clutch it is advised to follow all the steps mentioned above and have your vehicle checked regularly. Visit the Pitstop website or download the app for any kind of service. You can have your clutch checked at Pitstop which offers a free pick-up and drop facility.
