Clutch Control

[headbrace]

Having had a few driving lessons, I have got to say, you experienced drivers amaze me. How you can pull away so smoothly mystifies me.
I'm fine once I'm moving, changing gears etc, but come t oa standstill at a junction and I'm in a whole world of pain. Tbh its like Christmas really- Not Kosher at all.

So anyone got any tips?

[McMav]

Its practice m8 just take your time and you'll get the hang of it. I'm sure everyone here has bunnyhopped their car at one point in their life. And those who say then never have are lying or drive automatics

[streetster]

you get used to it the more you practice the smoother it gets (and maybe the stronger your left foot gets too?) oh and ive only passed my test a week! heh maybe i shouldnt be giving advice

[Tumble]

Its practice m8 just take your time and you'll get the hang of it. I'm sure everyone here has bunnyhopped their car at one point in their life. And those who say then never have are lying or drive automatics

I managed to bunnyhop Zak's Signum... that was an auto......

[Stoo]

That's a rare talent

[Howard]

I was in the same situation!! Gears, etc are fine. Moving off and the thing jumped like a kangaroo. Still does on occasion. I've had loads of lessons and I'm still not at test standard

[Byatt]

You'll get there with time, it was a complete mystery to me how people moved off at junctions so fast when I was learning - and now it's a mystery to me why some people with full licenses cannot do it .

Solution: practice - go and find somewhere on a slight incline that's completely empty, and just use the clutch to creep up the incline, then to fall back again, then to climb it again...your legs will start to know exactly where that "bite point" is, and just how hard you need to be pressing on the accelerator. You'll get there.

[iMc]

Yeh its all about learning where the bite is on your car. i can control my car very easily, but as soon as i step into another it takes 10-15mins just to grasp where it is. once you get it you wont lose it. one of those things that just......comes i suppose.

[Alex]

Practising in different cars helps loads too... I can now happily pull off smoothly in a car I've never driven before, just cause with different instructors, my sisters car, my car, and my parents cars, as well as hire cars I've driven quite a few... Its all down to practise as everyone said.

The one time that amuses me the most to think back on is when I was trying to pull away smoothly in my dads car, up a hill. It took me about 5 minutes to realise I was in 3rd, not 1st!

[Theo]

I did a few similar exercises to what Byatt described when I had problems stalling. For example - the creeping up and down an incline thing. A few other exercises may help:

-Keep the handbrake on, and slowly release the clutch whilst applying a little gas. When the car rears up slightly, like it WANTS to move - that is the biting point. You can then depress the clutch and release the gas. Rinse and repeat.

-Similar to what Byatt described - "sitting on the biting point". On an incline, using your clutch and gas to slowly roll forward to line (of some sort!), instead of rolling backward and doing it again: When you're at the end point (the line) depress the clutch slightly, and take a smidge of gas off. Pay particular attention to the sound of the engine (so that you're not over-revving or under-revving) and the position of the car. Judge by the steepness of the incline and whether you're moving forwards or backwards how much clutch/gas to apply. With practise, you'll be able to stay completely stationary on the line.

This is why you see cheating boy racers at the traffic lights - no clutch control, so they end up rolling over the start line. Gits!

[Shad]

When doing any of this 'finding the bite point' you shouldn't need to use any throttle at all, it will only wear your clutch out faster. Most cars have enough power to keep themselves moving with just tick-over revs, so keeping them on an slight incline using the clutch wont be a problem.

[TiG]

Very True Shad, but while learning it doesn't hurt to use the throttle, again its the sort of thing you might mount up minor points for not using the throttle?.

Personally i wouldn't run before i could walk.

TiG

[Shad]

Very True Shad, but while learning it doesn't hurt to use the throttle, again its the sort of thing you might mount up minor points for not using the throttle?.

Personally i wouldn't run before i could walk.

TiG

That's a fair point. IMO I think it's important new drivers should learn that it's not necessarily the throttle pedal that makes the car go. The number of people I know who rev the nuts off their car just to get it going is quite scary, I bet Partco are doing a roaring trade in clutches

Anyway, back on topic, practice makes perfect. That's all there is to is.

[dkmech]

I still stall rental cars at least once per trip on average. Mind you, most of it is motorways so i don't get to practice on them much. Controls on new cars feel so different from my old 106 that when i get back from the rentals into my car i feel that everything is being controlled by the power of thought (part of it is the comparative lightness of the pedals and steering in the 106).

[Howard]

You really shouldn't slip the clutch on the bite point for longer than necessary, although you do when you're learning

Once you've passed and you get used to your own car, etc, you'll learn of ways to drive it in a way that won't knacker the clutch so quick

[Lowe]

Yup, it just comes down to practice making perfect. Each car is different though - what will feel fine in one car will make you stall/kangaroo in another. The technique is the same, the actual point of bite is different, as is the progression of the bite.

As Russ about racing clutches in Clios for example.