sometimes i leave the clutch in when im at a light that i know is going to change in like 20 sec or so. is it bad to leave the clutch in for somewhat ext periods of time or not. or everyday i drive over a bridge on the way to and from work and when coasting down one way i'll leave it in 6th and coast with the clutch pushed in. on the way home ill push the clutch in shift to 2nd and leave the clutch in til afterive turned. i guess i just feel this is better than using the clutch more times than needed. is one better/worse than the other. i.e. using the pedal more often or leaving the pedal in?

 

Eh...well...I wouldn't say it'd destroy your car, but riding the clutch is def a habit I would NOT get into..and id advise that if yuo know you are going to be there for a good bit (half a minute or so), to let the clutch out and keep it in neutral. Some is based on personal driving behavior, some is based on not wanting to replace a clutch. Your call.

 

well maybe not half a minute. but at some lights i drive through everyday i know they are sensor based so wtihin 20 sec of me arriving at the red light its green again.
and with the bridge habit as well.
so youre saying it will fatigue the clutch more than pumping it the extra couple of times a day?

 

As a matter of habit I am never out of gear and connected to the engine at all speeds, only when I come to stop do I press the clutch for extended period or leave it in nuetral.

 

I've just heard that riding the clutch can result in faster wear. You can also drive a lot more smoothly if you get used to a complete clutch disengage. But really, I think it comes down to personal driving behavior more than anything..and if you burn your clutch, even more an excuse for a lightweight clutch and flywheel combo!

 

riding the clutch will wear it out quickly.

sat at lights etc with foot on clutch will cause extra wear on clutch bearing (i believe), but it's probably not worth putting in neutral etc for short periods.

 

as long as the clutch is pedal is all the way down it is not engaged so there is no extra wear....clutch has to be engaged for it to rub on gears in order for it to wear

 

correct me if i'm wrong...
I thought "riding clutch" meant driving with half clutch in + some gas wasn't it?
I don't see why clutch would wear down when it is fully disengaged

 

You're not riding the clutch with it in, since it is not engaging.

You are however, putting pressure on the spring/ valves that return the clutch pedal back upwards. I really don't know how heavy duty it is on our Z's.

 

clutch fully in or fully out does no real world damage. clutch partially engaged in gear will result in increased wear on the clutch. basically you have two ways that are sufficient to disconnect the motor from the wheels, clutch in or in transmission in neutral. makes no difference.

 

I’m not sure where this habit came from, but I suggest that you give it up. While turning-cornering you want the car in gear. If the car is out of gear, you have no control over the rear wheels.

 

Riding the clutch means using the clutch to hold the car steady. If you are on a slight incline, you can keep the car in place by partially engaging the clutch and give the car a bit of gas. This is referred to as riding the clutch.

 

So you're telling me that at a stop sign, or a light, when you use the clutch to HOLD THE CAR there, that it is not "riding the clutch"? B/c thats exactly the same thing you just described. Rarely do you find a perfectly even surface with no car roll..so either brakes, or the clutch, will be needed to hold the car. Therefore, it is "riding the clutch".

 

sorry. i meant to say til im ready to turn. as i approach the turn i let the clutch out and make the turn and accelerate out of it.

clapton lots of places i stop i leave the clutch out inneutral or in and no brakes. it doenst have to be perfectly flat to do so.
what most of you are refering to as riding the clutch is wht i thought. putting pressure on the accelerator while having the clutch partially in/out. i guess by leaving the clutch in to reduce wear on some parts it in turn places the stress on a different part?

 

Yeah i will leave the clutch in at lights if i know they're pretty short... Nothing that you described would hurt the car in any way, and coasting won't hurt anything and will save you some gas instead of leaving it in gear right up till you need to stop.

I always thought of riding the clutch as if you rest your foot on in the clutch pedal while driving.

 

well yeah on hills it is necessary to ride the clutch a bit right? you need to keep it from rolling back so you need to be on the clutch a lil bit and on the gas a lil bit, i dont see how else ud do it

and at stop lights, i just pop it in neutral and come to a stop. then if its gonna change quickly after i stop, i hit the clutch and put it in 1st

but if im gonna be at the light or a minute or whatever, i put it in N and take my foot off the clutch and just sit there. if theres a lil bit of a hill i just pull up the ebrake

 

Use your brakes for that. I garantee the car will not be going anywhere!

The clutch is meant to slip a bit while you synchronise the engine speed with the tranny. This takes a few seconds at most. It's not built to hold the car for prolonged periods of time. It will overheat and wear a lot more.

From the Owner Manual:

 

the throw out bearing that the clutch spins on could wear out faster.

 

+1 this is what I've heard as well. This bearing engages and turns anytime your foot is depressing the clutch, whether your car is going or completely stoppped. Since it's turning, it can possibly wear out faster.

I've also heard another reason for leaving it in neutral rather than clutching when you're at a stop light regarding getting hit from behind by another car. I didn't quite understand the explanation; has anyone on here heard of this as well?

 

With a bit of imagination, I can picture me getting hit from the rear, leapfrogging into the intersection and be T-bonned by a SUV...

A friend of mine blew is tranny when he got rear ended. He was resting his hand on the gear shift lever and slamed into gear during the impact...