Ways to Avoid Clutch Wear
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Company clutch subjected to constant friction, so it is not surprising that it wears out over time. You may find that your clutch lasts 10,000 miles before you need a new one, or you may have 150,000 miles before it fails. How long your car will last without changing the clutch depends entirely on how you drive.
If at some point this needs to be changed, it may not seem important how long will your clutch last; but when it can cost you hundreds of pounds to replace it, you might want to think carefully about how you treat it. Here are some tips on how to change your driving style to save traction and money.
Find out the cost of clutch replacement
1 Don't ride the clutch
"Clutch riding" is a term often used by driving instructors, but it's not always clear what it means and why it might be bad for your car. "Riding the clutch" simply refers to keeping the clutch pedal partially depressed. This presses the pressure pad against the clutch disc but does not fully engage it, creating more friction and wearing out the clutch faster. The best way to avoid this is to keep your foot away from the clutch unless you are actually shifting. Do not drive around curves or slow down at traffic lights with the clutch half in.
2 Sit in neutral when stopped
Waiting at traffic lights or intersections with the clutch depressed, first gear engaged, and foot on the brake pedal can put unnecessary stress on the clutch. It's much better to shift into neutral if you're going to stop for a while and use the handbrake to keep the car stationary.
3 Use the handbrake when parking
If you leave the car parked in gear, the clutch will be loaded even when the engine is off. If at all possible, you should use the handbrake to lock the car into place when parking instead of leaving the car in gear. This will reduce the pressure on the clutch disc when you are not driving.
4 shift gears quickly
Don't delay when shifting gears. This is a common problem for new drivers when they first learn to drive a manual transmission car. Gear changes do not take long, the longer you keep the clutch pedal depressed, the greater the load on the clutch with each gear change. It may only be a matter of a couple of seconds, but think about how many times you'll be shifting gears on an average trip and you'll see how quickly that can add up over time.
5 Be decisive when shifting gears
Do not change gear more times than necessary. If you can see far ahead, try to think ahead of the obstacles you will encounter to try and maintain a constant speed rather than shifting gears every few minutes. Keep in mind that a lot of what you do to reduce the amount of clutch use can end up putting more stress on your brakes. A piece of advice often given for increasing clutch life is to not use the gearbox to decelerate. Downshifting will mean you'll use the clutch more often, but if you don't, the brakes will be more stressed and wear out faster. It's a wonderful balance.
Get a commercial offer for a clutch job
Save money on clutch work
When you need to replace or repair your clutch, it's always a good idea to get deals from more than one place to make sure you're getting a good price. When you get a clutch job quote here at Autobutler, it's easy to sit at home and compare the quotes that come in - either based on reviews, job description, garage location, or price - or, of course, a combination of the two.
Plus, there's a lot of potential savings to be made when using the Autobutler. We have seen that car owners who compare clutch repair or replacement prices on the Autobutler can potentially save an average of 26 percent, which equates to £159.
All about clutch
- Replacing the clutch
- How to repair a clutch
- What does a clutch actually do in a car?
- Ways to Avoid Clutch Wear
- Diagnosing a Clutch Problem
- Cheap clutch repair
