In case you are one of the 18 percent of drivers within the United States who drives a car with a clutch, taking good care of that clutch could be extremely important. You can save thousands of dollars by taking a look at your driving practices. It is easy to extend the lifetime of your clutch. Just taking a check out 3 of the biggest clutch-driving mistakes and fixing them can extend the life by months, if not a couple of years.
Trying to shift at the right time
While the engine is on, a clutch shifts gears. Changing those gears at the right time will help reduce the wear and tear on the clutch — and may also make your engine run better. On most automobiles, you want to shift up when the engine RPMs are between 3,000 and 4,000. When braking, you’ll want to downshift the engine before you apply the brake – it will help prevent wear and tear on both your clutch and your brakes.
The right place to rest your feet
You may be tempted to rest your foot on the clutch while driving. If you rest your foot on that 3rd pedal, though, you are putting pressure on the mechanism. The clutch will slowly be ground down by that pressure. So keep your foot off that pedal if you are not using it.
Safely park it
You should put your car in gear on a hill to keep it from rolling. However, you should never rely on just the gears to keep it there. Use your first gear and emergency break. If your engine pressure is low, not using the emergency brake could mean you end up chasing your car down the hill. Always use your emergency break.
