As I crawled through Leeds city centre (again) yesterday I began to wonder about the damage I'm doing to my car.
The traffic moves so slowly that idling in first gear is too fast, and consequently there's a lot of clutch up to get moving and clutch down to slow down again.
What bits of the car am I damaging doing this? I don't slip the clutch as such, but it's being used an awful lot and also held in for a long time. Ie, not quite long enough to necessitate sticking it into neutral with the handbrake on.
How do you folks accomplish this without worrying about your car?
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My 1.6 petrol VW Bora ambles along quite smoothly in slow traffic in first or second gear as appropriate - it's rare to need to dip the clutch to slow up a little.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Just leave a bigger gap in front of you then roll on, you don't have to stick to the bumper of the car in front of you!
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Yup in traffic I leave a gap then let out the clutch and let it toddle along at 5mph on idle in first. 10mph in second.
YOu can do that with a diesel.
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Works with petrol too. But Jesse's point was what happens if the traffic is moving slower than 5 mph?
Part of the answer is to leave a gap and to keep going at idling speed, resisting the temptation to sped up, close the gap, and then have to stop again. Try and anticipate by watching the brake lights of the car in front but one.It's easier said than done, I know, because someone will try and cut in or tail-gate you.
At that sort of speed I don't see any harm in coasting for a bit.
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My partner has the annoying habit of continually racing ahead when gaps form in slow moving traffic and then changing from 1st to 2nd gear and then having to stop again as the next car ahead is reached. I keep on telling her to crawl slowly along in the appropriate gear, usually 1st or 2nd (whichever one is appropriate) and not dip the clutch at all. Our cars will happily crawl in those gears at about 1000rpm without kangarooing etc.
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Buy a landrover (or a another 4wd that offers this) and engauge the low transfer box.
Annoys other folk no end, unless they have an automatic, but truck drivers will do similar.
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Buy a landrover (or a another 4wd that offers this) and engauge the low transfer box. Annoys other folk no end, unless they have an automatic, but truck drivers will do similar.
And of course you can show off the trick of getting out and walking alongside!
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