Hey Everyone,

I just purchased my new '05 titanium gray metallic RX-8 this past saturday. I was just wondering what the best technique you guys would recommend with driving a manual at super slow speeds (like slower than a walking pace). I need to do this because of getting the car into the third spot in the garage can be a bit tricky. In past manuals I have driven I have always just given the car a touch of gas and barely let off the clutch. I was told recently that this is considered "riding the clutch" and will cause premature clutch wear. Does anyone have any reccomendations. Thanks

 

You kinda have to ride the clutch while you're in the garage to be on the safe side. I'm usually in 2nd gear, with a little gas, and the clutch about 3/4ths out. 'Riding the clutch' implies having your foot on the clutch while you're on the road going at a (mostly) constant speed. I think.

Congrats on your new 8!

 

Personally, I like the pulsatile technique. Basically, I rhythmically bounce the clutch from no grab to about 20-80% grab. It is really almost a nervous tick that i developed when i was just a kid. I would sit at lights and do that. I have gotten so good at it that it feels smooth, even smoother than just riding the clutch. More controlled. I really dont move my peddle more than a cm. It is likely not bad for the clutch, but also not good.

 

Ride the clutch when you need to in a case like that and don't give it a second thought. There are a lot of people who seem to think their transmissions are made of crystal. Obviously you don't want to ride it more than you need to, but, seriously, it's there to serve you. Yes, I imagine your clutch will wear out a little sooner, but sooner enough that you'll notice the difference? Doubtful. I never worry about things like that, and I've never worn out a clutch. (granted, I've never had to do that every time I park the car).

 

Riding the clutch is part of driving a manual, I doubt you can avoid it. I mean how else are you going to crawl your car in bumper to bumper traffic? Situations like that require you to ride the clutch, there's never enough room to fully engage a gear, and it's one reason some people hate driving manual in a traffic infested city.

 

In bumper to bumper you will find that you can learn to feather the gas without touching the clutch at all and idle along in 1st without bucking. One benefit of our low torque!

 

I do the same thing in traffic, instead of running right up on the bumper of the car in front of you lay back and keep in 1st moving at an idle. It all depends on the situation your in when it's bumper to bumper and that's just it don't be bumper to bumper if it can be helped

As far as the garage thing I don't ride the clutch I do the light bounce CarbonRX8 is describing.

 

i coast.

 

Congrats on getting your new car...looks like Christmas came a few days early!!!!!

 

That little bit of clutch slippage isn't going to cause much wear because it's at extremely low power and short-lived. The clutch's purpose in life is to slip, after all, and this is one of the times to use that feature.

Not the same as riding the clutch constantly, or holding the car stopped on a hill by slipping the clutch -- both of which should be avoided. As for stop and go traffic - try moving less frequently i.e. don't feel you have to match the car in front inch for inch.

 

Spot on! Consider the miles you spend driving forward and miles you spend backing up into your space. You probably back up one mile for every 10000 miles you drive and that's probably stretching it. The slippage wear that you cause is insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

In other words, it's made to slip.

 

Thank you. Said much better than I did.