LiL BenNy

hey i got my 8 last wensday and that day my moms bf was teaching me how to drive stick.. we were on my drive way (Slope) and he was teaching me how to "hang" like when your on a hill to hold the clutch and gas at a certain spot so you dont move.... well like 10 seconds later my clutch started to smell bad.... and once again today my sisters bf drove it and was "hangin" on the drive way while i was opening the garage and it started to smell again.... my car was one of the early ones made first bought in nov 2004... any suggestions... we intend to take it to the dealership soon... thanks
-benjamin

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

slipping the clutch "to hang" on an inclined driveway is hard on the clutch. Use the park brake....and get someone else to teach you how to drive....so you still have a clutch in a few weeks. Yry a driving school///a few lessons will save you a lot in the long run

Straight8

Have sis' bf buy you a new clutch as he's trashing it right before your eyes...and nose. Never hold your car on an incline with the clutch.

philodox

I can vouch for that.. it's bad ju-ju. The stock clutch is pretty fragile to begin with as many owners who have had to replace their clutches before hitting 15k miles know.

LiL BenNy

so should i replace my clutch? how bad is this i still can drive on it though right? or is it dangerous? i though hanging was a good thing... back when my mother drove "hanging" was really important they tested you that on your driving test as soon and you rolled back you failed... so isnt this a good thing to know?

philodox

IF it's only happens once or twice I would't worry about replacing the clutch. You will know when you have to replace the clutch when you have a hard time putting it in gear without grinding, or when you press on the throttle and you get a lot of RPMs with no speed to match

Go48

"Hanging" is good, but not using the clutch alone to accomplish it. As Dannobre said, use the hand brake. The technique goes something like this, say you have to stop for light at an upgrade. Stop with the brakes, push in the clutch, shift to neutral, engage the hand brake and release the brake. Just before the light is to change to green, depress the clutch pedal, shift to first gear. When light changes slowly release the hand brake and the clutch pedal simultaneously while applying some throttle. The goal is to release just enough clutch and hand brake so that you momentarily stay in the same position (i.e., counteracting the forces that want you to roll backwards) and slowly move forward until the clutch pedal and the hand brake are completely released and you are moving away smartly from the stop.

It will definitely take some practice, especially if you are new to a manual transmission, but this is the preferred way to "hang" while preserving as much of the clutch surface as possible. Find a vacant parking lot with slope and start practicing. Or better yet, find someone who knows this technique and have them demonstrate and then practice yourself.