dip the clutch, or not to dip the clutch

[mikegsi]

im sick of our lass not dipping the clutch in my car when she starts it up, i was always taught to dip the clutch, whereas she was taught to make sure it is out of gear first. :eek:

this has resulted in her nearly smacking the front end of mine off countless hard objects when it lurches forward. :eek: :mad:

im sick of telling her about it, but she wont have it, she is now banned from driving it till she starts doing it. :mad: :censored: :mad: :annoyed: :rant:


but do you dip your clutch or not when you start your car??? :nod:


would have done a poll but i cant! :thumbs:

[brucy]

i don't dip the clutch, but i make sure it's not in gear :thumbs:

[Leon]

wasn't taught to do it, but always have, just one of those things. Esp in the Starion and the Prelude, they seem to like it for no apparent reason...

[AndyT]

I always dip the clutch, and take the car out of gear. Once the engine has been running for a few seconds I let the clutch up with the car in neutral to get the gearbox oil moving. Then pull away after about 30 secs or so, depending how cold the car is.

[Johnny]

she is now banned from driving it till she starts doing it.

ummm ..... if you ban her from driving its gonna be a long long long long long time before she starts to dip the clutch ........ in fact she may not do it until she starts driving again. :nod:

But on a more useful note ..... I always dip the clutch when starting the car to give the starter motor an easier time of it. :nod: .. and has been ponted out, to get the juices warmed up before I let my bag of nails of gearbox churn in to itself.

[mikegsi]

she'll still be driving her own car, just not mine, she was meant to be taking it tomorrow cos im her cars getting some work done to it, but cos i had a bit of a paddy when she took mine out today and didnt dip the clutch, and it just missed a car parked in front of it, she doesnt want to take mine now!!

[voodoo_melon]

I always do, was taught to when I was learning.

[PulsatingStar]

Get her a 350Z because you cant start it without pushing the clutch down :wack:

[Dave_S]

Never have done, was always taught to just check it's not in gear. If dipping it give the gearbox an easier time then I'll start doing it :)

Dave

[voodoo_melon]

Get her a 350Z because you cant start it without pushing the clutch down :wack:
Get her a saab, you have to put it in reverse to put the key in :D :wack:

[Jon]

If dipping it give the gearbox an easier time then I'll start doing it
Dave

Pressing the clutch while starting the engine just means the starter motor doesn't have to turn half the clutch or the gearbox input shaft.

I've always done it.

A tip - when using someone else's car - check they use the handbrake as well as leaving it in gear. I've nearly come to grief on that before.

[John Bennett]

I make sure its in neutral then start it with no feet on any pedals.

[Chavbo]

i'm not sure where i picked it up, certainly not from my instructor but its 2nd nature to me now, starting it with my foot on the clutch and taking it out of gear. even if i'm starting the car from outside (i.e. not sitting in drivers seat while startting car) i'll still stick my foot in an depress it.

my mum's laguna will only let it be started if its in neutral,or in gear with the clutch in, quite a simple but good idea.

[SR20DET]

I always dip the clutch as I dont really fancy my car jumping in the wall.


Get her a saab, you have to put it in reverse to put the key in :eek: Is it true or are you just joking?

Daniel

[Chavbo]

pretty sure thats true, i remember watching top gear years ago with clarkson testing the 9-5 when it was new, and a collage of him shooting backwards everytime he tried to start the thing. :D

[Martin T]

I always dip the clutch as I dont really fancy my car jumping in the wall.

:eek: Is it true or are you just joking?

Daniel
Thats true about the Saabs.

I'm not sure if I dip the clutch or not. I allways make sure its in neutral before even sticking the key in though.

[SR20DET]

Whoa, weird scandinavian cars. Are Volvos as tricky as that too?

Daniel

[mattpayne]

clutch??!!! wtf???

jumping forward???? hand brakes????

i just have it in park, foot on the brake, turn the key then go! :cool: :wack:

[Martin T]

clutch??!!! wtf???

jumping forward???? hand brakes????

i just have it in park, foot on the brake, turn the key then go! :cool: ....and then nuke the gearbox :wack:

:nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: ;)

[mattpayne]

:D

[Deacon]

i allways dip the clutch :nod:

[SteveCarter200]

Always dip the clutch with it out of gear. Thats about the closest my car gets to mechanical sympathy.:D

Mike, how about wiring a switch up to the clutch pedal thats connected to the ignition circuit, no clu clutch down, no starty. Should be fairly simple, use a brake light switch, a relay and some wire.:)

[Andy]

Always dip the clutch when starting, some wise person told me many years ago that it saved stress on various engine parts, so I've done it ever since.

Plus, if you happen to forget to check it's not in gear, could save an embarrassing crunch ;)

[TAC]

I make sure its in neutral then start it with no feet on any pedals.
Me too :)

[Leon]

i think i do it mainly coz i launch myself into the car and end up with foot on clutch anyway.... i wonder why i started lol

[Aitch]

My mum never dips the clutch or checks whether her car is in gear when she starts it up, which, after I'd borrowed it one day and parked it up against the garage door in gear, resulted in a bullbar-shaped indent in the garage door when she got in and started it. :wack:

[superclarkey]

Was never told to do it, but i always do it, and i feel weired and all wrong when i try and start an auto, don't feel right starting it. lol

Do what my driving instructer used to do to me every time i left foot braked, smack her one :thumbs: :wack:

[ATrull]

i don't dip the clutch, but i make sure it's not in gear :thumbs:

I do both by habit :(

my mother always leaves her car in first or reverse when she parks. :freak:

[mikegsi]

Always dip the clutch with it out of gear. Thats about the closest my car gets to mechanical sympathy.:D

Mike, how about wiring a switch up to the clutch pedal thats connected to the ignition circuit, no clu clutch down, no starty. Should be fairly simple, use a brake light switch, a relay and some wire.:)




theres something that doesnt seem to sound right about this,

hmmm,

wiring, ignition, relay and fairly simple :D :thumbs:

[deej-79]

I never dip the clutch cause mine is always in nuetral with the handbrake on, otherwise the TT wouldnt work.

I will start now though.

My friend always leaves the BMW in gear, has been close once.

[dexteruk]

having been brought up with vauxhalls (that love the rear brakes seizing on) i never used to use the handbrake when parking, so would always start a car with my foot on the clutch and brake.


now do it in most cars - pretty much ensures you are not gonna set off before you are ready...


was sat in the beer garden outside a pub the other day, family came out and got in the car, the dad had obviously had a couple with his lunch so the wife got in driver's seat, started car, straight into lamp-post.


their argument kept us amused for a good half hour - it's worth starting with your foot on the clutch just to avoid that!

[Grim]

always floor the clutch.

less work for the battery and starter plus reduced cranking current plus a faster turn over.

good mechanical practice :thumbs:

[Tenman]

yup, always dip the clutch, was taught to..

[GrahamB]

Always thought it put less stress on the gearbox and made for a smoother start (always did in my old fiesta :rolleyes: )

So I've always done it :thumbs:

[John Bennett]

Seeing as the box is in neutral so it's probably not turning any gears, and it doesn't take any considerable force to turn the shaft by hand, the extra strain on the starter is negligible surely? (compared to compressing 4 cylinders and starting a flywheel) :confused:

[SFC]

Yep, was taught to by my dad, some of the older more dodgy cars I've had would really struggle to start unless you did.

[S12Kelv]

I put clutch in, was taught to.

[CraZyMoFo]

I learned to drive tractors as a kid & the newr ones you had to have in neutral before they would start.

I do both as a matter of course now.

[Drift_13]

Get her a 350Z because you cant start it without pushing the clutch down :wack:


Cheaper version of this.. Get her a Hyundai Accent :ghey: :hurl: ... They will not start if you dont press the clutch.. :D

[dunc]

Never have done, was always taught to just check it's not in gear. If dipping it give the gearbox an easier time then I'll start doing it :)


Ditto, this is a new one on me :confused:

[siliconslave]

after my first driving lesson my mum let me drive her car (with her in it) and she always leaves it in gear - scared the pants off me (not litterally, that would just be silly)

so I always clutch down and give the gear stick a wiggle b4 starting.

[Sideways Danny]

always park in gear so always dip the clutch to start

[superbad]

I always leave car in gear - habit from having steep drive. Don't dip clutch for starting though - always start-up in neutral, used to do it with Anglia on cold mornings - I'd try anything to get it started sometimes :wack:
sounds harmless though...