clutch when idling

J

jandree22

Member
:
2007 Mazda5
I keep reading that it's "bad" to leave your car in gear with the clutch pressed down while sitting still at a red light. What you're "supposed to do" is shift into Neutral and release the clutch pedal. However whenever I read this, there's no explination of why to back it up. Is this true, and if so, WHY?

I'll start doing it if there's a legitimate reason, but just like bikers I feel kind of vulnerable in case I need to make an emergency maneuver while stopped, it's an extra step to get the car moving.
 
jandree22 said:
I keep reading that it's "bad" to leave your car in gear with the clutch pressed down while sitting still at a red light. What you're "supposed to do" is shift into Neutral and release the clutch pedal. However whenever I read this, there's no explination of why to back it up. Is this true, and if so, WHY?

I'll start doing it if there's a legitimate reason, but just like bikers I feel kind of vulnerable in case I need to make an emergency maneuver while stopped, it's an extra step to get the car moving.
Click to expand...

When you press the clutch pedal in, the clutch assembly is pressed against the Throw-Out Bearing, these are meant for temp use, and not for long lengths of time as bearing will heat up.
 
ah, ic... thanks. I guess I should start throwing it in Neutral if I'm going to be sitting for more than a few seconds.
 
jandree22 said:
ah, ic... thanks. I guess I should start throwing it in Neutral if I'm going to be sitting for more than a few seconds.
Click to expand...

Other thing is alot of people inadvertantly back off the clutch pedal a bit if they have to wait a long time at a stop, this can cause the clutch plate to wear against the flywheel causing premature wear

Also from a safety perspective. If you get hit while waiting at the light, there's a good chance you will end off the clutch and in gear. This could cause you to roll out into oncoming traffic if you're at an intersection.
 
Well, these people are right also, There is a bearing inside the clutch that activates when you press it in and it just spins when the clutch is in, It slowly wears it out...
 
Even if you have your foot to the floor the friction plate never fully disengages. So not only are you wearing out the TOB but you are wearing out the clutch itself. If you release the clutch it engages (no slip), the throw out bearing stops, and it just spins the input shaft around... hell that might even help keep trans lubed for when the light turns green :)
 
As long as the clutch is fully deployed you should not have any problems. If you are not pushing it all the way to the floor then yes you will wear it out... My father in-law has owned a toyota truck since '83 still using the same clutch assembly...well over 500 thousand.
 

Attachments

  • MS3.jpg
    MS3.jpg
    95 KB · Views: 92
Keep on doing and wait and see how vulnerable you'll feel when the dealer charges you for installing a new clutch. Perhaps you are new to driving a manual, if so don't worry with more miles under your belt, you'll be able to confidently engage the clutch from a stop and get the car going in any emergency situation. :)
 
I remember years ago visiting Germany and seeing something helpful for stick shift drivers. Right before the traffic light turned from red to green, you get a second of the yellow coming on while the red light was still on. It was a nice cue to shift into first.

I agree with the responses here. You'll wear out the throwout bearing prematurely by leaving the clutch depressed. I've seen this discussion before and there's some argument about how much wear you'll actually incur, but I think it's also valid that you don't want your foot slipping off and causing premature wear of the clutch itself.
 
I tend to let the clutch out at a light for two reasons. If its going to be more than a few seconds, it saves my leg, (not such a big deal now, but in the days of 12 inch mechanical truck clutches.....) and there is less chance if the car is still in gear and my foot were to slip off the clutch pedal I wouldn't end up in the car in front of me or in the intersection. As far as wear, I'd say it isn't a big factor, as the spring pressure on the release bearing is less when the clutch pedal is all the way down and the diaphragm spring is over-center. Still, if it makes you feel better......
 
all throwout bearings in modern transmissions are constant running, meaning the wear is reduced because in the old school ones, they were only spinning when the clutch was disengaged, the constant spin up and spin down wears out the bearing... so putting it in neutral these days makes little difference compared to the old days... in otherwords, that old rule doesn't really apply anymore
 
DAWIV said:
Keep on doing and wait and see how vulnerable you'll feel when the dealer charges you for installing a new clutch. Perhaps you are new to driving a manual, if so don't worry with more miles under your belt, you'll be able to confidently engage the clutch from a stop and get the car going in any emergency situation. :)
Click to expand...
This is my 4th manual car. In my previous 3 I just kept the clutch down and never experienced a problem, which is why I was wondering why people made a big deal over it. Now I understand the mechanics behind it so I've been putting it into Neutral at extended stops now. :)
 
If you are only there for a second, then I would not bother with Neutral, but I have rebuilt two cars and neither of them fully disengages the clutch from friction.

IMO, best to sit in Neutral at a red light.
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

I
Mazda5 2.5L 6-speed MT: Clutch pedal feel/response changed suddenly while driving
Replies
8
Views
1K
IamFODI
I
M
Mazda5 sport MT throttle assist?
Replies
0
Views
1K
MazdaVelo
M
I
Mazda5 Electrical issues (diagnosis in progress)
Replies
18
Views
3K
IamFODI
I

Latest posts

Back