using clutch to control car speed going down steep hill
Discussion
I wonder just who the hell taught you to drive ? please keep off hills and corners near me.
sdyson31 said:
I am scared of stalling car so on downhill or on sharp turns I leave my foot off the gas and press full clutch and use little bit brake to slow down the car. If I am in 3rd gear and if there is a sharp turn then I use clutch and break to slow down and then speed up again without changing a gear.
sdyson31 said:
I am scared of stalling car so on downhill or on sharp turns I leave my foot off the gas and press full clutch and use little bit brake to slow down the car. If I am in 3rd gear and if there is a sharp turn then I use clutch and break to slow down and then speed up again without changing a gear.
the car would only stall when you are close to a stop, ie if you put the brakes on at 5mph without putting the clutch in. don't put the clutch in while braking as you are losing your engine braking
you should only be using the clutch when changing gear or you are about to come to a complete halt.
Here's a snippet from the highway code.
122
Coasting. This term describes a vehicle travelling in neutral or with the clutch pressed down. It can reduce driver control because engine braking is eliminated
Inertia and gravity will keep the engine from stalling, if it feels like it's about to; change down a gear.
You shouldn't ever be riding the clutch around a corner, select a gear first, it allows you more control if you encounter an issue around the corner.
122
Coasting. This term describes a vehicle travelling in neutral or with the clutch pressed down. It can reduce driver control because engine braking is eliminated
- vehicle speed downhill will increase quickly
- increased use of the footbrake can reduce its effectiveness
- steering response will be affected, particularly on bends and corners
- it may be more difficult to select the appropriate gear when needed.
Inertia and gravity will keep the engine from stalling, if it feels like it's about to; change down a gear.
You shouldn't ever be riding the clutch around a corner, select a gear first, it allows you more control if you encounter an issue around the corner.
Edited by 16v stretch on Wednesday 29th July 06:59
I was taught to go down a hill one gear lower than you would go up it with the same load, although in practice I tend to use the same gear, but never a gear higher. There is a big difference between how a petrol and diesel will behave, a NA diesel will offer a fantastic amount of engine breaking whereas a turbo petrol will offer relatively little. I would suggest using a gear that makes you feel comfortable, you shouldn't need to use the brakes much at all. It will of course depend on the vehicle, the gradient of the hill and the road conditions what gear and speed is appropriate. You should select the gear on the flat before the hill and avoid changing on it, you should never coast down the hill.
grumbledoak said:
Engine braking does work but doesn't light up the brake lights.
This is as much a good thing, if not more so, than it is bad.When you're descending a hill, lightly on the brake with your brake lights permanently lit, and you actually need to stop suddenly, what warning is the person behind going to have?
"I am scared of stalling car so on downhill or on sharp turns I leave my foot off the gas and press full clutch and use little bit brake to slow down the car. If I am in 3rd gear and if there is a sharp turn then I use clutch and break to slow down and then speed up again without changing a gear."
1) It's 'brake' not 'break.' De-clutching on turns and downhill is a seriously bad habit.
2) Consider taking a PassPlus course, or booking another hour with an instructor to polish up your technique.
Or contact your local IAM group for free 'observation' at the slight risk of dealing with someone who looks and sounds like your Dad.
https://www.gov.uk/pass-plus/overview
1) It's 'brake' not 'break.' De-clutching on turns and downhill is a seriously bad habit.
2) Consider taking a PassPlus course, or booking another hour with an instructor to polish up your technique.
Or contact your local IAM group for free 'observation' at the slight risk of dealing with someone who looks and sounds like your Dad.
https://www.gov.uk/pass-plus/overview
Edited by Slushbox on Wednesday 29th July 08:36
sdyson31 said:
I am scared of stalling car so on downhill or on sharp turns I leave my foot off the gas and press full clutch and use little bit brake to slow down the car. If I am in 3rd gear and if there is a sharp turn then I use clutch and break to slow down and then speed up again without changing a gear.
Assuming this isn't a troll, if the car feels like it's going to stall you're in the wrong gear. Anticipate the road ahead, change into an appropriate gear BEFORE you get to the hazard (sounds like you should be in second not third). You should never have to "coast" the car with the clutch depressed. Your gear should match your desired road speed.Small petrol engines are much more sensitive to being in the right gear, so get used to having to row through the gearbox to make progress. If you don't want to change gear more then go buy an auto or something with a huge V8 that will happily burble around in top gear all day.
If this sounds like it's too much then maybe you just need to slow down a little bit and be less hasty. My sister in law generally drives everywhere about 5-10mph too fast as she's worried she's holding people up, then get's flustered when everything happens too fast and thinks the roads are too busy.
sdyson31 said:
I am scared of stalling car so on downhill or on sharp turns I leave my foot off the gas and press full clutch and use little bit brake to slow down the car. If I am in 3rd gear and if there is a sharp turn then I use clutch and break to slow down and then speed up again without changing a gear.
WT juddering F? 
Who the hell taught you how to drive?PhillipM said:
SteveSteveson said:
Unless the OP is driving the Col du Turin with his car fully loaded that is not likely to happen. I only say this because the OP is a new driver so might think this is a genuine risk. At sensible speeds you are not going to overheat brakes on anything in the UK.
As opposed to suddenly wearing out a fully engaged clutch, you mean?O/P ... book yourself a couple of hours with http://www.cadence.co.uk - you'll learn more in those hours than you did in all your lessons put together.
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