New clutch. My life now sucks

[jono310]

Hey all

It took me a while to find a forum to post on and i don't even know if this would be the correct one but I'm going to give it a shot because you are all probably better drivers than me. I passed my test 6 months ago and a few days after bought my first car. It is a Toyota yaris with a 1 liter engine (insurance was still ludicrous) and it was all going great then yesterday i took it to the garage and got informed i needed a new clutch as my biting point was insanely high. After paying £350 for it i was ready to drive away then suddenly i stalled it and i kept stalling it all the way home.

I'm struggling to find the biting point and when i do, i shoot forwards then hop like a kangaroo and it sometimes feels like that with my gear changes. I was wondering why? I have to go out tomorrow and I'm actually really nervous to drive. Just wondering if anyone has any tips?

Thanks all and once again, sorry if its in the wrong kind of forums

[Dgr90]

Yup, you just need to learn the biting point again. Your muscle memory is telling you its an inch higher than it is, so by the time you are expecting to feel it biting its long gone and stalled. Its just something you will get used to, after a few years you will be able to jump in (nearly) any car and get it straight away.

Edit: You're obviously nervous about driving it, go and find a tesco/whatever car park and park, pull away, park, pull away etc. That way you wont be worried about stalling and people behind you whilst at a red light.

[Cemesis]

Sounds like you just need to get used to it. The biting point is much lower now so just take it slow (as if you were learning again). Leave early and take it to a car park somewhere with few cars in and practice pulling off and getting it into 2nd gear. Chances are after 5 minutes you'll be good to go

[Nigel Worc's]

jono310 said:

Hey all

It took me a while to find a forum to post on and i don't even know if this would be the correct one but I'm going to give it a shot because you are all probably better drivers than me. I passed my test 6 months ago and a few days after bought my first car. It is a Toyota yaris with a 1 liter engine (insurance was still ludicrous) and it was all going great then yesterday i took it to the garage and got informed i needed a new clutch as my biting point was insanely high. After paying £350 for it i was ready to drive away then suddenly i stalled it and i kept stalling it all the way home.

I'm struggling to find the biting point and when i do, i shoot forwards then hop like a kangaroo and it sometimes feels like that with my gear changes. I was wondering why? I have to go out tomorrow and I'm actually really nervous to drive. Just wondering if anyone has any tips?

Thanks all and once again, sorry if its in the wrong kind of forums

Is it possible you could give an experienced driver, (perhaps your mom or dad, I'm guessing you are young), a go in the car, so we can be sure that there isn't any kind of mechanical issue with the new clutch ?

The garage should have checked it, but just to be sure.

Assuming the new clutch is ok, then it is just a case of you getting used to it.

Sit somewhere quiet in the car, pop it into gear, and practise allowing the clutch out until you feel the bite point, raise revs, allow more out, and away you go, practise this until you are used to it is all I can suggest really.

[Groober]

I think it's probably just a case if it's different to what you are used to. Although I must say I would not have got a new clutch because someone told me the biting point was high. The bite point in my civic is almost at the top of the pedal and has been for nearly 50k.

[jono310]

Nigel Worc's said:

Is it possible you could give an experienced driver, (perhaps your mom or dad, I'm guessing you are young), a go in the car, so we can be sure that there isn't any kind of mechanical issue with the new clutch ?

The clutch itself is fine. My dad hopped in and drove it perfectly

[Nigel Worc's]

jono310 said:

Nigel Worc's said:

Is it possible you could give an experienced driver, (perhaps your mom or dad, I'm guessing you are young), a go in the car, so we can be sure that there isn't any kind of mechanical issue with the new clutch ?

The clutch itself is fine. My dad hopped in and drove it perfectly

Then practice is all you can do, it'll come.

[conkerman]

Many of us have been there.

With the hand brake on, start the car, turn the radio off.

Clutch down and select 1st.

Now very slowly raise the clutch pedal, listen for the slightest change in engine note/speed/feel of the engine through the seat.. This is when the clutch first starts to bite. Depress clutch. Don't have the clutch slipping for more than a few seconds.

Repeat a few times. As said earlier you are building muscle memory.

Once you have that sorted, you should find it a lot easier not to stall.

Be gentle and take your time.

[R_U_LOCAL]

Some good advice already OP.

I'd just add that if your previous clutch was worn, and the biting point was near the top of it's travel, you will have got into the habit of pretty much stepping off the clutch and only actually taking care to release the last half an inch or so of it's travel.

If you use the same technique with a fresh clutch, you're effectively "sidestepping" or "dumping" the clutch and this will normally make the engine stall.

As has already been suggested, set off early tomorrow and find somewhere quiet to practice moving off from stationary and changing gear. Try it without pressing the gas pedal, just release the clutch slowly and gently and then learn the feel of the new clutch - it isn't just the biting point which will have changed - the new material may have a sharper take-up at first until it has bedded in a bit. Practice, practice and practice and you will very quickly get used to it.

Report back to this thread in a week, and I'll bet you're perfectly happy with your new clutch.

[98elise]

Perfectly normal for an inexperienced driver. Even with 30 years driving experience a new car can feel weird for a few minutes. The new clutch is just throwing you as you are used to the old position.

By the end of tomorrow you will be fine.

[jono310]

Thanks everyone. So much great advice in minutes Made me feel a bit more confident. Ill get the practice in for definite

[Quhet]

I started learning to drive in a diesel astra & my instructor changed his car to a petrol corsa. Took me a bit of time to get used to pulling away.

Don't worry Op, you're not necessarily a bad driver. Relax, practice & it'll come

[Axionknight]

jono310 said:

The clutch itself is fine. My dad hopped in and drove it perfectly

Practice, practice, practice! My first car was a Saxo (1.0 or 1.1, I can't remember), it'd just had a new clutch fitted and getting used to it took some doing at the time - the biting point was as narrow as a piece of paper, but I got there, you will too! Keep at it man, and enjoy the experience of getting out and about, heavens know you pay enough for it!

[Aidancky]

The Yaris has a pretty high biting point as standard, I've driven 3 or 4 and they were all like this

[Matt UK]

As others have said, you'll get used to it.

It you want to be sure you'll not stall it again, depress the clutch pedal, put it in first, plant your right foot to give it max revs and just slip your left foot quickly off the clutch pedal!

Don't do this (unless of course you love a bit of wheel spin / are an automotive journalist tester / love buying front tyres and new clutches!)

[sebhaque]

Welcome to PH

Some fantastic advice in this topic and the underlying point to take away is that nobody is laughing at you, blaming you or otherwise judging you. It takes time to get used to a clutch, let alone having it changed on you so shortly into your driving career. All cars have different clutches and this experience is a bit of a blessing in disguise for you, as by having a clutch changed to the extent that you're really unfamiliar with how the car drives now, you should be in a good position if you're asked to or get the chance to drive a different car.

My personal piece of advice would be to take the car to a quiet corner of a flat car park - somewhere that if you take the handbrake off and let off the brake, you won't go anywhere. If you put the car in gear and let the clutch out slowly, without any accelerator pedal usage, you'll find the bite point as it'll be where the car starts to move forward. Use the quiet environment to figure out how to modulate the bite point with different throttle applications.

Enjoy driving mate and hope you stick around these boards a bit longer.

[djdestiny]

It's all part of the learning to drive experience
Remember, you learn how to drive after passing your test, that just gives you the legal right to drive.

You're doing nothing wrong, lots of good advice above, you'll have it sorted in no time at all

[kambites]

As people have said, it's all part of learning to drive a manual. It'll come with practice and if you don't learn to do it now, next time you change car you'll probably have exactly the same problem.

[jamieduff1981]

OP if it's any consolation I am prone to a few naff gear changes myself when changing between my cars. It won't take you long to re-adjust.

[mrtwisty]

Aidancky said:

The Yaris has a pretty high biting point as standard, I've driven 3 or 4 and they were all like this

Yep, all of the ones I've driven have had very high biting points.

OP - practice (in a large car park or similar) setting off without using the throttle at all. Dont bother with the handbrake at first. It'll get you used to being very gentle and progressive with the clutch. The 1.0 Yaris will do this just fine on a flat surface (my OH has one, so I know this from experience)

You'll be fine in no time