Is using mainly 2nd as opposed to 1st ok?

[Leicesterdave]

I tend to mainly use 2nd when setting off from traffic lights, etc etc... I do it smoothly and to me it almost feels "kinder" to the clutch and engine.
Am I wrong?!!!

[R1 Loon]

Yes

[STW2010]

Yes

[Dangerous Dan]

I use 1st to get moving. Get the car rolling in 1st, then a quick change into 2nd to crawl forward.

Not sure if that's right or not, but that's what I do - the car feels too "peaky" in 1st gear - the slightest mm move of my right foot (OK, slight exaggeration!) either sends me surging into the car in front or my face into the steering wheel.

[Defcon5]

Why did you start doing this?

[john2443]

Yes, you're slipping the clutch more and wearing it out faster.

[cheadle hulme]

Best way for a quick 0-60 in a diesel Fabia vRS, but otherwise you are wrong.

[Rawwr]

Dangerous Dan said:

the slightest mm move of my right foot (OK, slight exaggeration!) either sends me surging into the car in front or my face into the steering wheel.

What is this behemoth of a vehicle? I've driven a lot of cars and never experienced anything like this!?

[Original Poster]

The clutch will wear out much quicker pulling away in 2nd.

[MondeoMan1981]

If I'm moving I'm in 2nd. I only use 1st from a dead stop or on a hill.

Mainly because 1st gear is so short.

[varsas]

Starting in second is probably slightly kinder to the gearbox/engine but will wear the clutch/flywheel more. Clutches can take quite a lot of 'shock' i.e. the short, sharp force you give it by pulling away in first but don't like being slipped (which is what I assume you are doing by pulling away in second). The benefit to the gearbox/engine will be very minimal so overall it's not worth it.

On the flat I pull away in 2nd in my Land Rover but that has very short final drive ratios.

[jayfish]

You don't necessarily slip the clutch pulling away in second, it's absolutely fine to use 2nd as long as you provide sufficent revs/torque.

[maniac0796]

varsas said:

Clutches can take quite a lot of 'shock' i.e. the short, sharp force you give it by pulling away in first but don't like being slipped (which is what I assume you are doing by pulling away in second). The benefit to the gearbox/engine will be very minimal so overall it's not worth it.

Although they have damping in them (the big springs you see which allow the middle of the friction plate to rotate a bit and the spring inbetween the friction materials which allows them to compress together a bit nicer), dropping clutches does no good. It breaks up the friction material, and snaps the fingers on the pressure plate. Also, it doesn't do your engine or gearbox mounts any good.

Slip is a good thing. It provides a smooth transition of power. Excessive slip is not, it wears out your friction plate.

[davepoth]

Does depend on the vehicle really - some (panda 4x4 included) have a crawler gear for first, so second would be better. For the vast, vast majority you should use first though.

[varsas]

jayfish said:

You don't necessarily slip the clutch pulling away in second, it's absolutely fine to use 2nd as long as you provide sufficent revs/torque.

True...but if you don't that's a higher then needed 'shock' that has to go somewhere. You're essentially dumping a lot of power in at one end of the transmission, but making the other end of the transmission difficult to turn by being in a higher gear. If you don't use the clutch to ease that transmission of power from the engine to the wheels then something else has to take the shock...it'll be the gearbox, crank and diff I guess.

Do the above in first gear instead of second and the wheels are much easier to turn, so there's less resistance to the engine power so more of the power drains away through the wheels more easily.

[pinchmeimdreamin]

Dangerous Dan said:

I use 1st to get moving. Get the car rolling in 1st, then a quick change into 2nd to crawl forward.

Not sure if that's right or not, but that's what I do - the car feels too "peaky" in 1st gear - the slightest mm move of my right foot (OK, slight exaggeration!) either sends me surging into the car in front or my face into the steering wheel.

Or maybe you could learn to drive.

[jayfish]

varsas said:

jayfish said:

You don't necessarily slip the clutch pulling away in second, it's absolutely fine to use 2nd as long as you provide sufficent revs/torque.

True...but if you don't that's a higher then needed 'shock' that has to go somewhere. You're essentially dumping a lot of power in at one end of the transmission, but making the other end of the transmission difficult to turn by being in a higher gear. If you don't use the clutch to ease that transmission of power from the engine to the wheels then something else has to take the shock...it'll be the gearbox, crank and diff I guess.

Do the above in first gear instead of second and the wheels are much easier to turn, so there's less resistance to the engine power so more of the power drains away through the wheels more easily.

True indeed, but a flat or downhill start in 2nd isn't going to be any more 'shock' than an uphill in first.

[varsas]

maniac0796 said:

varsas said:

Clutches can take quite a lot of 'shock' i.e. the short, sharp force you give it by pulling away in first but don't like being slipped (which is what I assume you are doing by pulling away in second). The benefit to the gearbox/engine will be very minimal so overall it's not worth it.

Although they have damping in them (the big springs you see which allow the middle of the friction plate to rotate a bit and the spring inbetween the friction materials which allows them to compress together a bit nicer), dropping clutches does no good. It breaks up the friction material, and snaps the fingers on the pressure plate. Also, it doesn't do your engine or gearbox mounts any good.

Slip is a good thing. It provides a smooth transition of power. Excessive slip is not, it wears out your friction plate.

Of course you are right. A middle ground is best, with not too much shock and not too much slip.

I suspect that pulling away in second will result in too much slip, unless it's done very carefully but the OP seems to be worried that pulling away in first is always too much of a shock, I was trying to say that the clutch will be fine with a normally executed first gear pull away.

[varsas]

jayfish said:

varsas said:

jayfish said:

You don't necessarily slip the clutch pulling away in second, it's absolutely fine to use 2nd as long as you provide sufficent revs/torque.

True...but if you don't that's a higher then needed 'shock' that has to go somewhere. You're essentially dumping a lot of power in at one end of the transmission, but making the other end of the transmission difficult to turn by being in a higher gear. If you don't use the clutch to ease that transmission of power from the engine to the wheels then something else has to take the shock...it'll be the gearbox, crank and diff I guess.

Do the above in first gear instead of second and the wheels are much easier to turn, so there's less resistance to the engine power so more of the power drains away through the wheels more easily.

True indeed, but a flat or downhill start in 2nd isn't going to be any more 'shock' than an uphill in first.

But uphill starts are unavoidable, pulling away in second is. I'm sure on most modern cars it'd be OK most of the time but my advice (and I'm willing to hear advice myself!) to anyone with a 'normal' car would be to pull away in first on the flat.

[eldar]

Old mans habit. Austin 1100s used to have a stupidly low second as most of their elderly owners started in 2nd and went straight to 4th. Before they changed it the clutches wore and the owners blamed the car.