Our driving habits dictate whether the clutch is going to last longer than its lifespan of 150,000 miles. We have had customers come in to have their brand new car’s clutch replaced — a car they have been only driving for a year.
Even though we are glad to repair your car’s clutch, as a car service and repair company, we also think it is important to spread awareness about changing your driving habits to prolong the life your clutch. Here are three driving habits that spell an early death of the clutch:
1. Do Not Ride the Clutch
You may have heard people telling you not to ride the clutch. “Riding the clutch,” means keeping your foot partially on the clutch. Doing so results in the pressure pad being pushed against the clutch plate, but without completely engaging it. This action wears out the clutch faster. You need to keep your foot off the clutch unless you are in the process of changing gears.
2. Do Not Linger When Changing Gears
Why are you thinking about whether you should change gears or not? The more you linger, the worse your clutch’s condition becomes. Changing gears takes a few seconds so get in the habit of doing it quickly. You will be changing gears several times so thinking long and hard on changing gears only decreases the lifespan of your clutch.
3. Do Not Change Your Gears Unnecessarily
Even though you will be changing gears often during driving, you also need to practice being decisive about changing gears. This simply means that you should not change gears more times than you need to do. If you are able to see the road ahead of you and see the obstacles you will encounter, think about how you will deal with them. This will prevent you from changing gears every few minutes. However, this can put pressure on your brakes and to prevent that, avoid using your gearbox to slow down.
When your clutch lives out its life and you need to replace it, you can visit Thurston County Transmission.
