Clutch in or Out at a Stop light?
 

I came across this brief discussion:

Annandale, Va.: There has been a debate happening in another chat about whether it is good for your manual transmission car if you press and hold the clutch pedal all the way down to the floor while coasting and/or idling. I've heard you say this practice is more beneficial (mechanically, not safety) than if you put the car in neutral, then release the clutch pedal. Could you please end this debate once and for all?

Pat Goss: The transmission should remain in a first gear with the clutch depressed when sitting at a light. This will add to the wear on the clutch release bearing (cheap part), but will significantly decrease wear on the transmission (expensive part). And you're wrong about safety, it is a huge safety concern. Sitting at an intersection with the transmission in neutral and the clutch pedal up requires significantly better reflexes, which most drivers don't have, to avoid a painfully long process time to consider a potential safety issue. Process the information, depress the clutch, shift the transmission into gear and release the clutch. If it's already in gear, it's only a matter of engaging the clutch to avoid the accident.

This is from a Washinton Post Online chat: LINK http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?nav=hcmodule

What do you guys think? What do you guys do?

I think it's personal preference...I sit at lights in neutral

I do both depending on how long the light is.

10 second rule? Don't hold the clutch pedal down for longer than 10 seconds... I sit at a light in neutral as well, unless I know it will be turning green shortly. It doesn't take much time to clutch in, throw it in first, release the clutch to get going. I'm usually the first one across the intersection doing this anyways (and I'm not launching or anything special, just driving).

I sit at lights in neutral. I take the car out of gear after slowing down enough from down-shifting to 2nd gear and sit with the car out of gear until the light turns green

depends on how long im there. usually neutral w/clutch disengaged though

Foot off the clutch pedal and in neutral gear. This Pat Goss guy is an idiot.

Sounds weird to me. I go with the leaving it in neutral on a long light.

When I see the opposite light go yellow, I casually put in 1st and get ready. No big deal.

I don't understand 2 things he said, how it's a safety issue and how you will get wear on the transmission with it idling in neutral. (I remember the NY cabbie who drove 20 years accident free. His secret? Not starting out on a green light without a quick count to 3 first.)

There is less tendency to dart into the intersection the second the light is green with it sitting in neutral. There is a greater chance of getting hit by a red light runner with it ready to go. Much bigger safety issue than someone rear ending you because they got trigger happy when the light changed.

I think leaving it down a long time is a bigger safety risk if your foot accidentally slipped off the clutch. And if leaving it neutral causes wear on the transmission, then driving normally must totally abuse it! :eek:

Of course at stop signs and fast lights you leave the clutch out...common sense prevails over weird advice.

^+1

clutch out and neutral, unless it is about to turn green. I coast so much in local traffic anyway, so it only makes sense

+2

Short light, hold it in.
Long light, no way am I holding it in for that long!

Out of habit I downshift, pop in neutral, and wait at light (no matter its length). I don't agree with keeping the clutch depressed for a long amount of time. I was always under the impression that it was bad for the clutch.

Neutral at a light.!!

You're right!!!!

Neutral at light.
Doesn't hurt tranny.
That Pat Goss guy is a moron. Probably drives an auto and doesn't know his a$$ from a hole in the ground. :rolleyes: