Holding Down Clutch When Stopped?

[OddLawnGnome]

I've searched and searched on the web but all I can find elsewhere are reports that completely contradict each other.

So I figured I may as well ask people who actually drive the same car

Just got my 1994 DL a month back, it's my first manual car and I love it so far but this has been bugging me. Is it good or bad to hold down the clutch in gear while you are stopped?
Scenario 1: (what I'm currently doing) when stopped change to neutral, pop clutch out. When I see the lights across from me turn yellow, clutch down, into first and off I go.
Scenario 2: Pop clutch, stop, put in first, hold clutch down through the lights.

I can see how you might not want to hold the clutch down during the lights for comfort reasons, but from what I can gather so far the first one puts more wear on the tranny and the second wears out the throwout bearing and a spring somewhere.

 

[MaNGiNa24]

If you rev match it eliminates the wear on your synchros but there isn't really anything that proves downshifting is more beneficial to an engine or gas mileage than neutral, especially when you consider the fact that downshifting puts more wear on the entire drivetrain & the engine.

 

[quattro527]

It really comes down to personal preference, and in the best interest of your car. Both scenarios have pro's and con's.

Like others said, depressing the pedal whether in gear of out of gear for a prolonged time will put additional wear on your throwout bearing. The stiffer your pressure plate, the more wear the TOB will see. However, I have YET to see a clutch (or stock DSM tranny) outlast a TOB, or for even a fraction of the life.

Obviously the best way is to leave the car in neutral, and relieve load from all the components. BUT in my case, once the light turns green, my tranny will take a good 2-3 seconds of depressing the clutch pedal in order for my 1st gear to synchronize. Pressing the clutch pedal immediately and trying to put the car in 1st, I will get nasty grinds (unless I start in 2nd, then back to 1st). This can become a real headache in local city driving, not to mention pissing off the person behind you (being in LA..haha). As a result, I just depress the clutch pedal and put it in 1st instead. I'll probably go through 3 tranny's before I break that little TOB.

 

[Wicked_Sick]

Id never even heard of it being problematic, and thats all Ive ever done.

Guess Ill have to change my driving habits.

 

[Joe'sTalon]

Old thread, but interesting. Engine braking, or letting off throttle in gear and letting the revs go down at the same time slowing the car, allows for much better fuel mileage because in fuel injected cars there is no fuel being used while letting the revs go down. Where as coasting in neutral uses fuel because the ecu goes to the idle loop mode to keep the engine from stalling. Though if you're engine braking by downshifting into lower gears coming to a stop light obviously you're using fuel to match the revs for the shift... the trick is to just engine brake while coming to a stop light. Yes, no rush to get to that red light, look ahead of traffic and pay attention - you'll save fuel in the long run.

As far as neutral, yea general consensus is that it's better to keep it in neutral at a stop.

 

[dylnwit]

My opinion on this, is neutral when there's not a ton of traffic, and your at a long light. All that clutch in/clutch out does wear on your slave cylinder and master cylinder seals after all. I used to always drop to neutral after engine breaking to 3rd. One day I had a slave cylinder die, at a light, while in neutral, in front of about 20 cars at a busy intersection, after that incident, I decided the wear on the throw out bearing was worth it.

 

[99 GST-R]

I didnt pass my driver's license test the first time I took it because of this very thing. I pop it into neutral, like everyone else has stated, because that's the way I was taught to, and the cop that rode with me kept telling me everytime we stopped to keep it in first and hold the clutch in. I didn't. So I had to wait for the next week, and there was a different cop that time and he didn't care. He said that her reason behind telling me to do that was "incase I needed to move the car out of the way of another driver". So the only reason I can think of to hold it in would be the the above statement. But if you can't put it in first in enough time to get out of the way of a rolling turnip, then maybe you should be driving an auto shaggin wagon.... Dylnwit, when I was learnin to drive a stick the old beater truck I was in did the same thing. That was fun, but I dont think I wanna do it again.

 

[bslavsGSX]

That's crazy. I do it the same way as you, off the clutch in neutral on a red light. I would think that the clutch would wear out a lot faster if u kept it in first gear with the clutch disengaged.

 

[jdbl14]

Never attempt to downshift from 2nd to 1st unless at a complete stop.

i never downshift to first, but what is different between first and second that makes it so you shouldn't downshift?

is it a "dog" gear, or is there no syncro? i'm sure i know but i can't remember rite now.

 

[mnr88talon]

i usually put it in neutral when im going to be at a light for a while, but one thing i like to do which is may or may not be bad for the car is when im on a slight hill and the car rolls back a lil bit, i like to let the clutch out just enough so the car creeps forward, then creep back a lil bit, then creep forward again.. it's probably bad for the talon to keep doin that but o well, my cars a piece anyways

as for coming to stops/going down hills i usually leave it in gear because I dont want to spend anymore money on brakes.. bad for the engine? maybe but after 4 years of doing it, I still haven't noticed any problems

 

[Jdog]

I always put in in neutral, especially because the 2G fear of crankwalk, which as overrated as it is, I don't wanna chance it Plus wearing the TOB and Pressure plate obviously. I think most higher horsepower people go through trannys quick enough it doesn't matter.