Take it easy on your clutch

Garwin Beukes - One wear and tear item which is usually custom to abuse is your clutch kit.

Most of us make the bad decisions mentioned below unknowingly and replacing a clutch is not that cheap.

Today we’ll take a look at what you’ve been doing wrong and how to extend the lifespan of your clutch.

Ever hear someone say, “you’re burning my clutch” or “stop riding the clutch”.

This must be the first and most important rule to your clutch’s lifespan. What does this mean? Well, basically keeping your foot on the clutch after for a short while after you’ve hit the accelerator. The clutch should be untouched either when it’s all the way up and all the way down.

A few more tips:

• Press the clutch in completely when shifting gears.
• Avoid using the clutch to keep the car from rolling backwards.
• When you’ve come to a stand still at a steep slope, use your handbrake to come to a halt. Then when you proceed, shift into first gear, reach about 2500 RPM drop the handbrake and take off.
• Avoid unnecessary changing of gears and pressing of the clutch pedal.
• Don't race to a red traffic light. Approaching the red light slowly increases the chance of it turning green again before you reach the stop. With all the traffic lights in Namibian towns, this nifty trick might save you a lot.

Catch us next week for some more tips on saving your clutch.