Are You Contributing to Accelerated Clutch Disrepair?
Posted on: 1 December 2020
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While no motorist looks forward to auto repairs, they are inevitable. And for some auto parts, these repairs will be relatively routine due to the environment they are exposed to. The clutch is one of these components that you can expect to acquire a fair amount of wear that will necessitate repairs and eventual replacement because it is subjected to a substantial amount of friction. Nonetheless, this does not mean that you should not take steps towards prolonging its lifespan. One of the best ways of doing so is being keen about your driving habits, as these have a direct impact on how quickly this auto part deteriorates. So how can you tell if you are contributing to accelerated clutch disrepair?
You keep riding your clutch
Clutch riding is a habit that many motorists are guilty of. You will typically find yourself doing this when you are stuck in traffic. Rather than putting your clutch up or down, you opt to keep it partially engaged — this is what is referred to as riding it. Granted, this tendency may be inevitable in some scenarios. Nonetheless, you should be conscious of always resorting to this habit and try your best to keep it to a minimum, as it wreaks havoc on the functioning of this auto part. A good way to limit clutch riding when in traffic is to wait for the cars to start moving rather than continually inching forward right at the bumper of the car ahead of you.
You keep changing the gears roughly
Gear changes should be smooth and effortless. The rougher a gear shift is, the bumpier your ride will be. Additionally, you will be causing gradual damage to both the gearbox and the clutch. This problem tends to be common in newbie motorists, as they have not yet become accustomed to changing the gears in one seamless motion. And the only way that you can eliminate this issue is by practising until you get accustomed to shifting gears smoothly. The more decisive you are when you change gears, the faster the motion is and the less risk there will be of damage to your clutch.
You keep skipping car servicing appointments
Another habit that will cause considerable premature damage to your clutch is ignoring scheduled auto service appointments. Certainly, car servicing is not a cheap endeavour. Thus, some people tend to assume that as long as they think their vehicle is running smoothly, they can wait until the next appointment. In truth, skipping one or more appointment leaves underlying issues undiagnosed, and this leaves room for them to get worse. Thus, you end up requiring extensive clutch repairs or even complete replacement when routine auto servicing would have extended the life cycle of this component.
Contact a local car service centre to learn more.