Things not to do when driving a manual transmission car
(Baonghean.vn) - With a structure that requires a lot of driver intervention, some incorrect operations will affect the durability as well as safety when the vehicle is on the road. Below are 8 things you should avoid doing when driving a manual transmission vehicle.
1. Do not leave the gear in gear when stopping at a red light.
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| Shifting to N will be most beneficial for the vehicle when stopping at red lights or in traffic jams. Because, although the ball bearing directly connected to the clutch has a fairly long life, it is not completely durable when the driver uses the vehicle incorrectly. Shifting to N will separate the clutch from the gearbox, helping the ball bearing not to contact the springs on the clutch, which increases the life of the vehicle's transmission system. |
2. Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal
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| The clutch pedal's job is to disengage the clutch, separating the gearbox from the engine so that the vehicle can shift gears. When you rest your foot on the clutch pedal, you will apply more or less force, especially on vehicles with very light clutch pedals. This will cause the clutch pad to not fully engage with the engine and cause the clutch to slip. As a result, the gearbox will not transmit 100% of the engine's power, causing fuel consumption and the clutch pad will also quickly corrode. |
3. Do not cut the front clutch, rear brake
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| The habit of clutch first, brake later is most common in new drivers, but sometimes also appears in experienced drivers, the reason is fear of stalling. At low speeds, the impact of this is not big because the inertia of the vehicle is low. But if the vehicle is running at high speed, wanting to stop and releasing the clutch first will cause the brake to lose its effect, the vehicle will lose traction like the case of releasing the clutch when cornering. The correct solution in all cases is to brake first, until you feel the vehicle is about to "stutter", then depress the clutch to disconnect before downshifting or continuing. |
4. Rest your hand on the gear lever
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The mechanism of operation of a manual transmission is to depress the clutch, shift gears, release the clutch and increase the throttle, the car will slowly move. Sometimes some drivers often put one hand on the steering wheel, one hand on the gear lever to conveniently shift gears when needed, or putting one hand on the gear lever is just a habit when moving on the highway - this action directly affects the gearbox. When shifting gears, the gear lever is directly connected to the gear shifter - shaped like a fork, this gear shifter is directly connected to the synchronizer and it will "push" the synchronizer to engage with the gear, helping the car to shift gears. |
5.Using the handbrake incorrectly
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| The handbrake is not designed to stop the car while it is moving, but only to keep the car stationary when it has stopped. Therefore, if the car is going downhill and only pulling the handbrake is a dangerous mistake. On the contrary, if you accidentally forget to release the handbrake completely (because you do not release it firmly), the brake will wear out and, more dangerously, the heat generated can boil the brake fluid, resulting in the brake not working properly. |
6. Do not "feed the clutch" to keep the car on a slope
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| When stopping on a slope, many drivers are used to releasing the clutch to the point where the vehicle is stationary, and even when taking driving lessons, some are still taught to use this method for the "start" exercise. However, this is the most damaging method for the gearbox as parts such as the clutch, drive gears, and bearings will have to endure a great deal of friction to keep the entire mass of the vehicle stationary on the slope, while the brakes on all four wheels can handle this responsibility easily. |
7. Do not shift to N when going downhill
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| Shifting to N when going downhill is similar to cutting the clutch when cornering, but it is even more dangerous, because the slope causes the gravity to act on the car more, increasing inertia rapidly. Steep roads are often located on mountainous terrain, when constantly winding, requiring a lot of steering. Shifting to N increases the risk more than ever. In this case, it is necessary to shift to a lower gear to brake the car using the engine brake, following the principle of "up which gear, down that gear". |
8. Do not cut the clutch when cornering
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| When the clutch is cut, the car only runs on inertia without being braked by the engine, so the feeling of the car running smoothly, turning "in one go" when cornering, makes many drivers like it. However, this is a dangerous habit. When the car only rolls on inertia, the braking system is less effective, requiring a larger braking distance, making it difficult for the driver to control the speed if the steering wheel is too much or too little. In addition, the wheels lose traction, increasing the risk of losing control. |
