In general there are 2 Main Pedals, and a third with Manual Transmission:
1) Accelerator
2) Brakes
3) Clutch
The order goes from right to left (when you sit behind the wheel)
The Accelerator is very sensible, a little push will cause a high impulse, even more with a bigger engine. Accelerating slow consumes less gas for the same distance, and it will improve your tire's life span by preventing slip. Newer tires with proper inflation improve acceleration and help consume less gas because the better grip offers less work and less energy wasted to move the car around.
The Brakes could also be sensible, especially for new cars. Stepping all the way unto the brakes pedal will cause the car to slip, which ironically might take the car longer to come to a stop. Some cars come with ABS (Anti-Block System) to prevent slipping. This gives you better control. Also, changing tires for newer ones improves braking on time. Deflating tires can also help coming to a stop faster, but under-inflated tires consume more gas, only do this with slippery roads.
In summary, proper inflated tires (and newer ones) will consume less gas, and accelerate faster.
A bit under-inflated tires (and new ones) give better grip, good for slippery roads, but lower MPG.
The Clutch (manual) offers some advantages over auto, mainly because auto cars generally have only 3-4 gears, while cars with clutch (manual) have 5-6 gears for the transmission The main affects are the following:
1) It allows you to get better performance out of your car. With more gears to switch in between than auto, your engine is more efficient to deliver its power (this means speeding up faster) by taking longer to switch in between gears than auto. The Clutch also allows you to "down shift" (moving to a lower gear) to slow down, this is a plus over auto-transmissions because you don't rely on brakes alone, which in a steep ramp going down can make the brakes fail for too much heat. Down shifting takes some of the braking, giving your brakes a break.
2) Besides offering better performance than auto, the clutch also offers some savings for your wallet. By allowing you to switch with more gears, the car can go to a lower gear sooner than an auto-transmission (the opposite of accelerating faster). A lower gear means less rpm for the engine, which for you means higher MPG.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Lesson One: Getting to know the Clutch
The clutch is used for 2 main things: Shift gears, and avoiding engine stall (turning off)
1.- When turning on your car, the one thing you need to do is to press the clutch. You might need to press it all the way, or may be not too much. The clutch can be adjusted to sensitivity with a screwdriver. If the battery is death, then you need to push the car fast enough (+5mph) press the clutch to go first gear, and once a good speed has been achieve, you should release the clutch so the speed of the car could turn the car on. It might get a bit shaky, but it will get you somewhere.
What happens if I don't press the Clutch to turn the car on?
Most likely, you won't be able to turn the key in the first place. Even if you engage with the clutch but you notice the key won't turn, then try to move the steering wheel left and right as you turn the key. **Some cars, like the Ford Focus, won't need the clutch to turn on the car.
2.- Once the Car is on, you are facing two possible scenarios.
I) You have your car in neutral (no gear engaged), and you can let go the clutch.
II) You have your car in first gear (or reverse), and you should keep pressing the clutch.
* If you are in I) it is because most likely you were in a level parking. Whereareas II) is most likely to occur in a hill, or ramp. Leaving your car in 1st gear when parking reduces the chances of the car rolling into incoming traffic. It is the same principle in automatic-transmission when putting in P (parking).
** Leave the car running for at least 20 seconds after a long period of not using the car. It is a pain having to press and hold the clutch for a long time, so that is why is recommended to leave the car in neutral while it's warming up. If you don't wait this 20 seconds, the engine gears will worn much faster, and you will start experiencing problems with your car sooner than before. These engine problems are costly so it is better to wake up an extra 20 seconds earlier (rather than waiting 5 more minutes in bed) to keep you car running smoothly.
3) Once everything is ready to go (you have made yourself comfortable with the seat, mirrors are adjusted to your height, and there is no incoming traffic) then you can engage in first gear and start moving forward.
*For these details visit the next blog
1.- When turning on your car, the one thing you need to do is to press the clutch. You might need to press it all the way, or may be not too much. The clutch can be adjusted to sensitivity with a screwdriver. If the battery is death, then you need to push the car fast enough (+5mph) press the clutch to go first gear, and once a good speed has been achieve, you should release the clutch so the speed of the car could turn the car on. It might get a bit shaky, but it will get you somewhere.
What happens if I don't press the Clutch to turn the car on?
Most likely, you won't be able to turn the key in the first place. Even if you engage with the clutch but you notice the key won't turn, then try to move the steering wheel left and right as you turn the key. **Some cars, like the Ford Focus, won't need the clutch to turn on the car.
2.- Once the Car is on, you are facing two possible scenarios.
I) You have your car in neutral (no gear engaged), and you can let go the clutch.
II) You have your car in first gear (or reverse), and you should keep pressing the clutch.
* If you are in I) it is because most likely you were in a level parking. Whereareas II) is most likely to occur in a hill, or ramp. Leaving your car in 1st gear when parking reduces the chances of the car rolling into incoming traffic. It is the same principle in automatic-transmission when putting in P (parking).
** Leave the car running for at least 20 seconds after a long period of not using the car. It is a pain having to press and hold the clutch for a long time, so that is why is recommended to leave the car in neutral while it's warming up. If you don't wait this 20 seconds, the engine gears will worn much faster, and you will start experiencing problems with your car sooner than before. These engine problems are costly so it is better to wake up an extra 20 seconds earlier (rather than waiting 5 more minutes in bed) to keep you car running smoothly.
3) Once everything is ready to go (you have made yourself comfortable with the seat, mirrors are adjusted to your height, and there is no incoming traffic) then you can engage in first gear and start moving forward.
*For these details visit the next blog
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