The clutch, it's enough to make some people drive automatics, but once mastered it will
give you great control over the car. I'm Chris and in this video, I'll be showing you examples
of when you'll be using clutch control. In slow moving traffic,
creeping out at junctions
and controlling the car on a hill. It's easy to over-complicate the clutch so I'll be keeping
it as simple as possible. If you're looking for a technical explanation of what the clutch
does then have a look in the description for a link. Let's practice moving the car slowly.
Firstly, you need to get familiar with the biting point in your car. To find the biting
point, I'll press the clutch down, go into 1st gear, I'm going to press the gas slightly
to get the revs up to around one and a half. This will help me not stall. I would need
a bit more if I was going uphill or no gas for going downhill. I might get away with
not using any gas here but it's not good practice, especially in older cars that might stall
easier. I'm going to raise the clutch until I find the biting point. I know when I've
got it as I'll feel the back of the car dip down slightly and the engine sound changes.
I will now make sure it's safe all around, I'll release the handbrake and the car starts
to move. If I hold the clutch still it will maintain this speed. If I move the clutch
down the thickness of a pound coin and it will slow the car down. Raising the clutch
speeds up the car and that's clutch control. Controlling the speed with the clutch when
driving slowly. When you want to drive on, then bring the clutch up gently. Holding the
biting point for too long could wear out your clutch. But, if you release the clutch too
quickly then you can expect to either stall or zoom off too quick. It's just about finding
the right balance. We're now going to have a look at examples of clutch control in real
life situations. We're going to be doing a lot of clutch control in traffic. Raising
the clutch slowly to make yourself move. Don't forget to give it some gas when moving off
as it can really help you not stall. Planning ahead all the time. I'm turning right. Getting
into position. In 1st gear ready to go. By using the handbrake here, means I can get
my feet ready to move off. Little bit of a hill start. I don't want to get the biting
point too early, because if I hold the biting point for too long it can wear out the clutch.
I don't want to set the gas too early either because that would waste fuel and cause pollution.
It will be vital that I get the biting point, otherwise I will roll backwards. Got the gas
and the biting point, I'm ready to move. Just creeping slightly forward. See the traffic
lights are changing, so oncoming cars are stopping. Clutch slowly comes up. If I was
to release the clutch too quickly there, I would of definitely stalled. Moving off downhill
is a lot easier than moving off uphill. I won't need any gas or any biting point as
gravity will just make me move. So, I'll press down the clutch, go into 1st gear and my right
foot will be ready for the brake. I'll check all around and the blind spot. Release the
handbrake. Just got that footbrake ready now as gravity is making me move and now the clutch
can slowly start to come up. If I was to raise the clutch up too quickly then I would of
zoomed away or stalled. Let's have a look at moving off on a speed hump, on a hill.
I'll definitely need my handbrake. I'm in 1st gear. Get the revs up to around 2 here.
Then really make sure that I've got the biting point. I felt the back dip down and the front
raised up. Just going to hold the clutch steady. Really feel that there, the handbrake goes
down. Keeping the clutch still here and then the clutch slowly comes up. I'm now going
to control the speed on this hill with the gas and the clutch. I've got the clutch down
about half way, moving the clutch very slowly, raising it to speed up or lowering it down
to slow down. It's actually to hold the car still just using the gas and the clutch. Takes
a bit of practice but it can be done. Got the gas and the biting point, really trying
to move the car as slow as I can as if I was in a traffic jam. Got the gas and the biting
point. Let's see if I can keep the car still just using the gas and the clutch, no brakes
at all. Raising the clutch slowly to make the car move, or lowering it down slightly
to slow down. I'm moving the clutch about the thickness of a pound coin, very slight
movements. You don't normally want to hold the biting point for that long as it does
wear out the clutch, but I just wanted to show you for demonstrational purposes the
power of the clutch. I'm turning right at the end of the road so I will have to stop
at the give-way lines. I'm braking gently, leaving the clutch as late as possible as
I don't want to coast. Clutch down now. Coasting is when you press the clutch down too early
and the car can freewheel, speed up and you lose a bit of a control. I've got this downhill
start here. It's quite a busy road, I won't need too much biting point as the hill will
launch me away and then the clutch slowly comes up as I apply more gas. Getting ready
to go at traffic lights. Slightly downhill. I don't want to let go of the clutch too quickly.
Easing off the clutch gently and then straight up to 2nd gear. The downhill really helped
me go there. Planning ahead I can see traffic lights. Approaching slowly ready for them
to change. Slowly easing off the clutch. Moving off, again clutch slowly starts to ease off.
Traffic lights aren't working here so I need to be extra careful as nobody has priority.
Especially looking out for pedestrians. Creeping out slowly, hard to see here. Getting the
handbrake on so I can press the gas, lot's of looking and then the clutch slowly comes
up. If you stall when moving off at a junction then you're either not giving it enough gas,
the clutch is coming up too quick or you're in the wrong gear. Let's have a look at moving
away from a tight space. Getting the gas and the biting point in 1st gear. Make sure it's
safe all around. The main thing here is not to let go of the clutch too soon or I'm going
to go zooming off into this car in front or the silver car opposite. I'm really holding
onto the biting point, lowering it down to slow down and then raising the clutch to speed
up. It's quite a tight road, ready for oncoming cars. See a car so I'm pulling over, don't
need to stop completely. Slowly bringing the clutch up to the biting point and then slowly
easing off the clutch to go. Again there's no hurry to let go of the clutch, otherwise
I would of stalled or zoomed off into the other parked cars. Moving away in this traffic.
The clutch slowly eases off, it's not a sudden movement, it comes up very gently. A common
mistake is when people don't give it enough gas when moving off and the car just stalls,
so don't be afraid to give it a little bit of gas when moving off especially if you're
moving off uphill. We're following the road ahead at this dangerous crossroads. A lot
of accidents have happened here before because it's so hard to see. Parked cars on both sides.
I really need to use my clutch control to creep across without going too fast. Waiting
for a safe opportunity, starting to creep using clutch control, lowering it down to
slow down and raising it slightly to speed up. I see my chance and accelerate and off
I go. Another blind junction, I'm turning right. Again I need to be super careful, really
using my clutch control to creep out. Moving the clutch very slight movements until I know
it's safe and it's not safe so the clutch has gone back down again. Just creeping out
slightly, the oncoming car has pulled over and the clutch slowly comes up. That's the
end of our video on clutch control, really hope it's been useful. If it has then please
give us a thumbs up 'like' at the bottom of the screen. Don't forget to subscribe for
our latest videos on learning to drive and hopefully see you on the next video. Thanks
a lot for watching, it's really appreciated.