You guys are lucky!!

I leave the length of a car (and sometimes even HALF a length) and some dillweed will nose into it, no signal or anything. They just pull because they see there's a space there and think that their lane is moving slower than the one they're in. I'm constantly shifting between neutral & 1st or 2nd when I'm rolling slowly (anywhere from 5-15 mph). Fortunately, it doesn't happen too often, because I miss a lot of stop & go, going in to work at 2pm and getting off work at 10:30pm. But, on weekends through town, or on that occasional traffic jam...it sucks to have the manual. But hey, I couldn't justify the extra $2k for auto, plus I love shifting.

 

Thankfully the only true "make-you-wish-you-didn't-have-to-commute-to-work" traffic I deal with is coming across the 2nd Street bridge out of Southern Indiana into Louisville, KY, and I've been trying to do the same as a lot of you and wait until there is enough space between me and the car in front of me to warrant moving. Otherwise, you'll just ride your clutch to death inching forward. Although a lot of times I start off in 2nd gear while on the bridge. It helps relieve some of the constant 1st, 2nd, neutral, back to 1st, then quickly to 2nd pains.

And I second the often uselessness of 4th gear in many situations.

 

I try not to stop.

 

That's what it's called "riding the clutch". I knew there was a term for it but couldn't think of it - duh... I know riding the clutch is bad so it kind of answers my original question.

Anyone know how much a lot of this kind of driving will reduce the life of the clutch by? - E.g. If a clutch should last 10 years, would this make it possibly last only 5 years? 7 years? Just an "estimate" of course - I know there are other factors. Trying to anticipate what I might expect.

 

Well, IMO, "riding the clutch" is essentially keeping the clutch partially disengaged when there's no need for it. When creeping forward, you have a tendency to be giving the car gas while partially pushing on the clutch. And yes, it's bad to do it constantly, although everyone, I think, ends up doing it on rare occasions.
Someone else can probably provide better explanation.

 

I ride the clutch all the time when stopped on a hill. That perfect spot between clutch and gas where you are stable. Did not know it was bad. []

 

I feel the pain to. I love in the south suburbs of chicago but travel to the city everyday. I was thinking of getting a automatic but then like the guy said above i came to my senses and get the 5spd.

 

Holy moses. Did not know that riding your clutch
while stopped on a hill was bad. Are you one of
those people that keeps your left foot partially
on the brake and partially depressed in case
you have to stop quick. We can all tell because
your brake lights are always on and we can never
tell what you might do next. Very unpredictable.

 

No, I'm one of those drivers who knows the Jerk behind me is right on my tail and if I roll back just a little I'll be hitting his front bumper. Been driving a stick since I was 16 and have never had to replace a clutch so I must be doing something right.

Thanks for asking.

 

Ok guys, I've been driving manual trans cars since 1984. You can definitely damage a clutch from riding it. But, when in stop and go, you can do a quick engage without riding the clutch. This will move the car a couple feet at a time. I have never damaged or had to replace a clutch in all my years of driving. The key is not to over rev or under engage while doing the "quick engage." I wish I could explain it better but that's about the best I can do.