Mr.Clutch?

Did wonder, because if the clutch was abused before you got the car, it isn't going to last as long as with one careful driver.

Just about every used car I've ever bought has needed a clutch change. Although that was a long time ago. I now far prefer an auto, living in London.

My dad had an answer to that problem, if he was towing something seriously heavy with his MK2 jag, he would dump the clutch and spin the wheels to get the plot moving, tyres were far cheaper and easier than replacing the clutch.

Dave Plowman (News) presented the following explanation :

I now use a mover for all caravan manouvering, mainly to avoid the massive clutch wear it can sometimes cause. I'm fine reversing into an opening on the level, to turn the outfit around on main roads, but on site or once home - I make good use of the mover.

MrCheerful expressed precisely :

That used to work better with RWD, than it does with FWD ;o)

Your last three words are probably significant; the vast majority of my miles have been on rural or suburban roads.

Chris

:-)

Certainly easier than replacing the clutch on a Mk 2 Jag!

A friend with a garage business in Bordon, Hants, used to get loads of oldish Mk 2 Jags in. They were the favoured car for the local squaddies. A clutch replacement would exceed the value of the car, so he used to cut out the bulkhead with oxy, drag the gearbox through the cabin like a Herald, then weld the bulkhead back.

He could do one in under three hours that way.

Chris

Truly excellent idea when manoeuvering a caravan on grass. Nothing like getting bogged down totally. ;-)

That would account for your exceptional clutch life. ;-) Even an auto gets worn out in London.

oops, I didn't spot the manouevring bit. A friend has a caravan mover thing, it is excellent for him and his awkward drive entrance .

My brother is one of those old school types who won't go for anything new unless essential. And takes pride in being able to reverse a caravan etc using the tow car. The high gearing on his car isn't so much of a problem when towing on the road.

Many years ago, my Brother passed his test whilst living in London. He asked me to find a car for him, with certain criteria, including it mustn't be a Ford. Apparently, his then girlfriend, now wife, 'always got travel sick in them'.

I found a really tidy Vauxhall Chevette, which he loved. (I didn't!)

After a couple of months, he told me the clutch was slipping, and he had limped it to our Parents' house, where I worked on cars. I replaced the clutch for him, then got him to test-drive it with me in the car. He never took his foot completely off the pedal the whole time! He insisted he had been taught to drive like that because of London traffic.

I told him it was his choice, but I was never going to change a clutch for him again. I then showed him how to drive properly!

AFAIK, he has never needed another clutch, although many of his cars have been company ones changed after three years.

Chris

Not as bad here in Manchester, but in 33 years of driving (including a lot of stop-start, rush-hour driving), I've only ever had to replace one clutch - and that was within a couple of months of buying a cheap, ex-driving school car. The Focus I had until last year did have a clutch replacement, but that was only because the DMF needed replacing at about

SteveW

Can't do that with anything later than 2014 however, as ESP is mandatory.

Chris

bleedin' elf n safety.

there should always be the option to turn this stuff off, even if it defaults to on (next time you start up) I was surprised by how poor abs can be on ice (for example)

If I want the wheels locked up, or spinning, then I do not expect the car to say no !

I agree!

I didn't realise my 2011 Fiesta had ESP until yesterday. It's the 1.6Ti engine, so reasonably nippy. I was exiting a junction on a bend, with a loose surface, so I used a bit of power, expecting that it might break traction. Instead. the light flashed to show ESP, and the power was cut. Under that circumstance, I wanted to nip out before a car came, so I don't see how it made me safer!

I imagine that as it is mandatory now, there will be no option to turn ESP off; my car certainly doesn't have it.

Chris

In theory the grip is better just before slipping occurs, so the ESP did the right thing. However in practise wheelspin might have cleared the loose surface away so the grip was then improved.

An LSD on the front can make things seriously exciting, and again, if I want the wheels spinning...........

Does a new Caterham have ESP? or am I destined to never have another modern car?

MrCheerful used his keyboard to write :

I seem to remember having a VW which had an ESP on/off switch a few (6) years ago.

A lot depends on how intrusive it is and what degree of "slip" it'll allow.

On my old XF it could be very intrusive making the car feel like it was suddenly stuck in treacle. To be fair, it did keep me out of trouble. In my mini I can fling it around like a yobbo, all wheels drifting without really being aware of any meddling by the ESP system. I'm sure it's doing something but it's doing it in a way that doesn't subtract from the fun.

Tim