When you're driving stick in a 2003 Jetta, is it okay to go into neutral merely by moving the stick into neutral without pressing on the clutch first?
I've looked everywhere for this seemingly simple answer but no dice...
Thanks
When you're driving stick in a 2003 Jetta, is it okay to go into neutral merely by moving the stick into neutral without pressing on the clutch first?
I've looked everywhere for this seemingly simple answer but no dice...
Thanks
I do it all the time.I basically find it easy to take stick into nuetral position without clutch in 3rd gear when coming to a stop at about 5mph or less.I would tell you if you try to go into nuetral without clutch and stick doesnt come out easily use clutch do not force it.
Theoretically there's no problem, although if you find yourself forcing the stick you are putting more stress on the various components involved. If you "unload" the gears first by making sure the car is neither accelerating nor engine braking you should be OK.
nate
I think it's probably not the worst thing you can do but I can't imagine it's a great thing either. If you move it from gear to neutral w/o the clutch it's probably a little more difficult than when using the clutch to disengage the gears first. The added resistance means that you're "fighting" what the transmission wants to do (stay in gear). Sure it's momentary, but over and over and over it can add up when it's 100 times a day times 365 days a year times...you get the idea.
Using the clutch means that the clutch instead is wearing (during the period from fully engaged to fully disengaged it's "slipping").
But clutches are designed for shifting in/out of gear and are designed with that momentary "slipping" in mind as normal wear and tear. Transmissions are not. Clutches are cheaper than transmissions to replace.
So I say that you might not be causing much wear by not using the clutch, but you're causing probably some wear and it's on the more expensive of the two items.
Therefore, I'd say use the clutch. :)
||I do it all the time.I basically find it easy to take stick into nuetral ||position without clutch in 3rd gear when coming to a stop at about 5mph ||or less.I would tell you if you try to go into nuetral without clutch ||and stick doesnt come out easily use clutch do not force it.
The time to move the lever to neurtral is the instant you let up on the gas and it unloads the gears. At that point it's almost trying to disengage on it's own. Minor pressure on the lever helps you feel this point.
Texas Parts Guy
Sorry to jump in but I have another clutch question. Do you need to depress the clutch fully every time you change gears?
Also, is it OK to not to release the clutch fully when you're moving slowing in the 1st gear?
Thanks.
You should depress the clutch enough to fully disengage it. Exactly where this point is will vary from car to car, but given some practice you should get a feel for where that point is. It is certainly safer to depress the pedal *more* than necessary, rather than *less*.
Slipping the clutch is generally not a good thing. It wears the clutch surfaces, and raises temperature, which further accelerates the rate of wear.
-- Mike Smith
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