My Take on Proper Clutch Control

[@DreamcastFan-101]

Just wanted to drop a comment here to thank you for your content, Ashley. At the age of 43 I passed my test first time with 3 minors, and your videos were vital viewing between lessons as additional learning. Now I can watch your analysis videos to be a better driver! Thanks Ashley.

[@Zkrizt]

What I don't understand is when people throw themselves into a parking space at full speed, I've literally seen someone slam into a wall doing that and I see people doing it daily. And they're parking nose first so the time they "save" while parking is lost again because they can't see when exiting the parking space.

[@strut06]

I used to drive into spaces about 50% of the time after passing my test (it wasn't part of the 'lower standard' test that the DVSA use now). I can't pin point the exact time I stopped but I exclusively reverse into bays now for this exact reason.I've even pointed it out to my wife who insists its easier to drive into spaces, as well as driveways then reverse out of said driveway and not be able to see at all what is coming due to parked cars. I just don't understand it.

[@iwashere2370]

You don't want some toe rag pinching your space whilst you're faffing about reversing

[@strut06]

@@iwashere2370 if you do it properly its not an issue. Although having experience driving an HGV and having to command the road space abit more than the average car driver helps.

[@josephj6521]

Nose in easier at shopping centers. Cannot load car of shopping if backed in. I don’t have an issue either way.

[@fromthegamethrone]

​@@iwashere2370why are you faffing about? Practice until you can do it in one. Takes maybe 10 seconds extra.

[@myarworth]

Before I ever got to drive on the road the first thing I was taught by my father was pulling away from a stationary proton just using the clutch, no throttle at all and no anti stall back in early 80s. Must have stalled 20+ times before I got away the first time. We went through this routine a dozen times or more before I ever travelled 100 meters. That experience and skill has done me well up until cars with auto handbrake looking for a throttle input as well before releasing!

[@Stallzyx]

liked the comment because it sounds like a funny experience but if the car has shut off 99 times before you get it the 100th time, it's not entirely your fault, that is showing that technique is not right for moving off forwards and you won't get away with it in an older car. Apply revs so you can hear the car even like up to 2000, and then just pull the clutch up the thickness of a pound coin is what my instructor always said. Then repeat and go up a bit more. You'll find the car doesn't zoom off anywhere and actually still crawls even though the engine is loud / revs are high. Of course, you wouldn't do this normally as it is probably causing a lot of wear and it's also noisy to those around you but it shows what the clutch control can do.

[@myarworth]

@@Stallzyx this was how I was taught by my dad on clutch control. He wasn't a driving instructor and it was my first ever time in a car so no surprise it took me a while to get it, he was also very patient because you can't teach 'feel' you need to experience it to learn. - I guess I was pointing at the fact that right from the start I learnt the skill of clutch control to a high degree of finesse because of the way I was taught. To be fair to my dad, the car was also a 2.0L turbo car so I'm sure he didn't want me anywhere near the accelerator on my first ever drive without dual controls 😁

[@derekheeps1244]

I just won't buy any car with all that electronic interference , nor any car that I can't work on myself . The youngest car in my fleet is 19 years old now and the only thing automatic about it is the transmission .

[@AndrewEbling]

Agreed on not relying on anti-stall - in some cars, once activated, it can continue pushing power beyond when it needed or helpful. I've also figured out its more fuel efficient in my car to maneuver on light gas than let the anti-stall kick in.

[@woodydroneson]

I spent a lot of time with my wife, teaching her how to do hill starts and basic slow-start clutch control, she is still not smooth, but after many hours of practice she became good enough to control the car in almost any situation. The car was old school Ford KA without any handbrake assistance, bring back old tech so we can learn how to actually drive the car :) Oh she passed 1st time, well done to the driving instructor and me ;) for the added efforts on clutch control training.

[@BrightonandHoveActually]

The use of the leg on the clutch is a bit like having a tool with both a couse and a fine adjustment. You slide it until it is close to where you want it - which is the leg movement. Then you make the fine adjustments with a screw adjustment which advances or retracts by a tiny amount. That is the ankle control. There is a place where I regularly parallel park facing slightly downhill. I use the engine to reverse but gravity is sufficient for forward movement by slightly pivoting each foot in the opposite direction.

[@skeptical1705]

This is one of those subjects that sounds daunting and complicated when explained even by a great tutor like Ash but once you "get it" it's really simple and intuitive. I think it helps to know what a clutch actually does...then it's a case of red light/green light. Disengage/Engage. Off the Power/ On the power.

[@Stallzyx]

Yeah except its not fully on or off or red light, green light unless you're trying to do what he was doing at the end with brake and clutch. The point is that the clutch modulates the power from the engine to the wheels, and so a cool thing that I was personally shown by my instructor which again explains Ashley's point of dipping the clutch etc is applying some revs so you can hear the engine even, and if you barely lift the clutch or get the bite then the car will still crawl.

[@skeptical1705]

@@Stallzyx It's either biting or it's not though. That's my point. There is no in-between. Once you learn when to bite and when to release it, it becomes second nature. Just the process of having it explained can be daunting. It comes with experience. I've tried to teach my missus how to do it on a campsite and it was difficult to explain something I do without thinking lol

[@davidrumming4734]

I was taught the same we you teach. 1. Trying to control the clutch with your leg in the air will not work. 2. Gas before clutch. Some cars do have anti stall, I don’t know how many. Point. Even w/out anti stall, some cars can slowly creep away on only the clutch-while others definitely won’t. I actually experienced it first while learning to drive. My folks poverty spec Astra v a poverty spec 1.0 fiesta….the Astra was so forgiving on the clutch while the fiesta wasn’t. A further note…engine revs and related noise will also vary model to model. So again, that old Astra was a lot less noisy than the fiesta. Get into the fiesta and I didn’t Rev the engine enough because it made too much noise….until I learned the extra revs & noise were required and normal in the fiesta. 3. What does the pop up message say? 4. Those tyres look ridiculously thin. How long do they last, a year? Is the ride quality very bumpy as a result…closest similar I have been in was a 2000 era Seat Ibiza FR….almost no tyres and almost no suspension + hard seats. Luckily I didn’t have to go very far. Fred flinstones car would have been more comfortable. 5. I had forgotten how much work was involved. It’s been about 3y since a drove any manual car….and that was a one off. So about twice in the last 5 years. 6. In 7+ years time, the majority of people will look back at this video and go “wow did we really do all that?”…the switch to hybrid (also gone after another 5y) and electric (net zero). The new generation will never know how to drive manual. 7. Would love to see a few retro lesson videos….learning to drive (manual) in a 850cc Mini or something like that. How we used to live. I can’t imagine not having a side mirror on the passenger side. Some of the small, compact cars of years ago also had big heavy steering wheels as well.

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

Great video, i have noticed that pivoting my right foot between the gas and brake pedal does help to make it faster. If i anticipate braking in an area but aren't sure, i quickly pivot and hover over the brake.

[@BoskiM]

Just to add to what Ashley said. If you want to learn this quickly try driving an older car and then migrate to a newer or current model car. I drive a 2011 Ford Mondeo titanium diesel and it took me a while to get used to it because I used to hire and drive 'new' cars. But today driving any car and van is no problem for me

[@concernedcitizen12577]

This advice is good. It's the method I was taught over 35 years ago. Use it all the time on hill starts. Even this was extensively used on special license driving course for driving on unmade narrow roads in mountain ranges

[@iallso1]

When I did my 4wd training we had a mix of vehicles including automatics, the modern vehicles had electronics that did the "clutch" control, there were some old timers who questioned the ability of automatics to do this as well as manual transmission vehicles.

[@ethancarberry-holt3011]

Thanks Ashley, as I'm taking my test in April, I really needed this video!

[@clivewilliams3661]

This all works in a modern electronic fuel injected car but does not necessarily work with many classic cars of only a few years old. I once drove a Lotus Elan S1 where the clutch bite point was in the last 12mm of travel and having grown up with driving goods vans I initially had difficulty not stalling it. I also inherited a VP Maestro that had an electronically controlled carb that would initially creep along in traffic and then suddenly accelerate on its own (this taught me to stay well back from cars in crawling traffic!). I have a classic Beetle with the floor mounted pedals that I initially found I could not operate the brake or the clutch with my heel on the floor as the pad was too high. I raised the floor 2"(50mm) so that now pedal control is comfortable and intuitive. Quite a few of my car club mates have done the same on their competition cars to improve control. It makes me wonder how people with small feet cope? The problem I have with our current Skoda Superb is twofold 1) I cannot hear the engine at idle as its so quiet and it only becomes audible over 1500rpm so slow manoeuvres are actually quite difficult, particularly in reverse, when I may not have sight of the rev counter. There is also no feel to the throttle pedal because it is drive by wire with no mechanical restriction. 2) The clutch is light and without any feel and the bite point becomes a judgement of movement rather than a synergy with the mechanics. It seems the car designers have tried to get some false sense of luxury by isolating the driver from the mechanics of the car that is essential to perfect control.

[@Stallzyx]

My only experience is driving newer cars at the moment so this is something that worries me a bit about older ones. Not sure if the bite point would be back to the more usual low down if you just replaced the clutch? Not sure if that's normal with that Lotus but it'd definitely throw me off if it was that high

[@clivewilliams3661]

@@Stallzyx Ford clutches at the time were known to have the bite point quite high as was confirmed in the driving school Escort Mk1 that I drove. Lotuses (Lotii?) both the Lotus Cortina and the Elan, both of which had the twin cam in them had uprated clutches to cope with the extra power so I guess that was responsible for the sharpness of the clutch. Other marques didn't have the same issues.

[@Hotoadle]

Clutch control varies widely from model to model and car to car. There's often a variation just in the nature of materials used to make the diaphragm. A cheaper clutch is likely to be harder to control. You'll also be getting feedback from the gearbox. An old gearbox and a new clutch feel a lot different (worse, normally) than if they are overhauled together. I believe the GTi has low profile tyres (better feedback) with an enhanced turning ratio (compared to the normal Golf) so it's a lot, lot, easier. Then there's the difference between mechanical and hydraulic clutches, both feel very different to start off with. Add. Agree 100% about ankle control and comments about other yt channels on this; in fact it's old school to anchor the biting point on the heel and requires a bit of discomfort initially but it pays dividends and you should be able to pull off in third without anyone noticing - if you've got your technique mastered. Almost zero skill in driving new cars, especially the larger Porsches, BMWs, Merc's, etc.

[@ppheanix]

When I taught my two sons to drive, as a pre-cursor to learning hill starts, I showed them how to hold a car on a slight incline with only the clutch and gas pedals (the aim, to practice finding and feeling the friction point of the clutch so that they didn't over rev the engine on a hill start -- OR stall in traffic) -- all their friends were amazed as NONE of them could do it !

[@Stallzyx]

Yeah, I think you can even sometimes crawl a bit uphill with just the clutch alone but it's best to just apply a bit of gas and then lift the clutch a small amount at a time. In terms of big hills, I just look for the point where the car tilts itself in a sense before disengaging handbrake and applying a bit more gas.

[@derekheeps1244]

I had an elderly friend who learned to drive in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s : there , on the driving test , for the hill start manoeuvre , once the car was stopped and handbrake applied , the examiner would place an egg under the rear wheel ; if the car rolled back at all and broke the egg - that was a failure . I wonder how many drivers nowadays could pass that test ? Freddie did .

[@ppheanix]

@@Stallzyx Thnx, I edited my original post. From slight inclines they graduated to inclines between 30-45 degrees and only used the clutch and gas pedals with a hand on the park brake in case it was needed. They were surprised at how easy it was and felt rather chuffed. The outcome was about getting used to the clutch point without stalling the engine AND then they used the park brake and clutch points on gas to do hill starts.

[@kenbrown2808]

it's okay as long as you don't make a habit of it. I've known of people who habitually did that instead of disengaging the clutch and using the brakes at a stop, and they bought a lot of clutches.

[@ppheanix]

​@@kenbrown2808 Hopefully you read my edited post... "(the aim, to practice finding and feeling the friction point of the clutch so that they didn't over rev the engine on a hill start)" -- "OR stall in traffic"... I agree, habitually 'riding' the clutch is not good -- my mother would ride the clutch as she reversed up our home driveway because she was not confident to let out the clutch once the car was moving.

[@kimberlyokeeffe5360]

Excellent video about control. I learned to drive in a van with 3 on the tree. Somehow, I intuitively applied your lessons as I got better behind the wheel. Looking back, I realize that the more I drove, the better I got. I didn't have to 'think' about what to do, I just did it. I will admit that almost 40 later, not having driven a manual in several decades I would be rusty but I do believe that the muscle memory would return quickly.

[@derekheeps1244]

I drive automatics 99% of the time , and use both feet in two pedal cars , but when I return to manual ( and I learned on 4 speed column changes , both left and right hand drive , where the gear lever is on opposite sides of the column ) I don't need to even think about it ; I just intuitively switch from left foot braking to right foot braking . One time even , when I slipped on a lone job late at night and sprained my right ankle , I had to drive a manual van about 200 miles home using only my left foot ( leaving my right foot dangling in the stepped area next to the drivers door so it had no weight on it ) ! Fortunately there was enough torque to get rolling in 1st gear , after which it was left foot for both brake and throttle , and clutchless gear changing ( something I also learned from my father who grew up with non synchromesh cars , and drove everything from trucks , buses , motorbikes , tanks and other tracked vehicles - he was a very good tutor ) . Clutchless gear changing is a good skill to master ( after double de-clutching which teaches you to get the timing and revs correct in non synchromesh cars ) since anyone can have a clutch cable or hydraulic failure , or thrust bearing failure , and need to get home without it . It was early hours of the morning , so no other traffic to contend with . HGV drivers tend not to use the clutch once rolling as they can be heavy and cumbersome , but once you get the timing right and slow each gran change down into two movements with the pause in neutral for rev adjustment , it becomes easy .

[@kimberlyokeeffe5360]

@@derekheeps1244 I do know how to double clutch as I drove 4, 5 & 6 speed charter buses. I'm not old enough to have been around vehicles that were non synchromesh unfortunately. Here in the States, manuals for ordinary vehicles are not even an option when new! I personally think that you are a better driver if you learn on a manual even if you never use it. It makes you think about what you have to do control the vehicle.

[@noostroi]

One way I was taught about clutch control was to go somewhere 'quiet' that had a hill, and whilst going uphill, just use the throttle & clutch to start and stop the car, (at maneuvering speed) so you're riding the clutch whilst the car is stationary - no use of the brakes. It should let you practice biting point positioning and clutch leg/foot pivoting.

[@ciduk]

As always @ashley thanks for making such great content, I'm sharing this with my students.

[@Graham_Shaw]

Passed my test over 30 years ago, been driving a manual car almost ever since, but bought a car with an automatic gearbox a year ago as a manual was not available. Oh!, how I miss a manual gearbox, it makes driving so much more engaging and enjoyable.

[@barrymurton8988]

The thing I found most difficult in 2018 was going from auto to a manual WAV, transit van type, when my wife went permanently into a wheelchair - The number of times I kangarood to start with but I did like the height and vision! I can understand the Chelsea tractor now! Sadler now I’m on my own so am now using an auto EV!

[@RicardoPetrazzi]

I was always taught to use control of all 3 pedals for manoveurs and the need to balance clutch and throttle. A point to note is that the 'bite' point of the clutch will change a little also over time with standard wear. I remember a car I cad years ago that you could pop in 1st, lift gently off the clutch and get the car creeping forward, without the need to use any gas/throttle and the car would just keep moving slowly.

[@eramars5699]

A lot of old American pickup trucks have insanely short 1st gears for towing things. Without a load you can move the truck from second gear with only the clutch. No help from the computer (they obviously dont have computers)

[@54356776]

Any car will move like that just using the clutch.

[@eramars5699]

@@54356776 False, a fair number of older cars will stall straight away

[@emmabird9745]

Hi Ashley, very interesting. Might I suggest that if you find youself pointing your foot to opperate the clutch then try a couple of clicks forward on the seat. Maybe you should try a demo on a slightly steeper car park, then the dance of pedals gets challenging, particularly down hill.

[@paulbeaumont2911]

So do I enjoy Ashley’s videos?? We’ll i past my test, in a manual car decades back, I know drive an auto so I have no need for clutch work instruction, but watched this to end… I’m guessing I enjoy his videos!! 😂

[@unsafevelocities5687]

I've been driving for over 9 years and I have no idea what I do with my clutch foot -- I learnt clutch control by moving a car in and out of a tight garage at 13 or 14 so it was by feel and rote learning effectively. I know it's definitely different than the brake/accelerator and if I don't already I'll give resting my heel on the floor ago. I'm just thinking it might help in heavy traffic, actually, though I normally idle along.

[@sanderrehepapp5219]

9:45-10:05 thats the best explanation of how to do it, I tried to explain it to a friend of mine but I am terrible at explaining things so I'm gonna steal that brilliant explanation from you!

[@danielbedford6539]

Hi Ashley. This particular video has become way to complicated for me. I always start buy parking in a space that does't need reversing. Maybe in London it's not possible. Your instructional videos are full of wisdom and helpful advise. What are your thoughts on people flashing their had lights to allow the person/driver to pass? And also people briefly flashing their hazard warning lights to show a "thank you". I do this all the time. Communicating through the cars capability.

[@themittonmethod1243]

i find it entertaining how all of these bits of technique are the foundation of low-speed control on a motorbike! also i am interested in if or how your personal slow control habits have changed since your lorry training, Ashley? Cheers from BC Canada!

[@smilerbob]

Great video Ashley and good to know my clutch / leg / foot positioning are what you would expect. A lot of good tips there and the only thing I would personally add with regards to the older vehicles is the clutch can be a lot heavier than newer cars, especially cable clutches which can make using clutch only just as jumpy as using the brake to control speed. As you say, a little bit of accelerator with the clutch will cater for all situations and vehicles Keep up the good work with making our roads safer, calmer and better for everyone

[@lmusima3275]

This is handy. I’ve only ever driven manual transmissions. When I recommend driving I had more clutch control than before

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

Top tip about the leg movement on the clutch pedal! Some people do it the third way, which is to depress the clutch pedal, dig the heel into the floor at the bottom of the pedal travel, and then use the heel to control the clutch. Not necessarily wrong if you're moving off once, but this method causes the pedal to slip across the foot, and if you need to use the bite and then stop, then it becomes a problem, because people need to readjust their foot every time they dip the clutch in; or even take it out of gear, readjust, and put it back in gear. The method Ashley described is the best of both worlds. It gives you control, but the pedal doesn't slip across your foot.

[@kenbrown2808]

small things, I rest my heel on the floor and use my ankle to regulate the pedal position, something like Ashley said, but I drop the heel when I hit the bite on the press instead of on the release. form that point, I roll the ankle to release the clutch. on big things, the length of the clutch throw makes that impossible. but it;s always best to have heel contact on the brake and throttle as ashley says, because you have a lot more control of the pedals with a one foot lever than trying to hold your entire leg against inertia and momentum.

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

@@kenbrown2808 agreed!

[@keith6400]

This technique is easy for men with size 11 shoes women with size 3 shoes will find it difficult to impossible.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@keith6400 don't be sexist. men with size 3 shoes won't find it any easier than women with size 3 shoes.

[@keith6400]

@@kenbrown2808 The men will still find it marginally easier because for some strange reason men's 3 and women's 3 are not the same size with the men's size being larger. One wonders why.

[@Beanie1984]

I enjoy your videos on vehicle control more than the other videos. I have a friend that is adamant she wants to pass her test in an automatic car. I guess she will know how to drive a car, but not how to operate one.

[@derekheeps1244]

Re your point about fully de-clutching , this fundamentally comes down to the seat position being correct . If students struggle to press the pedal fully down - they are sitting too far back . When I ( rarely ) drive manual cars , I se the seat up so that I can fully press the clutch pedal down without stretching , then adjust rake of backrest so that arms are almost straight with both hands at top of wheel , and comfortable reach to all the minor controls - this is the method taught at Tulliallan . Of course if you have adjustable for reach and height steering wheel you can also move this to suit , but take care that steering wheel still allows view of all instruments . For smaller people , seat height is also important as being too low can make it difficult to see extremities of car .

[@Stallzyx]

Good points, yeah. I have personally always sat more forwards probably than others because I just feel like I need to have good control of the clutch and dipping it all the way down shouldn't be a stretch at all. I do have a habit of hovering my foot over the clutch but I've started to get used to just putting my foot on the mat instead or something so that my clutch leg doesn't get as tired. Any time I come up to a roundabout or a traffic light or 30mph zone then I am hovering over clutch again.

[@mattthorn4789]

One thing you didn't mention is that clutch-break control kills the clutch, and it is expensive to replace. On the other hand I'd like to have hints on how to do this without paying attention, I drove so many electric cars, even if I know what to do with the manual, if I'm tired, and pay attention to the traffic, sometimes I just randomly go half-way in the wrong gear, and I release the clutch. Killing 😕

[@mythicaldragon2260]

Not really. I mean how else are you meant to move the car into the bay without clutch/brake

[@derekheeps1244]

Another important point especially in cars like that one with predominantly metal pedals rather than rubber ones , is that if you get in when it is wet outside and your shoes are wet , there is a very real danger of feet slipping off the pedals , so covering the brake , or at least being ready to , can be a vital safety measure .

[@Stallzyx]

The rubber ones can be quite slippery also I've found. My instructor's car had them when I was having some refresher lessons recently and it was rainy weather. He reminded me when I got in the car every time basically to rub my feet on the mats first. I guess you could also go to the lengths of having some paper towel at hand and trying to wipe any previous moisture off the pedals

[@MRDNRA]

Clutch control on my previous car, a 2003 Honda Jazz, was an utter nightmare. I got it on a cheap part exchange from the garage I live right next to that's owned by a family friend, and between me taking it for a test drive (when the clutch was slipping) and buying it they replaced the clutch. I'm not sure what it was about that car afterwards but pulling away from a standing start or trying to creep along without putting at least some power with the accelerator was literally impossible as it would shake the car quite a bit (which- when I first got it it felt like I was having to relearn how to drive again, especially as my previous car I could easily let it creep along with no power at all using just the clutch!) It did smooth out quite a bit in time though never 'liked' the combination of low gear/low speed/low revs enough to not need at least a bit of extra power except for about the 1st minute after turning the engine on - basically a case of trying to only use 1st gear to pull away then avoid it until stopped, and preferably not having to go slower than 15 to 20 even in 2nd gear, though I think even 10mph in 2nd gear was smoother than 1st gear! I suppose if there was one good thing to come out of it is that it really did help me improve clutch control in order to drive far more smoothly overall. I've just replaced it after 5 years with a newer Honda Jazz which runs so much better and very smoothly that the biggest thing I'm having to get used to at at low speed/low gear is just how smoothly it runs!

[@richardharvey1732]

Hi Ashley, back in nineteen hundred and frozen to death, when I was learning to drive the most difficult and important thing was to get the feel of the 'bite' point which is not the same on all vehicles!. It took me a while but by the time I took my test for the second time one thing I had to be very careful with was the use of the handbrake when stationary!, I had become so familiar with hold the vehicle on the gentle slopes around here on the clutch, even when this involved going from neutral with the footbrake on to into gear and on the clutch without rolling back at all!, every now and then I find myself still doing just that and noting that the very rapid sequence of hand and feet co-ordination is so well learned I really never actually think about it!. The best car I ever had was one with a little bit of clutch slip that meant that very rapid acceleration in lower gears could often lead to a bit of slippage, what this did mean was that during most of the fifty thousand miles in that one I did not use first gear at all and in traffic I could let the clutch in in second gear on the flat in the slow traffic with no throttle at all, roll away, into third as soon as the engine speed settled and on into forth and fifth up to about twenty five MPH, without any throttle at all!, all on tick-over. Part of this strategy includes never de-clutching at all until the engine is just about to stall!, one of those many things that the auto-pilot looks after, getting to know exactly what speed your engine is doing all the time!. Each vehicle has its own characteristics and you only find them by trying to go as slowly as you can in each gear. Cheers, Richard.

[@markgambrill]

You really shouldn't hold the car on the clutch. Unpredictable control and premature wear.

[@richardharvey1732]

@@markgambrill Hi Mark, thank you for this response, while I do understand that from a purely engineering point holding on the clutch does increase wear but the area that I live in is mostly flat and while the bite point is felt and heard it does depend on terrain, every now and then the slope will be steep enough to require the handbrake, but as long as the throttle is not needed the actual strain is minimal, I don't think I have actually done more than about fifty thousand miles in any one vehicle none of them have ever developed any clutch trouble. On the control issue I must say I do not understand you!!, how exactly is holding a position by feel unpredictable?. The more I think about it the more confused I get!, did you miss the bit where I described having my foot on the brake as well, thus holding everything where it is until I want to move, then releasing the brake, letting the bite hold me then using the throttle to apply more power to more. The fact that all this is much easier to learn and operate by practise and muscle memory than it is to explain and teach does not make it fail!, it is the dodgy teaching and explanation that is unpredictable not reality. Cheers, Richard.

[@markgambrill]

@@richardharvey1732 yes I did miss the brake bit. Still less safe than no pedals and handbrake as your foot/feet could slip. But I get your point. In holding the bite point and brake from a mechanical point, that will wear it even more as the tick over is less smooth than under power. It's to do with the time between firing of the cylinder. The shorter the smoother. Modern cars with dual mass flywheels mask this somewhat but they are more expensive to replace when the time comes.

[@SPTSuperSprinter156]

@@markgambrill mechanical wear is caused by heat which equates to friction. A clutch being used to hold the vehicle on a slight hill at or near idle will generate little heat and so the wear is probably not as much as you think. I do cringe when I hear people holding the car on a steep hill with revs but that is different.

[@markgambrill]

@@SPTSuperSprinter156 heat isn't the only mechanism for wear. The pulse of the engine at low revs will cause the clutch to continuously break friction. I do agree that holding in higher revs is even worse. Just don't hold it at all would be right. I can't think of any time where I would need to hold the bite point for longer than is needed to pull away.

[@bexxy629]

I first learnt clutch control on a motorbike so was used to using throttle to assist with setting off. I had to un learn slipping the clutch however as lots low speed controls on a bike require slipping the clutch and bikes are built for that. However once I got in the car under pressure like at roundabouts I would try to slip with some throttle and crawl which as you imagine didnt work well

[@54356776]

Slow speed control is pretty much the same in car or bike. I don't get what you're saying.

[@leeholden8658]

I wish I had a driving instructor like you when I starting taking lessons. My first instructor was clutch happy, if he knew I was going to stall he’d press his clutch. This ultimately caused me to fail my test. I then took a few days to decide to proceed with lessons,give up or try automatic lessons. I decided to take automatic lessons,and only needed 11 hours spread over five months to my next test. Thankfully I passed and bought my first car last March. I have thought about trying manual lessons again,as I’ve nothing to loose as I still have my automatic licence

[@leeholden8658]

@@graemepennell many thanks. Instructor also used his mobile phone whilst I was at the controls, used an A4 diary to book lessons, left me in the car outside his home on my own on at least two occasions. I thought about reporting him after failing my test but decided to concentrate on passing at my second attempt. Apparently he was caught just last week by the police as his student did something wrong,then they found that the vehicle wasn’t insured and the vehicle seized. I feel sorry for the student at that time and feel I should have taken it further now.

[@Stallzyx]

@@graemepennell I dunno dude, I wouldn't generalise it for all of them. My instructor was quite like Ashley in the way that he made sure he taught for you to actually drive and be safe and in control, not just pass the test. Means you can basically nearly have a perfect test without even stressing too much. 3 minors first time and went over kerb on tight last corner and then 2 in the second. I have taken refresher lessons with him recently over 6 years later after passing and the standard is still as you would expect, but it's obviously not entirely the same as I now am not a complete learner and thus not being told every single detail but definitely the things that could still be improved.

[@derekheeps1244]

@@leeholden8658 It is an offence for anyone supervising a learner , never mind an instructor to use a mobile phone whilst supervising a learner , also to leave them alone in charge of a vehicle ( although if they get out they should take the keys with them , as long as the vehicle is properly parked ) . The insurance offence is breathtaking ; all of these points make me wonder whether he actually was an ADI ? I'd still be inclined to report him to DVSA , since he would probably be struck off and lose any ability to teach that he may have . Sad for him , but could save any prospective pupils who might go with him in future .

[@derekheeps1244]

@@Stallzyx There are good and bad instructors , as an ex police advanced instructor , I see things I ought not to - one of my pet hates , which appears to be taught to novice drivers in many cases now is trafficating right when going straight ahead at roundabouts - this misleads following drivers who might legitimately begin to pass on the left , and also inconveniences oncoming drivers who will slow to give way , expecting the car to pass in front of them , only in both cases for the car to give a breakaway signal and leave earlier than they indicated to others - I've seen driving school cars do this , as well as it being commonplace among younger drivers . This is contrary to both Highway Code and Roadcraft , both of which show the correct procedure .

[@kenbrown2808]

as my dad would say, "if that instructor wanted you to fail, what should he have done differently?"

[@freddiekb1004]

I must say it was a great idea to have that wheel cam, made a massive difference to the vid!

[@g0801215]

My first driving instructor failed to show me how to hold the clutch properly and I failed my test twice. Then I changed driving instructor and the first thing he spotted when I was driving was that I wasn’t holding the clutch at junctions. Passed third time after that.

[@thomaselliot2257]

Sometimes when I change my car , I always find I have to change my habits in controlling the clutch as there are always differences to the biting point ,I find , so that I tend to stall a new car in moving off till I get into a new habit in controlling it, with practice.

[@Sython6]

The higher the biting point the more worn the clutch is, if your clutch is slipping while the biting point is low or halfway up it probably means your flywheel is worn out.

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

I used to own a Suzuki Alto, that clutch was sensitive as hell, stalled it for almost 3 weeks when i got it. The car i have now is better at clutch control.

[@nigelharper7996]

Yup, variation in clutches is completely normal and something we should expect when swapping between vehicles. Even in the same vehicle the clutch will change over time due to wear, although if you're driving the vehicle regularly you probably won't notice because the changes are gradual. You'll really notice if you get a new clutch fitted though; practically a different car!

[@Asto508]

@@Sython6 There are also electronic clutches that are misconfigured and also mechanical pedals also have to be adjusted from time to time, so a high biting point doesn't necessarily mean the clutch is worn out. A long way on the pedal also happen when your hydraulic fluid is leaking somewhere and you lost pressure. Just saying

[@Sython6]

@@Asto508 No problem, I'm just repeating what every mechanic has told me, and from experience of getting clutches changed in my cars.

[@radishpea6615]

All the moving that Ashley spoke about, try it without using the throttle. There was no need to use the throttle in what he was doing. Slipping the clutch does it no good, so I would have thought low revs, is better then "high" revs, where the clutch is slipping more, getting hot and do it enough, will smoke and start to "burn". With the clutch to the floor, your leg should be comfortable, certainly not in my opinion, fully extended. This will also help you position your seat. Even with towing a trailer, depending on weight and BHP, you can move car and trailer, even a caravan with out using the throttle. One other thing, do not turn the steering wheel with the car stationary if you can avoid it. Is anti stall, fixing a problem we did not know we had?

[@bevq2246]

I relied mostly on the clutch alone in my instructor's diesel car and remember finding the transition to my own petrol car difficult bc of it

[@robg521]

been on the road since 1980 & After double hip surgery I bough an automatic, when I drive slow and relaxed everything is fine but 5 years later if I drive more adventurously I still find myself occasionally stepping on a non-existent clutch pedal and reaching for the gear lever.

[@HEKVT]

My instructor's car was new, so I used clutch only, it was jarring going into a 2007 petrol and relearning basically the basics. However, I did find that I had no issues, and even a smoother drive in a 1986 Jetta, that doesn't even have a rev gauge.

[@Jonc25]

Mercedes thought it a good idea to automatically add gas in vans when letting up the clutch. Hope it's a nice calm day up there in Liverpool!

[@margaretnicol3423]

Whatever happened to reversing round corners?

[@fredashay]

In the US we don't have clutches except in big trucks and sports cars. Even big trucks are moving to automatics, and spots cars are moving to paddle shifters. Now before someone yells at me, I know there are gearheads who insist on driving a pure manual, and that's fine with me, but you gotta go out of your way to find a new car with pure manual these days -- the average driver is never gonna encounter one unless he seeks it out.

[@Smartsparky]

First thing that sprung to mind (Knob cam) 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Graham_Shaw]

Only seeing this video now, but I wonder what Ashley would think about using the clutch to control additional braking power (as well as with the brake pedal) with engine braking, and letting the engine do some of the braking for you, particularly down hill, off a motorway slip road for example?

[@izzard]

As you said, the amount of movement in the pedals can be minute. Perhaps you could consider having the GoPro (or another one) shooting from the side in the footwell, or maybe even looking up at the pedals slightly.

[@KarrierBag]

I been driving on near on 40 years now, always had manuals, then in 2016 I got an automatic discovery 2, was lovely BUT I missed having gears and a clutch so am back in a manual land rover and prefer it.

[@smilerbob]

Did you find for the first few days at least you released the brake ready to move as if you had a clutch but would start creeping at the most inappropriate moment…like almost into the side of a car when pulling out of a junction? That is what I found when I had an automatic for a couple of weeks (hire car while mine was veing repaired)

[@KarrierBag]

@@smilerbob I must admit I got used to it very quickly, yes a bit of creeping forward at first, one thing though, I hardly used the handbrake in 4 years 😬🤣

[@myoldmate]

I'm 67. Passed in '75 . I've been caught speeding once in '82. Never had an accident that was my fault. I consider myself a good driver. I will never ever under any circumstances parallel park anymore. I've tried my hardest many times, but unless it's a huge space I won't even try. The single most stupid manoeuvre in the history of driving imo. .

[@lwied172]

Did you listen to Jeremy Vines interviewing a funeral director yesterday? They were discussing motorists’ lack of respect towards funeral cortèges. Funeral processions have no special rights of way on roundabouts or at traffic lights (I didn’t know this) so they are constantly at risk of losing contact with the hearse. Is it ever okay to overtake a funeral procession, even if there is space to do so? Would like to know your thoughts.

[@IfInDoubt..]

I hate it when folk slip or smear the clutch - I always bring the clutch up to the bite and feather the throttle for smooth takeoff (not started watching yet to see the way you teach) Edit: I see it now, I drove my 1986 Nissan Bluebird in the above way too without issue, it's all about feel. (Passed my test 2/2/16) My former neighbour really used to make me cringe - 1.8 Vectra, I'm certain using about 3,000 rpm every time he was setting off on level ground, then when manoeuvring, giving it massive bursts of revs.

[@martinweizenacker7129]

The way Ashley recommends to lift your clutch foot is exactly how I'm doing it (I have my license for 14 years now). The problem is nobody taught me this when I was a learner.

[@iallso1]

I haven't owned a car with a clutch since 2009, don't miss it at all.

[@martinweizenacker7129]

@@iallso1 Well, but I think you probably do appreciate your ability to drive any car? Even if I had an automatic myself, if I couldn't drive a manual, that would be a problem here.

[@iallso1]

@@martinweizenacker7129 I was talking to someone recently who wanted their kid to learn in a manual and were struggling to find one. My parents in the UK have driven manuals for almost 60 years, but have now gone electric which seems like a sensible switch.

[@1over137]

I had it easy for my test. I had a diesel Clio. There was no need for balancing throttle at all. Just the clutch was enough and the clutch up "creep" speed was about as fast as you wanted to go during maneuvers anyway. I got 1 minor though. I did all the observations on the left hand reverse, but I was not looking out the rear window directly the moment I moved off. Minor. My instructor was raging. He said if I'd come back with 2 or 3 minors that's one thing, but to come so close to his first empty sheet and miss it he was (affectionately) raging.

[@1over137]

And as you point out. It doesn't help when your actual first car is a 1995 Clio with no electronic throttle damper or antistall. Unlike the brand new learner car I had from teh school, I had an old loose £500 lemon. When you lifted the acclerator to change gear the whole gearbox moved a few inches, throwing you forward. I had to relearn how to do everything to keep the car smooth and not lurch. I must have stalled about 6 times driving it home!

[@1over137]

The throttle damper in modern cars is quite agressive to make shifting gears easier, especially if you are a little slow or a little poor on the timing. If you lift the rpm up and suddenly lift your foot off, modern cars (for many reasons), will actually hold the throttle on slightly to hold the rpm from falling for a second or so. This is meant to align with how long it takes you to change the gear and lift the clutch, so that the rpm just falls into place. It also stops "backlash" off the tranmission suddenly going from forward drive to engine braking, through the dead-slack of the transmission not only makes the car jerk, but if you do it at speed on a wet road in winter, you'll find out the hardway that front wheel drive cars are oversteer beasts on the overun. 1995 clio. None of that. In fact it too me a while to get used to the electronic throttle in the 2002 Clio I bought next.

[@SPTSuperSprinter156]

@@1over137 I had a Citroen BX that was similarly snappy when you lifted the throttle. I think it's because the carb was very stiff so the butterfly valve snapped shut, abruptly killing the power. Moving slowly in a car park was a jerk-fest until I got used to it - basically dipping the clutch a fraction of a second before letting off the accelerator, completely smoothed the inputs. I think everyone should drive an old car at least once to appreciate how much harder it was. I drove a Trabant in Berlin recently, that makes anything we've had over here in the last 50 years look good.

[@MrGerkin14]

Ashley, is driving on the clutch not really bad for the clutch itself? I e been told you'll wear out the clutch doing this. Is this the case in new cars?

[@TonyTheYouTuba]

Proper good practical advice, thank you!

[@KM-cb8ff]

Ashley needs to launch his own range of clutch control footwear 👀😆😆

[@johnny2hats329]

This is off topic but...if you left your vehicle to be serviced by a mechanic and they failed to do part of the service that resulted in the engine breaking, what can you do about it? In this case the mechanic insists they completed the task even though it would've been physically impossible. Also the insurance doesn't cover engine damage relating to 'wear and tear'.

[@stefnash4730]

Could you explain “riding the clutch “ please.

[@tumbili5375]

Hi Ashley great vid, Just out of curiosity what is warm up mode?

[@PedroConejo1939]

Electronic handbrakes have knackered my finely honed clutch/brake/throttle control. I used to love the co-ordination needed for hill starts. Now there seems to be no graduated release of the handbrake. What's worse is that every manufacturer seems to implement them slightly differently.

[@Stallzyx]

Hopefully the car itself also has an anti roll back feature for around 2 seconds or so which should help you as long as you press the brake pedal at the same time as disengaging handbrake, which I think you may actually have to do anyway

[@dedistaulapanodki6293]

Had my last car for 8 years, and it was still on its original clutch after 108,000 miles, so I would hope I've been doing it more or less right 🙂 Mind you, clutch control will soon be a thing of the past as we move to hybrid/electric vehicles. I doubt my children will even need to learn that skill.

[@devttyUSB0]

Driving a manual car, you should really pay attention to your footwear. There's a massive difference in clutch feel (and control!) wearing hiking boots vs sneakers.With sneakers being the better option.

[@paulcollyer801]

I wondered if you’d include use of brake. I don’t need to watch further, been driving so long lol. From before EMUs etc. I drive trucks for a living, and generally I do prefer their automatic gearboxes, but for manoeuvres, this is fraught, when they get older, some get a snatchy clutch, others get an axle tramp style jumping going on, both are a bugger for reversing on to bays. The snatchy clutch in particular can have you repeatedly slam into a bay & bounce off, and eventually having to bounce onto the bay. REALLY Not good for the trailer’s rear body work. Good to see at least Someone believes in good clutch control

[@KevinWMoor]

I have trouble remembering how I used the pedals on a manual. I've been driving hybrid automatics for nearly ten years. Is a hill start still part of the test?

[@billferrol4202]

Nice. Any movement on the Tesla?

[@ZJS0113]

I just dip an raise the clutch til I'm done lol. raise clutch start to roll, dip until I need to roll again. if I'm reversing up a road then just put it in gear and use the accelerator

[@Mr.Moto448]

Thank you for teaching me how to a manual. That point of dropping your heel at the bite point and giving yourself and anchor is life changing, how come no one has showed me this before, like W.T.F. in 9 years 4 official driving instructors and various family members NO ONE??? so simple so easy, yeah just drop ya heal then use yar ankle and boom, SAFETY, clutch control and safe vehicle control, Thanks again for teaching me that it is possible (and necessary) to operate a vehicle in a safe way at all times, and not to be fearful of driving a manual :) Thanks and Cheers (love from Bendigo Australia)

[@keith6400]

Ashley said "Super Slow" and a lot of people let the vehicle gain too much speed jump on the brake in a panic to rectify instead of dipping the clutch. If the car has gain too much speed dipping the clutch is a bit late. I liken it to dribbling a football, where you never kick it very far so the next kick is close and so on. If you whack the ball it's gone.

[@iallso1]

What is your opinion on keeping your right heel on the ground while operating the clutch? Fortunately I don't have to drive a manual very often, but I have pain in my ankle if I lift the clutch with my heel down.

[@iallso1]

Ok, answer further into video.

[@markgambrill]

I'm really surprised at the number of people using only the clutch to pull away/manoeuvre. You have less control, more likely to stall, can damage the dual mass flywheel and wear the clutch prematurely. It also encourages holding the car on the clutch which is also very bad.

[@marklittler784]

Trying to only use gears for slowing gets you to look further ahead and always keep a good distance from the vehicle in front and plan well ahead it's a way to train yourself to drive more efficiently.

[@derekheeps1244]

There was a time , many years ago , when I suffered total brake failure in my 1957 Mercedes ( my first car and bought not long before ) ; the car only had single circuit drum brakes all around , and when I was slowing for traffic lights the pedal went straight to the floor ( a wheel cylinder had failed ) ; I quickly pulled on the handbrake and changed into first to slow the car , almost stopping before I just nudged the back bumper of the car in front - which just happened to be a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow . I nervously got out to inspect the damage , as did the driver of the Royce , an elderly gent in a camel hair coat , ex military type . I apologised profusely , but thankfully no damage to either car . He just looked at me , smiled , and said 'nice car you've got' before getting back in and driving off . I then drove back home without incident , using only observation , planning , gears and handbrake to slow and stop safely as required - some 25 miles from central Edinburgh . Needless to say , I gave the car a full brake rebuild , including having all six wheel cylinders machined out and sleeved back to original dimensions ( ATE still had the seal kits but the cylinders were no longer available , even in 1982 ) , and since then every car I've bought always got a full brake rebuild as a matter of course , always with genuine ATE components . I kept that 1957 Ponton for 34 years , until maintaining it was getting too much for me , and I swapped it for my SL .

[@marklittler784]

@@derekheeps1244 Roughly the same again only by half if the clutch goes.

[@dodge10111]

My instructor taught me to be able to just use clutch. It never had the assist mode though.

[@kenbrown2808]

I had the good fortune of learning to drive with nearly 500 pound feet of torque to work with. once I got proficient with that, smaller things were a cakewalk.

[@stevenhughes6282]

Looks like UK road rules have changed since I learned to drive. How ridiculous - giving way to pedestrians when exiting a roundabout is a recipe for disaster. Leaving 1 or 2 car spaces between your car and the car in front at traffic lights - how ridiculous - why, just why? Giving way to the right at a roundabout - just give way to cars already on the roundabout (even if it is fromt of you) makes heaps more sense. A lane is a lane, undertake if you need to, no problem - just stay in your lane and and expect to be passed on your left - no great problem! Give way to pedestrians crossing the road when turning right or left - only idiotic road rules would allow pedestrians to cross in front of a car going straight ahead at a junction.

[@Gobbbbb]

Hi Ash, I'll be retaking lessons soon and I took note of your ankle movements and how it can help, I have limited movement in my right ankle and find it very hard to set and keep steady on the gas at low revs, any tips you may have? I find the gas to be really sensitive and it's hard for me to stay between 1-2k rpm, cheers.

[@ashley_neal]

Listen to the revs, not look!

[@Stallzyx]

@@ashley_neal Sometimes it's hard to do that though and hear, and the revs can suddenly drop so it's good to know when you need to add more

[@Stallzyx]

Learn holding the gas at 2k rpm, then try and reduce the input I guess. On my first one or two driving lessons I was actually told to rev it that high and then lift the clutch slowly, a bit at a time, and you'll see the car doesn't fly away and you can even make the car crawl pretty sure. It's just noisy and will increase wear to the clutch as it's more friction, but if you can't do it with lower revs then at least you can still drive.

[@Gobbbbb]

@@Stallzyx Listening to the engine is no problem for me since I've rode motorbikes everyday for the last 5 years and it doesn't have a rev counter lol. It's also a hard one for me on a motorbike since the rear brake is controlled by my right foot, so I tend not to use it much, it's almost useless in an emergency stop anyway. I think most of it comes from lack of feeling, hopefully it's just something I can overcome and learn around since it's tricky, I have to use my toe instead of the ball of my ankle which as Ash explains in the video, just makes it more difficult, I've no issue operating the brakes though due to the pressure needed to press it, I can actually feel what's happening. Possibly different footwear could help, may be something for me to think about.

[@Stallzyx]

Great video Ashley, just spent a bit of time going through the comments section before making my own comment. It's nice to see other instructors out there teach a similar way to mine did before and still does. A lot of other instructors just teach you to pass the test and hopefully be safe afterwards but it's not really certain. Everyone is still learning even years or decades after passing but still some instructors should be doing more before someone goes for a test. I feel like the clutch only or clutch and brake can work quite well with reversing but I still sometimes don't trust it and have done reverse park or reverse around a corner with my foot on or over the gas pedal and using the clutch to modulate the speed. My instructor taught me at first that you can say apply 2000 rpm and lift the clutch barely and the car isn't going to shoot off, and you can then lift it a bit more to go a bit quicker or dip and it will come to a stop usually. For hill starts or generally when you're trying not to stall, he made a point of saying move the clutch up the thickness of a pound coin at a time. Sometimes he'd put the pound coin in the middle of the dash. Your explanation was really nice in my opinion but slightly different however some interesting detail I hadn't thought about before in terms of what happens based on steering input and that makes sense. I guess before I figured out that happened just based on feel but you know it's coming with the knowledge of knowing what the car is going to do when you straighten or turn wheels at an angle

[@xTerminatorAndy]

so they're not asking any more for the emergency stop, or the turn in the road?

[@qassimuk]

They do ask for the emergency stop depending on circumstances, but not always. That's in addition to the of the manoeuvres. The 3 point turn or reverse around a corner isn't part of the test anymore.

[@Stallzyx]

Back when I was learning in 2015/2016, 3 point turn and reverse round the corner were things we had to do all the time and it's interesting to see it not asked for much now. I have seen 3 point turn in one of the KZbin instructor's mock tests around the Newcastle/Durham area, but interesting not to see reverse round corner as that was a big thing for getting used to reversing to be fair

[@xTerminatorAndy]

@@Stallzyx when I did my test I think it were 2012, what I got asked to do was emergency stop, and 3 point turn. 2 of the easiest manouevers to do. I was dreading being asked reverse round the corner or even parallel park as I couldn't do it to save my life

[@lukerisbey4624]

On Tuesday I'll check if I use toe or ankle, I don't even know

[@Longs81]

Slow and steady, if in doubt stop get out and look.

[@Smartsparky]

How many cars drove past thinking that poor guy doesn’t know how to drive his Golf. 😂😂😂

[@Batters56]

Are these manoeuvres a bit oxymoronic when it comes to the driving test? On all other parts of the test, learners are expected to drive normally. Indeed a comment on a recent video was about a test fail because someone didn’t pass a cyclist when the examiner thought they should. But when it comes to manoeuvring this is expected to be carried out a glacial pace on the test. At a speed which would which would probably get you beeped if there wasn’t an L plate on the car. Discuss.

[@MatrixFuse]

I got so nervous whilst watching this video that the car was going to come up with error messages and say 'return to workshop'

[@ashley_neal]

It has happened again since I thought it was fixed!

[@MatrixFuse]

@Ashley Neal Oh no! Such a shame because it's such a nice car otherwise 😕

[@thomaselliot2257]

@@ashley_neal you might want to hold off selling your Tesla just now . 🙂

[@ZJS0113]

anti-stall? my 20 year old diesel engine doesn't stall from just using the clutch. could probably set off just with the clutch but I've not done that since my lessons (also an old diesel). Petrols however I always tap the gas (but I rarely drive petrol cars)

[@James-oo1yq]

Unless the car you’re driving is more than 20 years old, it’ll do just fine only using the clutch with no throttle. I find it’s safer just using the clutch as you can cover the brake and stop quickly if needed, rather than having to move from accelerator to brake pedal. I am from the same “vintage” as you mate, and remember having to use accelerator to pull away, but happily it’s no longer the case in 95% of cars.

[@ashley_neal]

Your ability to vary your speed of moving away is limited operating the clutch in this way 👍

[@markgambrill]

@@ashley_neal also if doing it this way when you do come onto the gas it's harder to move on smoothly.

[@highdownmartin]

Everything can be driven this way, it’s just easier with a diesel/ big displacement than a little petrol engine. Like ash says, how long you got?

[@Jamesterjim]

I thought you meant to rev to 5000rpm and dump the clutch?

[@TheRedKobra]

Been seeing an increase in idiots driving towards side road junctions at speed and stopping suddenly. It's like they don't think they should have to stop and the traffic on the main road should always give way to them. To be honest, I now dislike driving because of these entitled and thick people.

[@OutlawJackC]

What about people that get the nervous leg shake in the test Tbh I thought I would have had that but surprisingly didn't

[@ashley_neal]

9:45 Heel on the floor!

[@OutlawJackC]

Ah yea, guess that'd work lol Don't even know what I do, it just happens without thinking 🤷‍♂️

[@wish]

wish the sponsor was right at the start or the end so i dont have get my phone out and skip ahead 40 seconds

[@Badger-w8u]

Strikes me like clutch control is going to be abolished by all these battery cars coming on the roads . They are even worse that automatics .

[@margaretnicol3423]

Any comment on driving in high heels; normally or when taking the test?

[@smilerbob]

I would imagine heels compromise the ability to move between the pedals quickly bit would depend on the size of the heels. In my opinion, you should be driving in footwear that is safe and gives you full control of the vehicle. If you can do that in heels, great. If not then keep a pair of flat footwear in the vehicle. I know someone that does just that. In the boot of the vehicle is a pair of flat shoes purely for when they are out or wearing footwear not suitable for driving. I myself, would have a spare pair of shoes for driving when I had my steel capped work boots on as they used to get caught under the pedals. I believe, as long as you have full control, you can take the heels off and drive with no footwear at all but again, you need to be in full control of the pedals and therefore the vehicle

[@ashley_neal]

Really difficult to pivot and I've never tried them (driving) 😬

[@thomaselliot2257]

@@smilerbob was going to comment that I have driven in high heels when I was wearing my hiking boots driving from one location to another to continue my hike (years ago)and no, I did not feel I was in complete control, so after that I would change into normal shoes . but you beat me to it.

[@margaretnicol3423]

@@smilerbob The danger of driving with no footwear is that you can hit a small stone with your foot and the 'ouch' makes you lift your foot. Not good when you're supposed to be breaking. I also dislike flip flops or shoes with no backs to them. It's too easy to move your foot backwards and leave the shoe where it is. Awkward when trying to get your foot back into it again. I found driving with a 2" heel OK but anything more than that certainly needs the spare flats to be safe. Like your steel caps, you also need to take the width into account. Some manufacturers have pedals too close together so that even wearing wellies can be difficult.

[@margaretnicol3423]

@@thomaselliot2257 The 'feel' is the right word there. You need shoes that let you feel the pedals properly to really be at one with the car.

[@AUaudits]

The clutch control on my car not always work & car stalls.

[@xTerminatorAndy]

time to get a new clutch

[@Stallzyx]

@@xTerminatorAndy maybe, or you need to apply gas earlier as the revs do not automatically increase like in Ashley's car here. You need to be able to keep the car's revs constant even when it may begin to drop otherwise

[@123MondayTuesday]

clutches are like women, as soon as I sit next to them, they instantly get depressed

[@Keithbarber]

1

[@ashley_neal]

🥇

[@Keithbarber]

@@ashley_neal thanks

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

👍

[@B0BHW]

Excellent tuition clip Ash! But the clutch. Two metal discs slipping on each other with fractions of adjustment to send power to the driven wheels Medieval system isn' t it? That's why I love electric cars for slow speed manoeuvring!!

[@Stallzyx]

That's right but it feels good when you get it down yourself and an automatic or electric is losing some of the control in doing that to be fair

[@B0BHW]

@@Stallzyx Great name you have Stallzy! Could well have been a good name for me back in 1968 when it took me three entire driving lessons to 'get' the clutch. If only my instructor had explained how the clutch delivers power to the wheels. A reasonable explanation of why you need to maintain sufficient revs using the gas pedal to avoid stalling would have been helpful too. That's why Ashley's KZbin channel is so awesomely good. Er... and now I'm a driving instructor. Full time teaching electric! It's impossible to stall an EV. And there's no risk of rolling back on hill starts either. No Gears. No Clutch. No Gas. No Fuss!

[@jasimmathsandphysics]

I think it would help if the feet video was slightly bigger 👍

[@sassyboofle6983]

Use the gifts god gave us , including gradients 👍🤭