Fowey's Steep Streets: Hill Starts, Hot Clutches and What to Do

Fowey is an estuary town on the south coast with very steep, narrow streets, visitor car parking above the town and a ferry across the river to Polruan. In summer the heavy visitor traffic means many drivers repeatedly crawl, stop and move off on slopes.

If you drive a manual car here, the way you handle the handbrake, the biting point and your speed on descent decides how long the clutch lasts. This guide gives a calm routine and describes the signs of trouble.

What is the safest routine for a hill start?

Handbrake on, car in first, revs a little above idle. Raise the pedal slowly until the car feels as if it wants to pull. Release the handbrake and continue lifting the pedal smoothly.

If you stall, put the handbrake on, restart and begin again. Avoid trying to rescue it by slipping the clutch for a long time, which causes the most wear.

• Handbrake on, first gear
• Slight extra revs
• Find the biting point
• Release the brake as the car pulls

How do I cope when the car in front keeps stopping?

Leave a larger gap on a slope so that you can keep rolling slowly rather than stopping. Rolling at walking pace asks much less of the clutch than a standstill start.

If you must stop, apply the handbrake. Do not hold the car with a part-pressed clutch while you wait, however short the pause seems.

What does a hot clutch smell and feel like?

The smell resembles burning paper or toast. The pedal may feel different, and the car may fail to pull as strongly. You might also notice more slip on the next hill.

Stop in a safe place, let the clutch cool and avoid further hill starts if possible. A clutch that smells hot repeatedly, even in gentle driving, has probably worn.

Should I worry about the descent into town?

Going down, use a low gear and let engine braking work. Hot brakes at the bottom of a hill are also a safety concern, so lower gears protect them.

On the way down avoid coasting with the clutch pressed. If you find yourself needing to select a gear mid-slope, a gearbox with worn synchromesh may crunch.

What if the clutch fails while visiting?

If you cannot select gears, the pedal drops or the car will not drive, stop. On a steep street that may mean using the handbrake and hazards and not trying to move further until it is safe.

Message We Fit Any Clutch Cornwall with the vehicle, the issue and where it is. We cover Cornwall and can say what looks possible for mobile work. If the vehicle needs moving, a recovery provider should do it.

What decides the cost of a clutch job?

The vehicle, because access differs. Whether the flywheel, hydraulic parts or other items need replacing also matters.

The only reliable way is to describe the problem. We will talk it through and quote based on that.