How to make your clutch last longer

A clutch is a wear item, and it will not last for ever. How long it lasts depends heavily on the driver, the load and the kind of roads the vehicle sees most.

The good news is that most of the damage comes from avoidable habits. These are the changes that make the biggest difference.

Should you keep your foot off the pedal?

Yes. Resting your left foot on the clutch, even lightly, can partly disengage the plates and make them slip slightly, which generates heat. Use the footrest instead when you are not changing gear.

The same goes for holding the car on a hill with the clutch rather than the handbrake. This is one of the quickest ways to wear the lining, because the plates are rubbing against each other without gripping.

Think of the pedal as an on and off switch rather than a dimmer. The plates are happiest either fully gripped or fully apart, and it is the time spent in between that wears them. Holiday visitors in unfamiliar, hilly lanes are particularly prone to this, as they hesitate and slip the clutch while working out where they are going.

Is it better to use neutral when stopped?

When you expect to be stationary for more than a moment, select neutral and release the pedal. Holding the pedal down for a long time puts continuous load on the release bearing, which is designed to spin only for short periods.

In busy holiday traffic, especially in Cornish towns in summer, this matters more than people think. Stop-start queues involve many clutch operations, so each small saving adds up.

What driving habits wear a clutch fastest?

Some habits are especially harsh on the friction surfaces:

None of these are dramatic on their own. It is the repetition, hundreds of times a week, that turns a small bad habit into an early replacement.

• Riding the clutch to creep along in traffic
• Slipping the clutch to hold on a slope
• Pulling away in too high a gear
• Launching with high revs and a quick pedal release
• Towing or loading beyond what the vehicle is designed for

How should you change gear smoothly?

Press the pedal fully down, select the gear, then bring the pedal up in a smooth and steady way. Match the revs sensibly to the road speed so the plates do not have to make up a big difference.

Smooth driving also protects the gearbox synchromesh and the engine and gearbox mounts, so a gentle technique benefits more than the clutch alone.

Does maintenance affect clutch life?

Yes. Hydraulic systems rely on clean fluid, and the pedal should be checked if it starts to feel soft. A small oil leak from a seal can contaminate the lining and ruin it much sooner than normal wear.

If you notice the biting point moving, slipping, or a change in pedal feel, get it looked at early. A minor fix such as a slave cylinder can sometimes prevent a bigger clutch job, though it depends on what the inspection shows.