Clutch work question(learning to drive)?

Question

I hope you can follow this:)

When starting off in the car i always release the clutch till the point the car is moving without engaging the accelerator. my brother told me you don't actually release this clutch this far before engaing the accelerator. he must be right as

i've noticed he is able to hold his car on slight inclines, without using the brake or handbrake, without the car moving backwards or forwards.

i must be doing something wrong then, as when i try this i have the clutch released to the point where the car moves - i use the footbrake to make sure the car doesn't go forward.

i'm asking this question with a view to a test. i realise i would fail automatically for not using the handbrake in a test in this scenario, but i think the situation mentioned above is relevant as it shows i'm not really proficient at the starting off mechanism. which likely means i'll fail my test due to bad clutch work. aside from this little problem i'm not a bad driver- no really, i'm not:

Answer 1

It's all within practice period that you'll learn many a thing. Some models like Renault have very strong clutch, which you can actually semi-clutch which mean you release the pedal halfway, and you don't have to actually accelerate much to maintain the vehicle on the slope/gradient. All I do is I used the "roll method", which means the amount release is the amount you have to push the other pedal (applies to both clutch and accelerator pedals). This requires practice and cannot be mastered just by one day... Trust me, when you get hold of driving the manual nicely, you'll find yourself addicted to clutch and gear-stick driving. And if you're really committed into driving, you'll become like me - a freelance test-driver and if you're fully interested in automotive, you can join the same field as mine. Remember, automotive does not only bind you to just repair cars, you can also be a Service, Sales or Topmark Advisor!

Answer 2

You should be setting the throttle to what you need before engaging the clutch!  I appreciate in very tight manoeuvres it is desirable to use just the torque the engine is making at idle...  But how will you ever manage a hill-start if you don't set some throttle?

Answer 3

For starters using the clutch to hold the car on an incline is a mistake.All your doing is putting wear on the clutch.Go look at these videos maybe they will help http://www.expertvillage.com/video-serie...