hey everyone!, i'm new here, and so far I like it very much. I always have questions about my vehicle (Engine, repair, detail) related. Pretty much anything. I have a dodge stratus RT coupe. Emerald Green. 2001 V6 3.0 L. 5 speed. Paid 3500$ for it, with 65,000 miles on it. (It was a steal) Excellent shape, and as of now just making minor repairs to it.
Question with the 5 speed topic. Lets say I'm going 45mph and getting ready to take my turn. What I will do is put clutch to floor and shift to neutral. I will KEEP the clutch to the floor the entire time as braking and taking the turn in neutral. Next I will shift to like 2nd gear and lift the clutch up to shift. Is that considered "riding the clutch"? I shift to neutral like all the time before coming to stop, and hold down the clutch all the time until I shift. I Will NOT hold shift down half way while driving. I just needed to know before I make a huge mistake with my vehicle. Thanks guys! And appreciate the forums here!

 

Welcome to DF! Generally speaking, "riding" the clutch means partially engaging it, like "riding" the brakes, not really braking, but just enough pressure to engage them. Nothing wrong with what your doing, but you are losing some of the engine braking capability by not just downshifting to a lower gear to let the engine help slow the car down for the turn. If the gear selector is in neutral, it makes no difference wear wise on the clutch whether it is engaged or not. If your sitting at a stop light in neutral, you can keep it pressed all the way down or let it all the way out, whichever is your preferred way. Just dont hold the clutch halfway in, that to me is riding the clutch....oh and don't hold yourself on a hill with the clutch either. Fastest way I know of to burn one out (besides continually riding it). Be sure to check out the Stratus section for specific technical questions related to your car.

 

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