Clutch issues are mostly due improper launching or "riding" the clutch because they are scared to let it out on either turns or downshifting. This in combination with "slipping" the clutch on downshifts or launching.

The clutch was made to be used to shift gears up or down.

Imagine if an automatic car did not downshift when you came to a stop. If you had to apply throttle you'd be thrown around and kill the car. Same thing applies if you stayed in 6th. If your in neutral, You won't go anywhere even if you really need to.

 

I think if I had to apply throttle I would simply select the appropriate gear for given speed, rev-match, and shift it and go.

 

this thread got lame pretty fast until SIIK2NR came in and started busting some balls. way to liven things up. hahah

personally, rev match downshifting is what makes driving manual cars fun. and since we drive an s2000, a car that love to rev, it makes it that much sweeter. just my 2 cents.

 

seee now i'm lost lol.

yeah i dont know how to properly shift. i'm pretty much teaching myself and been at it maybe 2 weeks.

i came from a 2001 Auto prelude.

but i do recall when putting it into the tiptronic thing it has. it displaces the gear your currently in. and once the tach read 30mph it'd downshift to 3rd, and at 10mph 2nd. and finally 1st upon maybe 2mph.

 

haha, what a great thread. Hooray internet!

Some clarification on my part:

1. A clutch cost more then brakes

2. Every time you shift it causes wear, no matter how good at rev matching you are. If you doubt this, I have a plan. Let

 

Fully agreed.

It is also made to have consumable parts that need replacing based upon wear.

Granting that rev-matching won't be done to 1st, my example still has you engaging the clutch 3 times instead of once at a stop from 4th gear.

If we have 30 stops per day of driving in this scenario, and we drive only 200 days per year you will be releasing clutch 18,000 times vs 6,000 times.

The numbers become more dramatic on an annual basis the more days you drive, and the more stops you make per day.

In 4 years you will have 48,000 extra clutch releases with your technique.

Sure the clutch is made to do that, in fact, it is made to wear out by design to project the drivetrain from the shock of bringing two independently rotating objects together.

The more events that you hand to the clutch to do it's job (which incidentally is to protect the drive train by wearing out in a controlled and predictable manner), the faster it will wear out.

 

Same with me. If I am playing around, enjoying the sound of the engine, I might downshift. If I am in an area where there are moving objects that could enter my location, I might downshift.

But if I am relaxing and driving without those influences, and I know I am coming to a stop, I let my current gear drag me down a bit, then let the brake pads take over. I could downshift, but why burn extra cycles on the clutch...especially if I adopted downshifting as my de facto 'technique' of driving... it would add up over time.

One last clarification, as to my personal preference and method, when I am rolling to a stop using brake friction, I AM in fact shifting my gears to match the speed, I am just not re-engaging my clutch each time simply for an engine brake. Should I find the need to zoom away or apply power during the braking cycle, I just drop the clutch.

In that scenario, in some instances I will be able to pull away even faster than the guy who has his clutch released and busy downshifting, since I can give it an rpm boost prior to dropping clutch to get the extra momentum and kick from the engine.

 

I dont downshift when coming to a stop. Brake pads are cheaper than clutch/tranny parts.

 

I didn't read all the posts here, but I can only tell you that I love the S2000s transmission so much that I use any excuse to shift.

Downshifting is a great art, but be careful of the gear selection because you don't want to over rev the engine.

That said, the business about saving your brakes vs. your clutch... Both of these are wear items and will need to be replaced during the life of the car (well, maybe not the clutch, but usually). It's more a question of enjoyment.

Also, if you plan to start doing track events, then downshifting becomes an important skill.

Good luck, and above all enjoy your car to its fullest!

 

^ I'm with Chaz on this one...this car was meant to be shifted, and downshifting is probably the most fun, especially coming into a really nice, twisty curve. So do it and enjoy!!