Do You Need to Press the Clutch When Shifting Gears?

[Justin]

Shifting gears requires pressing the clutch. When shifting, the clutch must be fully depressed to completely disengage the engine from the transmission gears, allowing the gear lever to change the gear set before re-engaging. Since the gear sets before and after shifting are different, there is a speed difference between the gear sets to be engaged after shifting, which is synchronized by the synchronizer. During the gear engagement process, if the clutch is not fully depressed, there will be a significant speed difference between the shifting gear set and the transmission gear set, making smooth meshing difficult. In mild cases, this can accelerate wear, and in severe cases, it can cause gear grinding, leading to transmission damage. The technical requirements for shifting can be summarized in eight words: timely, correct, smooth, and swift.