Does shifting gears without pressing the clutch harm the car?

[CoraAnn]

Shifting gears without pressing the clutch can indeed harm the car. Manual transmission vehicles are equipped with a clutch pedal, which must be fully depressed during every gear shift and also when starting the vehicle. Failing to press the clutch pedal while shifting can cause impact to the transmission, thereby shortening its lifespan. Therefore, it's essential to quickly press the clutch pedal all the way down when shifting gears to avoid transmission shock. A manual transmission, or manual gearbox, requires the driver to manually move the gear lever to change the gear engagement inside the transmission, altering the gear ratio to achieve speed variation. Its working principle involves using the shift fork to change the gear ratio of the meshing gears, thereby adjusting the driving torque to suit different driving conditions.