Is it possible to follow traffic in second gear with the clutch partially engaged?
2 Answers
It is possible to follow traffic in second gear with the clutch partially engaged. Many experienced manual transmission drivers often use second gear with partial clutch engagement for following traffic, but prolonged use can cause a certain degree of wear. Using partial clutch engagement to follow traffic is generally not a problem. The partially engaged clutch state is also known as the semi-linked state, where the clutch is not fully engaged. In this situation, the relationship between the engine and the transmission is uncertain because there is a relative degree of slippage between them, resulting in a certain speed difference between the input and output shafts. There is no strict rule on which gear to use for partial clutch engagement; it depends on the vehicle's speed. If the speed is relatively low, it is advisable to use first or second gear with partial clutch engagement for following traffic. Although using partial clutch engagement for following traffic is convenient, prolonged use can cause some damage to the vehicle. Over time, it can wear out the clutch friction plate. While normal wear is unavoidable, prolonged use can lead to burning of the clutch plate, which may cause the engine to malfunction, result in a noticeable drop in engine power, prevent the overall RPM from increasing, and lead to increased fuel consumption, among other issues.
Last time I was stuck in traffic on the elevated road driving a manual transmission car, I tried using second gear with partial clutch engagement to follow the traffic. After half an hour, I smelled a burning odor. The mechanic said this operation is particularly harsh on the clutch disc, as the clutch disc keeps generating heat from friction during partial engagement, wearing out ten times faster than normal. In fact, although using first gear to follow traffic requires more frequent gear shifts, it's much friendlier to the car. Especially for transmissions like Volkswagen's MQ200, they are not designed for prolonged partial clutch engagement. If you really want to save trouble, it's better to keep a bit more distance and use idle speed with brake control, or simply switch to automatic mode.
