Is Pressing the Clutch the Same as Shifting to Neutral?
1 Answers
Pressing the clutch and shifting to neutral have the same effect in terms of disconnecting the driving wheels from the transmission. In neutral gear, the transmission is still connected to the engine via the clutch, which remains engaged. When in neutral, the engine's power has already reached the transmission, but the neutral position means the power hasn't been transmitted to the drive axle, and it's used when the vehicle is stationary. Pressing the clutch stops the engine's power from reaching the transmission, which is used during starting and gear shifting. Pressing the clutch cuts off the power between the engine and the transmission, disconnecting the transmission from the engine, while the driving wheels rotate by inertia, causing all the gears in the transmission to rotate together.