Which One is the Clutch in a Manual Transmission Car?
2 Answers
The clutch is located inside the flywheel housing between the engine and the transmission. The clutch assembly is fixed to the rear plane of the flywheel with screws, and the output shaft of the clutch is the input shaft of the transmission. The functions of the clutch are as follows: 1. Ensuring smooth vehicle starting: This is the primary function of the clutch. Before starting the car, the engine must naturally be started first. When the car starts, it accelerates gradually from a completely stationary state. 2. Achieving smooth gear shifting: Before shifting gears, the clutch pedal must be pressed to interrupt the power transmission, making it easier to disengage the meshing pair of the original gear. At the same time, the speed of the meshing part of the new gear pair gradually tends to synchronize, which can greatly reduce the impact during meshing, thereby achieving smooth gear shifting.
Last time I helped my neighbor fix a manual transmission car, I made sure to confirm the pedal positions. The large pedal on the far left is the clutch, usually positioned closer to the door side compared to the accelerator and brake. Beginners should remember the left-center-right order: the left pedal controls the clutch, the middle one is for braking, and the right one is the accelerator. When pressing the clutch, use your whole foot to push down firmly, and release it slowly and evenly to avoid stalling. A common mistake beginners make is pressing the clutch with just the toes, which doesn’t provide enough force and can make gear shifting less smooth. I once encountered a driver who couldn’t shift gears, only to find out the floor mat was too thick, preventing the clutch from being fully depressed.