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Burning the Clutch...

20K views 39 replies 19 participants last post by  MagnumXL 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey all,
I'm going to be learning how to drive manual on my new 2011 WRX and am worried about burning out the clutch. How hard do I have to wear it before I break the clutch like should I worry about learning on it?
Thanks

P.S. I got the base model which does not come with Fog Lights but the salesman told me it is very easy to put them in. Does anyone have experience with this? Is it hard to do?
 
#2 ·
You'll probably need to replace your clutch within the first 100k of ownership. NBD, it's just a $250 part and a ton of labor.

Try to be easy on it, and try to learn quick. Basically, lean on the side of too quick clutch and too little gas (stalling means you're not burning your clutch, at least).

Also, always rev-match for downshifts. That is one of the biggest factors you'll need to learn to get things right.

BTW, when your clutch does go, it'll go slowly - one day you'll feel it slip for the first time in some situation, then over the course of several months it'll expand to more often and in more situations.
 
#4 ·
You'll probably need to replace your clutch within the first 100k of ownership. NBD, it's just a $250 part and a ton of labor.
100k for a brand new manual driver in a 265 HP turbo car? 100k for an experienced driver is good mileage. ;)

The best thing you can do to learn without burning or really wearing it much at all it is to go to a parking lot and practice on level ground. Start by not touching the gas and just slowly letting the clutch out to get the car moving. Do this a few hundred times. Then move on to giving it a little gas to get it to start faster and do this a few hundred times. For hills, find a dead end street or place with no traffic and a very slight hill. Business parks with hills on a weekend or evening are a great place. Start with a very slight slope and keep moving to steeper ones as you learn better.
 
#18 ·
Really?You must be really good.After having learned to drive on a manual & having driven mostly manuals for about 18 years ,I'm having a tough time with this car.It bucks like a wild horse at times.I still can't get it right in reverse.I stall at least a couple of times a week in the most embarrassing situations!

OP, as everybody said ,practice.Although I don't know about you doing it in your new car.But if there is no other alternative,...

Don't venture onto the freeway until you are really confident.It is equally important to learn to downshift as it is to get the car going.

On a side note,I made the mistake once of letting my uninitiated brother-in-law drive my car.Like most people used to automatics he just turned the key without bothering to check if the car was in neutral.The lurch almost gave me a heart attack!
 
#8 ·
sadly I don't, although I don't think it should be much of a problem as I've learned that the dealer offers a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty on ANY part on the car- from the clutch to the windshield wipers so I can just bring my car in at 35,999 miles or 2 years 364 days and replace the clutch.
 
#11 ·
...so obviously the answer is to sit with the parking brake on, rev the gas up, and just let out the clutch a little, and sit there for a while. "Oh dealer, I need a new clutch - this one seems to have burnt"
 
#17 ·
I don't know if this is taboo or not (to recommend another forum), but I learned a LOT about driving stick from this website/forum:

Standardshift | Standardshift / FAQ
StandardShift.com • Index page

It helped me improve a lot, I hope it helps you too! I learned on my house-mate's old RSX but learned a lot too on my new '11 WRX. Like everyone mentioned already, practice makes perfect and you'll learn it quickly.. just like riding a bike... :)
 
#21 ·
^ yup i taught my future mother in law how to drive stick on a miata and she got it the first try

i personally never had a problem w/ my wrx clutch. i didnt find it any harder to drive than my old civics

like everyone else said though, practice makes perfect. find an empty mall parking lot or shopping plaza early in the morning when no one is there and practice practice.
 
#23 ·
I've driven hundreds of manual cars over the years. On a difficulty scale of 1-10 I'd place the WRX clutch at about 3. It's a snappy clutch that engages quickly. The 2.0's require a little more throttle input, and the 2.5's require a little more feathering to stop a buck.
 
#24 ·
I learned how to drive manual on a tractor. If you can rev match in one of those, you can rev match in anything. With 12-16 gears across two different shifters, it can be interesting!
 
#25 ·
I once drove a Lada ,which I later bought while I was in Eastern Europe for a while.Now driving that thing was hard work,especially in the winter with just FWD.Lol,I'm so glad I got that car then,I learned a lot all about automotive mechanics with it breaking down every 2 days.
 
#26 ·
Well the only two cars I've tried driving a manual in were an Evo and a Civic. The Evo had an aftermarket clutch...needless to say that was not a fun experience lol. The Civic was kind of a piece of **** and the clutch was starting to go out. So maybe thats why I found my WRX so easy to learn on...
 
#30 · (Edited)
If you look closely it says "Limited Warranty",meaning if a problem arises the dealer takes photos of the affected part and sends it to SOA.SOA will make a decision based on these pictures whether the defect is a cause of part failure or driver usage related failure.

"Under these warranties, parts that malfunction or fail during the warranty period as a result of a manufacturing defect will be repaired without charge."

"These warranties do not cover any part which malfunctions, fails or is damaged due to objects striking the car, road hazards, whether on or off the road, accident, fire, neglect, abuse or any other cause beyond the control of SOA."

"These warranties do not cover any part which malfunctions, fails or is damaged due to a failure to follow the operating instructions set forth in the Owner's Manual (e.g., failure to use proper fuel) or a failure to follow the Schedule of Recommended Inspection and Maintenance Services set forth in this Booklet.
 
#31 ·
This is also on the 2011s. Click on Key Features on the 2011 WRX on subaru.com. The only questionable "user error" item on the list would be the clutch.

Wear Item Limited Warranty: 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Repairs to the following items will also be covered under Wear Item Limited Warranty: • Brake Pads • Wiper Blades • Clutch Linings • Transmitter Batteries
 
#33 ·
I must say that after flashing to the Cobb stage 1 map shifting has become a lot easier.All the jerkiness in the lower gears is gone & power delivery is very even.City driving is a less frustrating.I am happy to report that I haven't stalled once after the flash.

I almost thought at first that something was wrong with the clutch !
 
#34 · (Edited)
I also sometimes think that 'hill holder' feature gets in the way of a smooth take-off (especially when just backing over the curb of my driveway, even though it's level. I think the hill holder gets confused and comes on sometimes and makes the take-off feel 'odd' to say the least (slight unevenness to it that never happens any other time on a flat surface). If I wait a couple of seconds before moving in 1st, it doesn't do it. It also doesn't do it when backing up on a flat surface without a curb (why I suspect the hill holder). I know that hill holder is supposed to release with the clutch, but I also think if you try to take off fairly quick (semi-launch) it can drag for a split second, which probably doesn't help the brakes or the clutch. I wish I could turn it off. I don't need any help starting on hills.

In other odd news, my low fuel light came on today with over 4 gallons still left in the tank (supposed to come on around 2.6 gallons left).
 
#36 ·
I wish I could turn it off. I don't need any help starting on hills.
I wish I could turn it off. I don't need any help starting on hills.
Ask a tuner if this is possible. Is "hill holder" an option or standard on all MY 2011s? I would think a "switch could be flipped" or a wire rerouted to tell the computer to turn it off.
 
#35 ·
I know that you can disable hill start assist on STIs.Its instructions are in the manual.But strangely enough you cannot disable it in a WRX.


To activate/deactivate the Hill start assist system (STI)

CAUTION
While the Hill start assist system is deactivated, when starting on an uphill grade, braking power is not maintained if the brake pedal is released. Start on an uphill grade by using the parking brake. You can activate/deactivate the Hill start assist system according to the following procedure.


! To deactivate
1. Stop your vehicle in a flat and safe place and apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off the engine.
3. Restart the engine.
4. Confirm the following items.
. The ABS warning light turns off.
. The Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light turns off.
. The Brake system warning light illuminates.
5. Press the Vehicle Dynamics Control mode switch and hold it until the Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light turns off. The Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light will illuminate in green, change to yellow, remain illuminated in yellow for several seconds and then turn off.
6. Within 5 seconds after the Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light turns off, release the Vehicle Dynamics Control mode switch.
7. Within 2 seconds after releasing the Vehicle Dynamics Control mode switch, press the Vehicle Dynamics Control mode switch once again. Then the Hill start assist OFF indicator light illuminates.
8. Turn off the engine.
9. Restart the engine. While the Hill start assist system is deactivated, the Hill start assist OFF indicator light illuminates continuously.


! To activate
When the procedure to deactivate the Hill start assist system is performed again, the system is activated. When the Hill start assist system is activated, the Hill start assist OFF indicator light turns off.
 
#38 ·
I find it odd they would include the ability to turn it off for the STI, but then not just go ahead and offer it to the WRX too. It's not like it's a performance feature. I also read in the manual that a "slight jolt" can be expected sometimes when going forward after going in reverse (if the system kicks in?). That about describes what I feel after backing up over the curb on my driveway into the street and then quickly shifting into 1st and moving forward. It just doesn't feel smooth. It does pretty much sometimes feel like a slight jolt (and I don't mean anything to do with letting the clutch out too fast; this only ever happens at my driveway and my last WRX never did anything like that).

Also off-topic, but I was looking in the manual about the low fuel light some more and noticed that supposedly if you press your trip button while in either LOCK or ACC on the ignition, it will report the exact amount of fuel it thinks you have left. I wish I had noticed that tidbit before as I'm curious as to how much gas it thought I had left when it turned that light on (I was at around 283 miles getting 21.9 MPG when it came on. The car took right around 13 gallons. The tank is supposed to hold 16.9 gallons, so I had just a smidge under 4 left. Maybe I'll wait and see if it does the same thing with the next tank and then try it.
 
#39 ·
Also off-topic, but I was looking in the manual about the low fuel light some more and noticed that supposedly if you press your trip button while in either LOCK or ACC on the ignition, it will report the exact amount of fuel it thinks you have left. I wish I had noticed that tidbit before as I'm curious as to how much gas it thought I had left when it turned that light on (I was at around 283 miles getting 21.9 MPG when it came on. The car took right around 13 gallons. The tank is supposed to hold 16.9 gallons, so I had just a smidge under 4 left. Maybe I'll wait and see if it does the same thing with the next tank and then try it.
You have apparently read the manual more extensively than I have.I didn't see that part.Thanks a lot.That should really help me.My other car's digital gauge tells me how much fuel is left & how far I can go & I've gotten used to this little feature. I always fill up at the same gas station,so it helps knowing how much fuel is left so that I don't have to fill up elsewhere.
 
#40 ·
I mis-read what it was talking about. I assumed because it mentioned the trip switch that it meant it was going to show it in the trip computer area (I think my mother's Legacy does something similar to that, telling how many miles you have left until I empty, if I recall correctly, but then hers can tell instantaneous gas mileage too, not just an average). What it's saying is that the fuel gauge will activate and show how much gas is left (analog), which is otherwise sitting below empty when the power is off (not nearly as handy).

I did find the S-on/off and L-on/off settings while attempting to try it out, though. They let you turn the gauge sweep and illumination (on the needles) effects on or off. I'd rather have a fuel readout, though. ;)
 
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