Originally Posted by Big Al
Whatever the problem,(Clutch,trans,whatever,) Starting out in any gear than 1st will only ruin your clutch. Always start from stop in first gear, just a little less gas pedal if it makes noise.
Drove trucks with all kinds of Transmissions,including 10speed Road Ranger which actualy gave you 20 speeds in high gear,over 35 years. Drove most never using clutch to shift other than from a stop.
I have too, and am still driving. The gearing in the crossfire is such, that starting in 2nd is fine...and I doubt you ever started in low in most truck transmissions...granny gears at best, unless you had a heavy load. I have logged over 3 million miles, and rarely use 1st when empty...he'll be fine starting in 1st on these little light cars...and I doubt it is the clutch plates, still think he broke a spring on the clutch, rattling around...or something else altogther, or he would have be complaining about the smell, and slippage...good luck either way....