Thread: 2nd Gear Starts
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Old Mar 17, 2010 | 03:20 PM
  #36 (permalink)  
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onehundred80
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From: Ontario
Default Re: 2nd Gear Starts
Originally Posted by BoilerUpXFire
I need some elaboration here from some people. I am hearing that 2nd gear starts are not hard on the car, and I am hearing that it has to work harder, therefor it is bad.

I am not doubting the simply mechanics behind the process, starting in second puts a little more load on the car. I am doubting whether or not it will actually do any damage. The gearing is such that when I start in second, I never have an issue with slippage and I never have any of the typical burnt clutch smell.

While I wanted to elicit responses from everyone, I was more looking for some technical answer to whether or not it is actually 'bad' for the car.

Woody? Franc? Bueller?
Let us say you start in first and the engine has to get to 1,000 rpm so that it can just run without effort and the speed is 5mph.
Next you start in second, if 1,000 rpm was the engine speed in first at which the car could just run because of the load, then second gear will mean that the revs will have to be be higher because the load is higher, so lets say that the revs have to reach 1,500 before the engine will just run with out effort. The speed will be higher than 5mph, lets say 10mph.
This means that the clutch will have to be slipping for a longer time as you will not reach 10mph in second faster than you can 5mph in first.
Slipping the clutch to 1,500rpm will take longer than slipping it to 1,000rpm even if you manage to keep the load on the clutch the same.
For a real example of the loads involved try and start from a standstill in 3rd. This is really tough but shows how much the load has increased from first and the revs will be much higher again, you may very well smell the clutch now especially after a few attempts.
Slipping the clutch leads to wear plain and simple, and loading the clutch leads to more wear. Just because you cannot smell the clutch does not mean its not working harder.
On decent down hills I do start in second, but the car requires less effort to get moving and the clutch is engaged at a lower rpm because the engine will not be stressed as on the flat.
You have to make your own decisions as it is your car.
 
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