Hand on Shifter

["Al Powell" <apowell@agcom.tamu.edu>]

gwf@joker.ho.lucent.com asks:
 
> Going over the owners manual of my A4 1.8TQ, I noticed a paragraph
> in there that says to not keep your hand on the "stick", as this 
> would cause premature wear of the clutch.  How true is this statement?

It's not. You will tend to destroy the sync rings in the 
transmission, which are MUCH more expensive and harder to replace!  
Riding the clutch will kill it - resting your hand on the gearshift 
can add loads to the gears/syns rings in the tranny.  Both are BAD 
practices.  (Truth in posting notice: I'm interpreting information 
from other vehicles to the Audi, as I have not witnessed an Audi
transmission damaged by this.)
 
> One habit I do have is to rest my right hand on the shifter when I 
> drive.  I've never had premature wear problems with the Hondas that
> I've owned.  Are Audi's different?  Is it OK if I just rest it there,
> and not depress or move it?  

If you ever attend a driving school like Bondurant, I assure you that 
this habit will be extinct by the end of the FIRST ride with an 
instructor.  Being gently SNARLED at every time your hand touches the 
shift knob when you're not shifting has a way of modifying behavior!

When you're driving, your hand should never - ever - 
touch the gearshift unless you are actually shifting.  When it's on 
the shifter, you have reduced your control of the vehicle by 50%, as 
it means that hand is not on the steering wheel, nor is it anywhere 
near it.

I'm not picking you you personally, but this is simply a habit which 
is easy to acquire - many people have it - but it is a BAD practice.  
When you are driving, yor hands belong on the steering wheel.  Yes, I 
occasionally drop a hand off the wheel while driving on trips, to 
rest it.  But usually on my leg or with fingertips still in contact 
with the wheel...not as far away as the shifter.

> The shifter stick can move up and down,
> something my other cars didn't allow.  Would depressing the shifter,
> either intentionally or resting on it, cause the clutch to wear more?

I really don't understand why they cite the clutch, as I can't see 
any way this could cause wear there.  But any potential to cause 
transmission wear by adding a load on the gears from resting your 
hand on the shifter should be considered.

IF the design of the manual tranny/shifter is such that no side loads 
on the gears or sync rings are created, I know my list-friends will 
correct the error.  But even then - the hand does not belong on 
the gearshift unless you are shifting.


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Al Powell, Ph.D.                 Voice:  409/845-2807
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