cars are rubbish

[GrasB]

...well it does damage the clutch but if you put a load on the engine by pulling off in too high a gear all the time it is bound to have a knock on effect; that's why there's a first gear.

Damage will be done if you're very high sustained loads on the engine at low rpm sure, but if you're doing that when pulling away you're clutch control isn't up to the job or you're right on the limit of what your engine can actually cope with. The real problem is when you accelerate & the car starts to judder, that means you're below the threshold of the engine motion being slow for the load conditions & does do damage.

 

[very-near]

Given the auto clutch (acs) on my geared Baby merc costs £1k to replace (as they have to remove the engine to access it, I'm inclined to leave it on the drive and use my 4x4 (which has an autobox and very controllable)

The prospect of burning it out with loads of 2nd gear starts is not really an option at this price

 

[Zippy]

Damage will be done if you're very high sustained loads on the engine at low rpm sure, but if you're doing that when pulling away you're clutch control isn't up to the job or you're right on the limit of what your engine can actually cope with. The real problem is when you accelerate & the car starts to judder, that means you're below the threshold of the engine motion being slow for the load conditions & does do damage.

I agree, though judging by what I've seen in the icy road conditions at the moment most people's clutch control ism't up to the job and its amazing how the car behind expects you still to pull off sharply at lights, junctions etc - even in sleepy Cornwall where everything usually gets done "dreckly" unless you are behind a wheel it seems!

I have noticed that, because pulling off in 2nd is slower and steadier, the car behind pulling off in 1st can close in on you (if they don't wheel spin) as they are not expecting you to be pulling off gradually.

I am fortunate to be able to commute to work off road for the most part so if it is soft snow I will be getting my studdies out and going native on Monday!

 

[GrasB]

I agree, though judging by what I've seen in the icy road conditions at the moment most people's clutch control ism't up to the job and its amazing how the car behind expects you still to pull off sharply at lights, junctions etc - even in sleepy Cornwall where everything usually gets done "dreckly" unless you are behind a wheel it seems!

I have noticed that, because pulling off in 2nd is slower and steadier, the car behind pulling off in 1st can close in on you (if they don't wheel spin) as they are not expecting you to be pulling off gradually.

I am fortunate to be able to commute to work off road for the most part so if it is soft snow I will be getting my studdies out and going native on Monday!

Same thing can be said for people with too low a gear, they may well pull away quickly but as they apply power/change up they spin the wheels & you get caught out... as I said before:

A lot of drivers while not crap simply don't have the driving techniques in their skill set to deal with the icy conditions, it's not their fault per-se as you're never required to learn such skills.