[petesamprs]

Need some advice guys (and gals):
My wife is having a harder time than we expected getting used to the clutch on our new e90. Her past experience, though limited, was on japanese clutches w/ short pedal travel. On this car, the pedal travel is too much for her to modulate without taking the heel of her foot off the ground, making it very hard to modulate the clutch accurately (no stability). To see her point of view, I tried doing clutch work without my foot planted on the ground and I found it really hard!

I have a size 12 shoe so it's no problem for me - I can basically modulate the clutch fully without taking my foot off the ground. Hers is a size 6, and it's near impossible since the engagement point is at a place where her foot is floating in mid-air.

My questions:
1) What strategy are you small-footed drivers (or your spouses) using to modulate the clutch pedal?
2) Does the clutch need to be down all the way (for starting the car, and for full clutch disengagement) - maybe i can put a clutch stop in.
3) Anyone else have this issue?

Love the car by the way. I hope all the "practice" (read: stalls) my wife is doing is not killing it.

thanks.

[BMRAMA]

I wear a size 11 shoe, and I was originally having to fully lift my foot to use the clutch. I found that I could significantly lessen the need by adjusting the seat and steering wheel position.

Maybe you two could adjust her positioning?

[JonMad]

Funny, I've found my foot (size 11) catching the foot rest when pressing the clutch, so am having to adjust and was going to post something saying 'have you with big feet noticed this?!'

I couldn't tell you whether I take my foot fully off the floor or not!

[SRT]

hmmm - I use to try doing that 'keep heel on ground' technique when I first started driving, but it was impossible, or it just hurt too much afterwards

I think your wife will just take longer to get ued to it, but she's going to have put effort into learning these clutches

Might I suggest an empty car park and tell your wife to practice moving the car off slowly without using the gas - it helps with muscle control as you have to raise the pedal very slowly to get as much of the 800rpm idle to the wheels - better still, switch off A/C and try it with a 600rpm idle

[Neil C]

Buy her some chunky socks and then she can wear some larger shoes. Problem solved.

Always glad to be of service

[ryan330]

I have driven manual for about 5 years now, and i have tried clutching without lifting my foot from the floor but have never been able to do it. My foot always seems to stick to the pedal, so if i don't push it directly back it won't go(atleast not smoothly). my feet are size 9 so i don't think it is that. After a while you get used to just lifting your foot and it is just a smooth as i assume you can guys can do without lifting. Just a matter of getting the motion.

[Nikki]

I don't really understand her problem, I wear a 4 1/2 and no complaints here.

[petesamprs]

So the message that I'm getting is that it is perfectly normal for your foot to come off the ground and it just takes getting used to.

That's news for me - it's much easier to leave my foot planted on the ground and module the clutch by a combination of i) full ankle movement and ii) sliding my foot back and forth along the carpet. Gives me much more stability

Nikki - those are some small feet (I think my 7 year old bro is about that size)! Can you describe in more details your clutching method?

[Nikki]

Originally Posted by petesamprs

Nikki - those are some small feet (I think my 7 year old bro is about that size)! Can you describe in more details your clutching method?

I really don't know, I mean I just push it in. I've always had Japanese cars and the clutches on those cars are much shorter-it's just something you need to get used to. I only have problems when I'm in stop and go traffic (which is everyday) and in that case I just leave it in neutral at lights or when I'm not moving. I did wear a pair of boots the other day since it's been a chilly 60 degrees at night this week and I noticed that it was much easier to stay on the clutch than my sandals. I also was a lot harder on the gas and the brakes, which was interesting-pretty fun actually.

[wongmb]

I always lifted my foot so that I dont wear out the carpet No stability issue. The carpet is a joke.

[espo]

Originally Posted by JonMad

Funny, I've found my foot (size 11) catching the foot rest when pressing the clutch, so am having to adjust and was going to post something saying 'have you with big feet noticed this?!'

I had the same problem with the floor mats, catching the lip of the thick BMW logo area when I tried to let up the clutch. I just ditched the mat while I wait to get some other mats without that logo on them (like the all-weather rubber ones).

I also can't seem to just use my ankle to move the clutch, I have to end up lifting my whole leg to fully release it. Since this is my first manual car, I thought that it may just be me. I see now that I'm not the only one having the same issue. BTW I have a size 10 foot.

[KUweatherman]

Keeping your foot on the ground while pushing in the clutch? I didnt even know that was possible. Wouldnt that put your foot at some weird angles? I find the clutch on the E90 almost perfect. Definitely better than the E46 clutch.

[ksfrogman]

I too don't understand the need to keep the heel on the floor. The only ones who might have a fit with heel lifting would be technique-oriented piano instructors.

[petesamprs]

I just came back from a drive and was concentrating how I shift: basically with clutch fully depressed the ball of my foot is on the pedal and the back of my heel is resting on the carpet. My ankle is almost fully stretched forward. Starting from a stop, I move only my ankle to let the clutch out slowly. The engagement point is just about where my ankle can't pull back any more (ie, calf muscle fully stretched). I complete the engagement by pulling my whole leg back.

You're telling me the rest of you just have your foot floating in mid air?

[LEDZEP]

Originally Posted by Nikki

I don't really understand her problem, I wear a 4 1/2 and no complaints here.

I think Nikki is a hobbit.

[petesamprs]

if she were a hobbit she'd be 4 1/2 feet tall and have size 15 shoes.

[selm]

There has been a lot of response to the question 1, but not number 2. I have the same question: Does the clutch need to be pushed all the way down to the floor? Most of the time, I just push it in a few inches, because I can feel that is where it engages. Is that fine to do? Am I causing excessive wear and tear? I have gone 2000 miles in my e90 and have not once grinded the gears or stalled the car, so I guess I must be doing something right.

[espo]

Originally Posted by selm

There has been a lot of response to the question 1, but not number 2. I have the same question: Does the clutch need to be pushed all the way down to the floor? Most of the time, I just push it in a few inches, because I can feel that is where it engages. Is that fine to do? Am I causing excessive wear and tear? I have gone 2000 miles in my e90 and have not once grinded the gears or stalled the car, so I guess I must be doing something right.

I have the same question, I have heard that you need to put it all the way to the floor to actually get the car to start, but I haven't tried it out yet. There does seem to be alot of travel below the engagement point that would be solved with a clutch stop...

A couple of times I didn't put the clutch far enough in when trying to shift. I felt some resistance on the stick trying to get the car out of the current gear, so I just pushed it all the way in, but I don't remember how far in it was is the first place.

[petesamprs]

re: question 2. I'll do some testing tonight while driving. Have to head out in a bit. Others should do the same.

[Nikki]

I was talking about it with my boyfriend and now I understand what your wife means. I'm just used to always having to do that so it isn't a big deal to me. The only difference is that it is a longer clutch so it is a little harder at lights and in traffic but I guess I'm just used to "floating my foot".

[Xens]

My left foot is always in the air when operating the clutch, it just doesn't feel natural to keep it planted on the carpet due to the way the clutch pedal travels. :

[RyBMW]

Originally Posted by petesamprs

I just came back from a drive and was concentrating how I shift: basically with clutch fully depressed the ball of my foot is on the pedal and the back of my heel is resting on the carpet. My ankle is almost fully stretched forward. Starting from a stop, I move only my ankle to let the clutch out slowly. The engagement point is just about where my ankle can't pull back any more (ie, calf muscle fully stretched). I complete the engagement by pulling my whole leg back.

You're telling me the rest of you just have your foot floating in mid air?

That's exactly how I drive stick shifts.

Before getting the E90, my previous cars were all Japanese. The clutch has a shorter travel. When I first test drove the E90, the first thing I realized was that the clutch had a long travel, like the MB's, but I got used to it in 10min.