Red traffic light: Drivers make costly mistakes again and again
Created: 06/16/2022Updated: 06/16/2022 10:48 am
By: Dominik Jahn
Almost all drivers get it wrong.
Go out or in?
If you do it wrong, you have to reckon with high costs.
© Christoph Hardt/Geisler-Fotopress/dpa
Red traffic light: in gear or in neutral?
Motorists should listen carefully to the experts when it comes to this question – otherwise it will be expensive.
Traffic lights can still surprise drivers on the road.
As
echo24.de
reports, there is a regulation for yellow traffic lights that is unknown to most.
And the three reasons why you can drive off on red are often not clear to everyone.
And there's another mistake that almost all drivers make at a red light.
This mistake can cost money.
It's not about an extreme fine by the police.
Rather, it is about the horrendous costs of repairs and fuel.
It almost seems like a question of faith among motorists: exit at the red light or not?
Many depress the clutch and leave the gear in.
Others switch to idle.
At the red traffic light: gear in or disengage?
The experts from the
General German Automobile Club (ADAC
) also see this as an expensive mistake at the red light and have a clear opinion on it: out of gear and off the engine.
It says:
"As soon as the engine is running, it consumes fuel - even if the vehicle is not driving (about 0.5 to 1 liter per hour)"
.
A start-stop system is now included in many new vehicle models.
According to ADAC
, if you don't have this system, you can
"turn the key yourself"
without hesitation
.
According to the report,
"this additional load on the starter and battery is negligible, especially when the engine is warm
. "
Red traffic light: That's why disengaging the clutch makes sense for drivers
If you prefer to leave the gear in at a red traffic light and stand full on the clutch, you not only stress your left foot, but also put extreme strain on the clutch itself. As the car experts of the news magazine
Focus
write, among others, it can so-called
"release bearing damage"
can occur.
release bearing
By definition, the release bearing is part of the clutch.
It ensures that the force acting on the clutch is transferred to the pressure plate's disk springs.
The problem: If you depress the clutch, the force of the clutch spring weighs on the bearing.
If you now hold the gear permanently at the red traffic light, you will let the clutch “slip” as a result of this error and will cause much faster wear.
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The error at the red traffic light is expensive: This is how you notice that the clutch is broken
Anyone who has overdone it and repeatedly strained the floor panel of the car at the red traffic light with his foot on the clutch will not be able to avoid going to the workshop.
But how do you know that the clutch is broken?
If you believe the experts, then the damage is
noticeable through
“unpleasant noises when the clutch is pressed” .
It also becomes increasingly difficult to step on the clutch as a result.
In this case, the entire clutch must be completely replaced.
Three-digit amounts are quickly due - 400 euros are quickly lost.
Conclusion: out of gear, engine off, easy on the clutch and wallet.
