When you first start learning to drive, before you can actually move off in the car, you will need to find the biting point.
The clutch of the car is made up of two plates – the engine plate and the wheel plate. The biting point is the point at which these two plates begin to connect together and join.
When you have found the biting point, by slowly raising the clutch pedal, you will feel a tug at the front of the car bonnet if the car’s handbrake is secured and will start moving slowly forwards if the handbrake is down. If you bring the clutch pedal up too quickly, then the car will stall.
The biting point isn’t always the same in every car, so it is always best to practise finding the ‘bite’ in the car you are in control of.
You can learn more about avoiding stalling here, and more about clutch control and why having good clutch control is important here.
What happens if you don’t find the biting point?
As mentioned earlier, if the clutch pedal is brought up too quickly and the clutch plates don’t have enough time to connect properly, the car will stall. If the clutch pedal is pressed down and the biting point is never reached, the engine plate and the wheel plate in the clutch will never make contact and the car cannot be propelled forwards. If the accelerator is pressed before the biting point has been reached, you will likely hear a lot of revving from the engine but no power will be transferred to the wheels.
How fast can a car move just using the biting point?
How fast a car can move just on the biting point depends on the car itself. Generally, the biting point will only give you enough power to creep forwards or in reverse depending on the selected gear.
Related Links
Clutch ControlHow to move off in a carPOM RoutineStalling in a car
Biting Point was last modified: December 12th, 2022 by driveJohnsons
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