Learning in a diesel car and worried about switching to petrol

[dottyshihtzu]

I've been learning to drive in my instructor's 1.5l diesel car. He taught me to pull away and do reverse manoeuvres using just the clutch. I've read that you can't do that in a lot of petrol cars, you need to balance the accelerator and the clutch, and some people struggle in petrol cars after being taught in a diesel as they're not as forgiving.

An automatic would be a good way around it but they're a bit pricier than manuals, and a diesel isn't practical for me as I just need a little run-around.

I feel nervous that I won't be able to drive when I pass. Has anyone here transitioned and did you find it easy or was it like having to learn all over again? I'm imagining trying to test drive a car and not being able to move it Am I overthinking it?

I moved back and forth between a 3.5L diesel truck with a bull bar to my 900cc Fiat depending on where I was going.
Driving a diesel is much easier I will agree but don't let it put you off. You will be fine.
It's easier to pass a test in a diesel so take that as a bonus.
I miss my diesel truck.

I've never felt any difference - I have lots of different cars, diesel, petrol, automatic - all fine.

I've had different manuals that ran on diesel, petrol and LPG (even less forgiving than petrol), but even on the diesel I always used clutch and gas, it's the way I was taught. If you're still having lessons, could you not tell your teacher you'd like to practice finding the biting point so you know what you're doing on a petrol too? Although I have recently changed to automatic and oh my god it's so much easier!

No difference between diesel vs petrol driving. Possibly diesel a little more sluggish? Most important is to put the right fuel in the car!

Yep on the fuel point! As I've learnt the hard way 😰
But in my defense, we had two cars at the time - one diesel and one petrol - so an easy (and costly!) mistake to make.

I've driven a diesel and used the biting point. What is this witchcraft?! I did learn in petrol.
Drive automatic now which is easy as anything but I do miss feeling I'm driving the car instead of the other way round!

Have you never learned to balance the clutch with the accelerator? Do you just start off using the clutch all the time and then using the accelerator to go faster? If so your driving instructor is a bit shit. This is why lots of new drivers end up stalling repeatedly because they don't learn to balance the clutch.

I have seen it loads on YouTube where learners test their skills in a mock test in a car that belongs to the driving instructor posting the video. Half the time the instructor teaches them to balance the clutch in their car as the repeatedly stall.

My children learned to drive recently, as in this year, both learned in a diesel and both learned to balance the clutch in a diesel. It meant when they drove my petrol car for practise it was easy to swap between the two cars. You can learn to never stall the car by watching YouTube videos and understanding the bite point etc.

I was taught like that too on a diesel and then drove a petrol after passing. You're overthinking a bit OP - yes you will stall a petrol car if you try to pull away or manoeuvre on just the clutch bite with no gas. But you'll only do it a couple of times. Just treat every pull away like it's a hill start to begin with.

Yes, so to pull off he taught me to find the bite, drop just a little below that point and hold it there while doing observations, then gently let go of the clutch to get moving, then accelerate.

But when it's a hill start, I find the bite then gently press the accelerator until the car starts humming, hold it there for observations and then release the handbrake. Is moving off in a petrol basically the same as the hill start?

It’s fine you’re overthinking

All cars are different, even the same make and model so you will just have to get used to whatever one you have.

I know exactly what you're talking about OP.

I learned in a deisel and, for the exact reasons you describe, I always preferred driving a deisel. To me, pulling away a petrol car was like doing a hill start in a deisel car. That said, I am an anxious driver. A lot of people have no issue with this at all and can go from deisel to petrol and back without thinking about it.

I have an automatic (EV) now, which helps with the driving anxiety.

what, no gas, at all? I've driven all sorts over the last 27 years and I've never had a diesel that didn't require some gas as you let the clutch out

I cannot believe that your instructor has not told you to use the gas when moving off, just the clutch. That would never happen. Anyhoo, start doing it now, so you get used to it - then when you get your petrol, it will come naturally.

I've never noticed a difference, and have both manual petrol and diesel. I learnt in a petrol though, and used to only drive petrol, so I guess I just drive the diesel like a petrol. No idea I didn't have to, I'll have to have a go next time I'm in the diesel! But your instructor needs to teach you how to drive any car, not just his car. His job isn't to get you through a test, it's to make sure you are confident and capable alone on the roads. He shouldn't even be letting you sit the test until he's sure of that. Do you have any friends or family with a petrol you could try? And if you have any trouble, make sure you tell him and have him show you.

Non issue

They're no different - we own both and I've driven both on and off since I passed my test. Both are fine.

I have one of each, have had for years. Both are exactly the same to drive in terms of pulling away, hill starts and rocking on the clutch. My husband is currently teaching our 12 year old to drive in the petrol (don't worry, it's on our private land) and she started off just using the clutch.

Switching between petrol and diesel is a non-issue.

I have a diesel that you don't need to bite, you can manoeuvre with just the clutch, no gas at all. Although I don't do it out if habit. The plus side is is virtually impossible to stall in 1st. The down side is it's very fussy in 2nd and 3rd, and I'm constantly having to change down. It's actually the hardest car to drive that I've ever had.
You'll soon get the hang of your own car. You're used to the clutch/gas thing when changing between gears, so pulling off and manoeuvring should come pretty naturally. You might stall a few times, so practice somewhere quiet, but it will become second nature.

I use both on a daily basis, I drive them both exactly the same.... Diesel has more umph but only because it's a 1.6 compared to the 1.2 petrol. My biggest anxiety is putting the wrong fuel in the wrong car 😂

The same principle can be used on both petrol and diesels
Individual vehicles will have their own balance between clutch and accelerator, the difference between petrol and diesel can be the need for more revs to avoid stalling. (It’s possible to stall a diesel)

You will just need to familiarise with different vehicles, and if the opportunity is there your instructor should be happy to have a session in your own car even after passing

I’ve driven both diesel and petrol cars my whole life and never noticed a difference. I don’t even know what my driving instructor had. 🤷🏻‍♀️

We used to have both a petrol car and a diesel car. I'd sometimes drive the petrol car and sometimes drive the diesel one, I can't say I ever noticed any difference. We now have an electric car and a diesel one, and the difference is extremely noticeable!