how do I drive a stick? (was: Just got my brand new 06 WRX Standard)
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Norcal
Posts: 10
Car Info: 2006 Impreza WRX STi
Just got my brand new 06 WRX Standard
So far I am having a blast with this car. Im a little bit nervous at the same time since it is my first manual car. I will post pics in a bit but for now i had a couple of questions i was hoping you guys could answer
1. I stalled the car about three times so far is that bad?
2. How bad is stalling for the car?
3. When i parked it in the garage after having gotten home from the dealership it smelled significantly like burnt rubber. Is that normal?
4. Everytime I upshift/downshift the car jerks a little bit, what can be done to avoid this?
I am looking foward to your guys's respnse and i'm glad to be a part of the community!
1. I stalled the car about three times so far is that bad?
2. How bad is stalling for the car?
3. When i parked it in the garage after having gotten home from the dealership it smelled significantly like burnt rubber. Is that normal?
4. Everytime I upshift/downshift the car jerks a little bit, what can be done to avoid this?
I am looking foward to your guys's respnse and i'm glad to be a part of the community!
#2
Originally Posted by Juice925
So far I am having a blast with this car. Im a little bit nervous at the same time since it is my first manual car. I will post pics in a bit but for now i had a couple of questions i was hoping you guys could answer
1. I stalled the car about three times so far is that bad?
2. How bad is stalling for the car?
3. When i parked it in the garage after having gotten home from the dealership it smelled significantly like burnt rubber. Is that normal?
4. Everytime I upshift/downshift the car jerks a little bit, what can be done to avoid this?
I am looking foward to your guys's respnse and i'm glad to be a part of the community!
1. I stalled the car about three times so far is that bad?
2. How bad is stalling for the car?
3. When i parked it in the garage after having gotten home from the dealership it smelled significantly like burnt rubber. Is that normal?
4. Everytime I upshift/downshift the car jerks a little bit, what can be done to avoid this?
I am looking foward to your guys's respnse and i'm glad to be a part of the community!
#3
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iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sacramento CA
Posts: 10,029
Car Info: 02 Impreza WRX sedan
Origami posted by Juice925
3. When i parked it in the garage after having gotten home from the dealership it smelled significantly like burnt rubber. Is that normal?
4. Everytime I upshift/downshift the car jerks a little bit, what can be done to avoid this?
3. When i parked it in the garage after having gotten home from the dealership it smelled significantly like burnt rubber. Is that normal?
4. Everytime I upshift/downshift the car jerks a little bit, what can be done to avoid this?
Rather than try to give you driving lessons over the internet, I will say that if you are both stalling the engine occasionally and also smelling burnt clutch material after driving the car, you haven't found the right amount of clutch 'slip'. Moving the car from a dead stop is a balancing act of slipping the clutch just the right amount for the given conditions (level ground or parked on an incline) so that you let up on the clutch pedal while simultaneously applying throttle.
Too much throttle or releasing the clutch too slowly and you burn the clutch disc material because there is a rapid heat buildup. Too little throttle or letting up on the clutch too quickly from a standstill results in stalling the engine.
I would find a nice big empty parking lot to practice so you don't have the added distraction of traffic.
Your Owner's Manual may have some additional driving tips that you may find useful.
#4
Originally Posted by Wingless Wonder
You are burning up your clutch disc because you don't know how to drive a manual transmission car. No real harm except that the clutch will have a much shorter working life and need replacement much sooner. Replacement will not be covered under warranty as the clutch is a normal wear item.
Rather than try to give you driving lessons over the internet, I will say that if you are both stalling the engine occasionally and also smelling burnt clutch material after driving the car, you haven't found the right amount of clutch 'slip'. Moving the car from a dead stop is a balancing act of slipping the clutch just the right amount for the given conditions (level ground or parked on an incline) so that you let up on the clutch pedal while simultaneously applying throttle.
Too much throttle or releasing the clutch too slowly and you burn the clutch disc material because there is a rapid heat buildup. Too little throttle or letting up on the clutch too quickly from a standstill results in stalling the engine.
I would find a nice big empty parking lot to practice so you don't have the added distraction of traffic.
Your Owner's Manual may have some additional driving tips that you may find useful.
--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush
Rather than try to give you driving lessons over the internet, I will say that if you are both stalling the engine occasionally and also smelling burnt clutch material after driving the car, you haven't found the right amount of clutch 'slip'. Moving the car from a dead stop is a balancing act of slipping the clutch just the right amount for the given conditions (level ground or parked on an incline) so that you let up on the clutch pedal while simultaneously applying throttle.
Too much throttle or releasing the clutch too slowly and you burn the clutch disc material because there is a rapid heat buildup. Too little throttle or letting up on the clutch too quickly from a standstill results in stalling the engine.
I would find a nice big empty parking lot to practice so you don't have the added distraction of traffic.
Your Owner's Manual may have some additional driving tips that you may find useful.
--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush
#5
Look, before you wreck the drivetrain of a brand-new performance car, go to Enterprise and rent the cheapest manual shift car you can. Take that beater out and drive it for six straight hours, in all conditions. Especially practice stopping and resuming while on a hill (using both parking brake to hold position and foot brake) and downshifting as an alternative to braking when in corners and during minor speed changes. Drive with the radio off and spend a lot of time listening to the engine and drivetrain and how it behaves under different conditions.
Slight "jerking" on downshifts is very difficult to avoid with the WRX or any AWD car; you are shunting power through three differentials, so almost any rapid change in RPM is going to cause driveline shock. To minimize this you need to learn "revmatching." As you put in the clutch to downshift, also apply a very small amount of throttle. Once you are in neutral, the RPMs of the engine will rise very rapidly (which is why you use VERY LITTLE throttle); if you time the downshift right, you will match the speed of the drivetrain to the final RPM of the gear you're downshifting into. You'll know you've got it right when there is minimal driveline shock but also when you don't hear that bbrrrWWEEEEEE sound and see the tachometer needle jerk. Good revmatching means the tach sweeps smoothly up to the new RPM rather than jumping all over. Again, drive with the radio off and try to treat every minute you're in the car as a learning experience.
Slight "jerking" on downshifts is very difficult to avoid with the WRX or any AWD car; you are shunting power through three differentials, so almost any rapid change in RPM is going to cause driveline shock. To minimize this you need to learn "revmatching." As you put in the clutch to downshift, also apply a very small amount of throttle. Once you are in neutral, the RPMs of the engine will rise very rapidly (which is why you use VERY LITTLE throttle); if you time the downshift right, you will match the speed of the drivetrain to the final RPM of the gear you're downshifting into. You'll know you've got it right when there is minimal driveline shock but also when you don't hear that bbrrrWWEEEEEE sound and see the tachometer needle jerk. Good revmatching means the tach sweeps smoothly up to the new RPM rather than jumping all over. Again, drive with the radio off and try to treat every minute you're in the car as a learning experience.
#6
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Norcal
Posts: 10
Car Info: 2006 Impreza WRX STi
but the thing is I know how to drive a manuial car wich is why the smell is awkward for me. i only stalled it three times on the way home from the dealership but if i could make it home, then i must be doing something right, right?
#9
Registered User
iTrader: (10)
Also keep in mind, new cars smell. Its not necessarily his driving that is causing it. New clutch does smell no matter what for a little bit. My car did have a smell for a short while after I got it, like when I parked it in the garage you could slightly smell it. No need to jump all over him, you don't know its user error. However, their suggestions none the less are good ones to keep in mind .
#10
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sacramento CA
Posts: 10,029
Car Info: 02 Impreza WRX sedan
If you come to Hammy this year, I can tell you if the smell is your clutch burning. It is unlike anything else in your car that might give off an odor.
EDIT: Brake pad material can have a similar odor but that's easy to localize as you walk around the car.
EDIT: Brake pad material can have a similar odor but that's easy to localize as you walk around the car.
#11
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Sactown
Posts: 2,018
Car Info: 2006 Audi A3/2007 Civic Si
Someone give him some lessons before it's too late. Go to one of the meets and meet someone that knows how to use a manual transmission. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.
Don't worry about the rev matching & double clutching stuff for now. Just learn to be smoother first then go to the next stage.
Don't worry about the rev matching & double clutching stuff for now. Just learn to be smoother first then go to the next stage.
#12
like what -j- said.. dont worry about down shifting, rev matching, etc. thats for later on.
like what meilers said.. turn off the radio and try to concentrate on your timing of your pedals and listen to the engine.
practice on a flat open area so you can take your time. the main thing is to first learn the clutch's cathching point. go from a dead stop to moving along like 10 miles per hour. go back to a dead stop and do that like 100 times. if your giving too much gas (your rpm is like at 3000) dont drop the clutch in or else your gonna burn the clutch even more. the smell is most likely from your clutch burning.
like what meilers said.. turn off the radio and try to concentrate on your timing of your pedals and listen to the engine.
practice on a flat open area so you can take your time. the main thing is to first learn the clutch's cathching point. go from a dead stop to moving along like 10 miles per hour. go back to a dead stop and do that like 100 times. if your giving too much gas (your rpm is like at 3000) dont drop the clutch in or else your gonna burn the clutch even more. the smell is most likely from your clutch burning.
#14
Originally Posted by SubyN00by
ALSO
we're getting a clutch done under warranty, under 36k miles, you get one new disc and one new plate and labor under warranty, but no mods at all!
we're getting a clutch done under warranty, under 36k miles, you get one new disc and one new plate and labor under warranty, but no mods at all!
#15
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Salinas, CA
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Car Info: 1997 Acura Integra GS Sedan
my service tech made the call to the warranty center and said (STI, 32k miles, clutch slipping...ok). Then he said bring it back before 36 and they'd do it, disc and plate and that's it.