New to Driving Manual

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Old 05-02-2009, 03:42 PM
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Once you get used to driving on flat...my father made me work on my control on a good size hill... learn to balance without the brakes...learn to make it go forward...balance...back...balance...I know ...its not good for the clutch but it does help you work on your clutch control...

2 suggestions once you get the hang of it...
1. dont rest your feet on the clutch pedal like its an armrest when youve already @ a cruise
2. when your not drag racing the car...dont put or rest your hand continuously on the shift lever...

just wondering...how many here actually took their drivers license on manual?
<---one of those saps whos family only had standard cars...hahahaha
you should see the face of the inspector when you have to double clutch the car to shift gears!!! cheehu!!!! hahahaha

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Old 05-02-2009, 04:57 PM
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what are the different concepts between fwd and awd concerning manual?

I've been driving around today and only killed it twice. :-) I think I'm getting it down cuz I was just in traffic heading to UH.


Next question, to shift smoothly from 1-2, do I let the clutch off slowly/smoothly? At what point should I be adding gas during a shift? Trying to get it all smooth so it's not noticeable to anyone.
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Old 05-02-2009, 05:03 PM
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Originally Posted by houdni
1. dont rest your feet on the clutch pedal like its an armrest when youve already @ a cruise
Can you explain this one, i don't understand.
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Old 05-02-2009, 05:07 PM
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^^^ What he means is, don't leave your foot on the clutch pedal if you're not using it to shift gears.
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Old 05-02-2009, 05:19 PM
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i see, but isn't it safe to hover over the clutch in case you all of a sudden have to change gear?
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Old 05-02-2009, 06:15 PM
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Originally Posted by houdni

just wondering...how many here actually took their drivers license on manual?
<---one of those saps whos family only had standard cars...hahahaha
you should see the face of the inspector when you have to double clutch the car to shift gears!!! cheehu!!!! hahahaha
I took my test with a stick..

First time I failed because I was still learning and the guy said "you have to leave the car in gear when coasting" and then deducted enough points to fail me. rofl.
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Old 05-02-2009, 06:39 PM
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Originally Posted by houdni

2 suggestions once you get the hang of it...
1. dont rest your feet on the clutch pedal like its an armrest when youve already @ a cruise
2. when your not drag racing the car...dont put or rest your hand continuously on the shift lever...
I do both. Idk why but my foot always ends up sitting on the clutch pedal, not with a lot weight but it is touching it. Probably why my clutch went out so fast huh. As for the leaving my hand on the shifter, I got used to it because when I first got the car I'd rest my hand on the e-brake. And when my parents would ride along they'd say "this isn't your 240 and you're not a drifter take your hand off that e-brake and hold the shift ****". They'd always irritate me by making retarted comments that I was waiting for the prime opportunity to rip the e and slide. Stupid parents.
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Old 05-02-2009, 08:03 PM
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Originally Posted by C89ZX7R
Put it like this. I stopped in by my dads house one day, he wanted my car moved. So I gave him my keys and he stalled out 7 times....
HAHA, I have like the stiffest clutch in the world, everybody isn't ready for it, nearly everyone stalls, even if I warn them...including such superstars as mechanics and parking lot drivers.

As far as don'ts on a stick, I'd say don't speed shift, clutch ALL the way in, take it easy into every gear, just gentle pressure until it slides in...don't pretend it's your GF
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Old 05-02-2009, 10:28 PM
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Originally Posted by caterpill
I took my test with a stick..

First time I failed because I was still learning and the guy said "you have to leave the car in gear when coasting" and then deducted enough points to fail me. rofl.
I did that as well...though I think they fail every male driver especially in the teens their first time...
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Old 05-02-2009, 10:39 PM
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Originally Posted by 2.5 DOHC
Wow! I think your best bet is to find a nice flat parking lot,and get a "feel" for the clutch.
Try letting it out without giving any gas,and try to get the car rolling that way.
Once you can do that with regularity,do it some more!!

"Riding" the clutch is when you keep your foot on the clutch as you coast in gear.
Pressing the clutch in and out is not necessarily a bad thing,you need to do that no matter what.

"Slipping" the clutch sounds like what your friend is talking about.That is when you hold a consistent rpm and slowly release the clutch pedal while trying to get the car rolling.
This will usually give you a nice burning smell,not good for clutch life!!

Just keep practicing,it will become second nature after a while,as a side note,learning to drive manual in an AWD car is probably the hardest way to learn,seeing as you're operating five driveshafts!!

Have fun,see you at the Autocross in July!!
Agreed...my first manual car was my Focus right before my bugeye.

Don't worry it only takes like a couple nights of driving around when no one is out there for you to get it down pat. Oh and everyone sucks on the uphill stops (but you have hill assist I think)...the good thing is that in HI many of those intersections are avoidable.

Just make sure not to keep your foot on the clutch while going at speed in gear...you will slowly wear the clutch out because even if your foot is barely on the pedal you are slightly slipping the clutch.
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Old 05-03-2009, 02:30 AM
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How about going from 1st to 2nd gear?

Can I let off the clutch kinda slow to make it smooth? Idk how to make it quick (to save the clutch's lifespan) and smooth. When can I press on the gas? Would it be as I'm releasing clutch?
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Old 05-03-2009, 02:39 AM
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^^as you're slowly letting go of the clutch apply some gas so u won't stall. It's all the same in all gears.
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Old 05-03-2009, 05:25 AM
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LOL wait till you drive a motorcycle. Your hand operates the clutch and your foot changes the gear unlike the car where its totally backwards lol.
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Old 05-03-2009, 06:02 AM
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What I did was Master first gear first in my old 3000gt.

That car was a bit of a pain as well to learn in, I think it's cuz the clutch was starting to go bad but back to the topic.

Stop completeley in an empty parking lot/street/wherever you won't have traffic really.

Find that "sweet" spot that everyone is talking about, and get the car rolling in first. When you want to stop, push the clutch down and put it in neutral and stop the car, then repeat this till you are completely comfortable with first gear and can do it easily.

Work your way up the gears in this method, then take it for a spin around your block.

When you're in traffic, you're going to be pushing your clutch in quite a bit, what sucks is when you're stuck in traffic in first gear and you are slowly rolling and if you put too much gas in it while you're basically slipping the clutch (I'd suggest you don't do this) you will bog the engine (that jolting feeling, like a lighter version of stalling it), and possibly burn the clutch.

Good Luck!

-Kevin
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Old 05-03-2009, 06:04 AM
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Originally Posted by steak
How about going from 1st to 2nd gear?

Can I let off the clutch kinda slow to make it smooth? Idk how to make it quick (to save the clutch's lifespan) and smooth. When can I press on the gas? Would it be as I'm releasing clutch?
There is a half-way point (the sweet spot when the gear catches) in which you want to give it enough gas.

When I was first learning, my father would have my rev to 1000-1500 and find the sweet spot with the clutch.
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