surfaboi75

iTrader: (11)

my best advice is to make sure that when you fully depress the clutch, that your knee is slightly bent and you don't feel like you're reaching. This will give you much better control. Like previous posters said, you need to find the spot that the clutch starts to catch. u can quickly let it out to the beginning of that point, and slowly let it out from there, once u feel it engaged u can let it out all the way.

On a side note, it doesn't sound quite like you fully understand how a manual transmission works. My 2cents is to get a good idea of how a clutch works and how it works with the gearing, transfer case, and engine. Knowing the inner workings of a clutch and transmission really helped me to conceptualize the process - and helped me when it came to rev matching when down shifting.
goodluck!

inpurressa

iTrader: (3)

I learned my first stick on a MR2 with a stage 3 clutch. That kinda gave me trauma, but practiced on an IS300 later and got it down. You sometimes develop weird habits. Like playing with the shifter to "make sure" it is in neutral when coming to a stop. Or double clutching when going back into first(or any gear down). The two most important habits to develop is to 1. keep your foot off the clutch when in gear(and long stops), and 2. keep your hands off the shifter when not in use.

In all, try to keep the car in gear whenever possible. You will naturally learn how to rev match and even heel-toe for advanced stage. All the tips on this thread are excellent advice. Practice is the essence, just like riding a bicycle and you will get it before you know it. Good luck!

wrxisthebest

iTrader: (15)

no, just put your foot on the dead pedal like the car was designed for you to do. they put it there for a reason. my girl just picked up a 2003 wrx and i have been teaching her little things everyday to help her drive better.

but DO NOT "Hover" YOUR FOOT OVER THE CLUTCH PEDAL" i think anyone is capable of moving their foot to the dead pedal and moving it back to the clutch if they need to. but you can always gas or brake without using the clutch delayed a little.

Tiare

iTrader: (18)

Took my driving test on manual in Tahiti and Auto here, but been driving manual since then.

In Tahiti, if you take your test with an Auto, it is stamped on your license that you can only drive auto lol...

To the OP: just practice and don't be scared to stall, it happens to everyone! basically learn from your mistake.

steak

iTrader: (1)

thanks for all the advice everyone, i think i'm gonna just go drive in afternoon traffic tomorrow. beats catching the bus like I did on friday :-(

I kinda got it down and everytime the car almost dies (lights start to dimmer) I immediately add gas or press in the clutch. I'm comfortable with saving the car but still slow with getting the car to move. Is it bad to kinda engage the clutch from a stop? I always see people going back and forth (must be playing with their clutch), I wanna do that so from a stop I can just add gas to move. Don't want to be too slow from a stop cuz that'll **** off everyone behind me.

808subaru

iTrader: (16)

I taught myself to drive stick once i took the car home. The salesman actually drove on the test drive, not me. But anyway, don't let honking horns bother you, just go. I used to avoid hills at all costs, so as not to stop at a red light. My advise is go drive on hills all the time. I trained my wife to drive stick in the cemetary on steep hills. I took the scene from the movie "driven", and adapted it. I said not to roll back over the quarter.
Subarus are tough to learn stick, but once gotten down, all other cars are easy (well relatively). G/L.

C89ZX7R

So are we still holding the brake down while at stop lights?

lol

C89ZX7R

Wonder if subaru carried over the clutch delay valve to the 08's?

SubaruMcHugh

iTrader: (15)

Yeah, granny shifting should help keep the trans smooth. Remember, glass tranny. One bad shift and OUCH!

steak

iTrader: (1)

If someone is behind me I'm off the brake and finding the sweet spot. If I'm close to the sweet spot I'll push clutch in a little and get on the brake. Sometimes I'll just stay off the brake completely and only half engage the clutch (Is that one really bad?)

If no one is behind me I'm on the brake and try to find the sweet spot really slow when the light turns green.

What's granny shifting?

C89ZX7R

Don't hold the clutch halfway, good way to burn it up...

C89ZX7R

most of the stop lights in hawaii will allow you to sit there with a car in neutral, clutch out and no brake.

03wrx46

iTrader: (1)

if you do stall just dont pay attention to your rear view..most people i have tried to help teach drive manny went into a panic.. just do what you gotta do

inpurressa

iTrader: (3)

I still stall sometimes when I'm not paying attention or just tired. You will get used to stalling, and restart the car like it never even happened. I also never try to balance the car with half clutch in a stop light. Bad for your clutch. Make it a habit to put the car in neutral, feet off the clutch, and feet on brakes(on a hill) at a stop light.

Just drive on H1 around 4pm and you will learn REALLY fast. Took me couple days and got the feeling for it down.

iNfEk

iTrader: (33)

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission.htm

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm

good luck dude...

I had to teach myself how to drive... once you UNDERSTAND or have the concept of what needs to happen in order for you to start driving then it will then be repetition for you to be comfortable.

The way I learned was be on a flat surface and start the car (obviously) and then depress the clutch in about half way. Try to gently put the shifter in to first gear. If it doesn't go in then press the clutch in just a tad more and it should slip right in. this is how much you need to push the clutch in so that you can change gears (eventually). Now with the shifter in first gear (car still on) lift up on your left food slowly until the car starts to move. This is the mating point. Now just give it a little bit of gas and you should start going. Once you start going you can slowly let off the clutch. Now if the car starts to buck then you didn't give it enough gas. If the bucking is unbearable then depress the clutch again and start all over.

take a look at the links that I posted... they will give you a general idea of what's going on.

this doesn't mean the way that I taught myself how to drive it the correct way but it got me by.

Jon