Newbie to Standard Trannie *suggestions*
03-21-2003 | 08:59 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 73
Car Info: 2003 WRX Sedan
Newbie to Standard Trannie *suggestions*
I've been over 3 weeks now and i still think i suck at manual trannie. I've been driving auto for almost 7 years now.
I've heard of people picking up manual within days of buying their first manual trannie car..
I've been practicing with my 2003 wrx for over 3 weeks now... still.. my 1st gear on hills sucks (at full stop)... and my 1st gear at stop lights (flat surface) is inconsistent... meaning i can't consistently have it start smooth yet.
I've been practicing at night in small streets that have a lot of stops signs..... so i can do full stops and pratice starting up.. But my consistency still sucks.
Even funnier... i feel like i need to warm up my legs before I can really feel the clutch biting point.. so when i wake up in the morning to drive.. haha.. i suck..
Any suggestions in practicing?
Oh btw.. i had a 1995 toyota tercel for a car for the last 6.5 years.. so maybe the jump to a standard trannie wrx is a bit of a leap.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated..
Thanks,
Newb
I've heard of people picking up manual within days of buying their first manual trannie car..
I've been practicing with my 2003 wrx for over 3 weeks now... still.. my 1st gear on hills sucks (at full stop)... and my 1st gear at stop lights (flat surface) is inconsistent... meaning i can't consistently have it start smooth yet.
I've been practicing at night in small streets that have a lot of stops signs..... so i can do full stops and pratice starting up.. But my consistency still sucks.
Even funnier... i feel like i need to warm up my legs before I can really feel the clutch biting point.. so when i wake up in the morning to drive.. haha.. i suck..
Any suggestions in practicing?
Oh btw.. i had a 1995 toyota tercel for a car for the last 6.5 years.. so maybe the jump to a standard trannie wrx is a bit of a leap.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated..
Thanks,
Newb
03-21-2003 | 10:18 AM
#2
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Practice is the only way to get better. I've been riding manual tranny motorcycles since I was 9 and I've never owned an automatic car so it's a little hard for me to remember what learning a standard tranny is like. The only real suggestion I can offer is that when you're first learning the manual, engaging and then slowly relaesing the hand brake is a good way to avoid rolling backwards when you're starting out on a hill.
I need to teach my girlfriend how to drive a standard so I'll also be paying attention to any other advice is given on this thread.
I need to teach my girlfriend how to drive a standard so I'll also be paying attention to any other advice is given on this thread.
03-21-2003 | 10:42 AM
#3
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It sounds like you have the general idea. Two things to keep in mind are a.) it's always better to give it too much gas than not enough and b.) if you think you're going to stall or get stuck thinking about what to do next, always put the clutch in and you'll be safe. If you have the opportunity, go out driving with someone who drives a manual and pay special attention to how the engine feels and sounds while they drive. You'll notice a lot more stuff now that you've had some practice than you would've otherwise.
03-21-2003 | 10:47 AM
#4
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Try This:
1. find a flat, empty parking lot.
2. position your car at one end.
3. with the car at idle, slowly let out the clutch until the car begins to creep forward and eventually is rolling along at idle with your foot off the clutch.
The goal here is to get the car to pull out with out ever touching the gas. It teaches you how to be smooth and gentle with the clutch. Once you get good at that things should go a lot easier.
Good Luck.
Keith
1. find a flat, empty parking lot.
2. position your car at one end.
3. with the car at idle, slowly let out the clutch until the car begins to creep forward and eventually is rolling along at idle with your foot off the clutch.
The goal here is to get the car to pull out with out ever touching the gas. It teaches you how to be smooth and gentle with the clutch. Once you get good at that things should go a lot easier.
Good Luck.
Keith
03-22-2003 | 03:41 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 73
Car Info: 2003 WRX Sedan
thanks you guys... maybe i'm just a tad hard on myself.. i've been getting stuck in traffic a lot in the past few days.. so my 1st gear is starting to get better....
A friend told me that im shifting out of 1st gear too early (about 2000rpms)... that could also be a reason to why my 1st to 2nd gives me that "one jerk"...
But sooner or later i'll have to stop riding the clutch and just get it. I'm wasting gas taking it out everynight just to practice with no destination.. haha.. fun stuff... but not cool when I'm paying almost $1 a litre up here in Canada.
Thanks again guys.
A friend told me that im shifting out of 1st gear too early (about 2000rpms)... that could also be a reason to why my 1st to 2nd gives me that "one jerk"...
But sooner or later i'll have to stop riding the clutch and just get it. I'm wasting gas taking it out everynight just to practice with no destination.. haha.. fun stuff... but not cool when I'm paying almost $1 a litre up here in Canada.
Thanks again guys.
04-06-2003 | 08:21 PM
#7
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Posts: 18,369
From: Reno, NV
Car Info: 1993/2000/2001 GF4 mostly red
A friend told me that im shifting out of 1st gear too early (about 2000rpms)... that could also be a reason to why my 1st to 2nd gives me that "one jerk"...
04-06-2003 | 09:57 PM
#8
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,723
From: Roseville, CA
Car Info: 1995 Subaru Impreza 1.8 L
Took me a month to be good enough to drive on streets without worrying about stalling every 5 feet 
Took another couple months to get completely confident in driving it.
You are doing just fine
Took another couple months to get completely confident in driving it.You are doing just fine
04-07-2003 | 04:18 PM
#11
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harharr i was driving the wrx the first night we got it... but I had spent an hour learning on my friend's civic about 2 weeks before we got the car.
I know that I was NERVOUS AS HELL when I first started driving around town w/hills and stuff. The trick is to not think about stalling... you won't stall if you just drive the car and stop thinking about driving it
Give it a little too much gas for a while. Start off high and see what works and what doesn't work. Make sure you feel the pedals real well... pedal control is a big part of driving stick. If you have the basics down, just keep practicing.
I think I usually rev to around 1500-1750 (I'll check later tonight) when I want to start real smooth. Let the clutch out slowly- there's no horrbile danger of burning your clutch going 1mph
AND really, man, you're probably doing fine! Don't think about driving, just do it!
I know that I was NERVOUS AS HELL when I first started driving around town w/hills and stuff. The trick is to not think about stalling... you won't stall if you just drive the car and stop thinking about driving it
Give it a little too much gas for a while. Start off high and see what works and what doesn't work. Make sure you feel the pedals real well... pedal control is a big part of driving stick. If you have the basics down, just keep practicing.
I think I usually rev to around 1500-1750 (I'll check later tonight) when I want to start real smooth. Let the clutch out slowly- there's no horrbile danger of burning your clutch going 1mph
AND really, man, you're probably doing fine! Don't think about driving, just do it!
04-07-2003 | 08:35 PM
#15
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 39
From: Oak Hill, West Virginia
Car Info: 2003 WRX 5-Spd,short throw, premium sound, security, yellow... stock... MINE!!
I was taught to drive a MT via the heel-toe method.
Everyone I've ever talked to says this is the hardest way to learn. But I picked it up very easily, took about 100 miles and I was driving like a pro... rev matching on throttle braking tha whole 9.
If your on a hill, press the brake down with the left side of your right foot, about as far over as your big toe. The right side of your foot should be able to press the accelerator if you rock your foot to the right.
Hold the brake in and start to let the clutch out slowly, when you feel the friction point, rock your right foot to the side a bit, adding pressure to the accelerator, while releasing pressure on the brake. As soon as the car starts to move, forward or back, release the brake, apply more gas, and slide the clutch out.
And contrary to popular belief the throttle needs to be applied BEFORE you release the clutch, N O T at he same time or you'll stall, the misconception is that you have to continue to press the accelerator down while letting the clutch out... hence the whole "at the same time thing".
Do NOT push the accelerator in as your letting the clutch out... push the accelerator in before you start to let the clutch out... till you get the hang of it at least.
Hope that helps ya at least a little.
If you have small feet, well... umm... I don't.
Everyone I've ever talked to says this is the hardest way to learn. But I picked it up very easily, took about 100 miles and I was driving like a pro... rev matching on throttle braking tha whole 9.
If your on a hill, press the brake down with the left side of your right foot, about as far over as your big toe. The right side of your foot should be able to press the accelerator if you rock your foot to the right.
Hold the brake in and start to let the clutch out slowly, when you feel the friction point, rock your right foot to the side a bit, adding pressure to the accelerator, while releasing pressure on the brake. As soon as the car starts to move, forward or back, release the brake, apply more gas, and slide the clutch out.
And contrary to popular belief the throttle needs to be applied BEFORE you release the clutch, N O T at he same time or you'll stall, the misconception is that you have to continue to press the accelerator down while letting the clutch out... hence the whole "at the same time thing".
Do NOT push the accelerator in as your letting the clutch out... push the accelerator in before you start to let the clutch out... till you get the hang of it at least.
Hope that helps ya at least a little.
If you have small feet, well... umm... I don't.