driving manual - questions

[AKIRA]

i finally got my car insured and got new plates for it.

Took it out for a spin with my dad yesterday and realized that suck horrible at driving manual lol.

Only thing that bothers me is getting from neutral to 1st gear. I can never get the balance right so that the car doesn't jerk a bit before it moves. I can only get a smooth start if i let go of the clutch REALLY slowly...but we all know that's retarded because i obviously can't do that when i'm in the middle of an intersection waiting to turn left or soemthing.

So are there any tricks to get moving faster and smoothly? Also..how long did it take you guys to master driving a manual car?


thanks in advance

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Practice.

 

[CptStern]

dont hammer the gas, and dont suddenly let go of the clutch ..you have to learn that sweet spot between grinding your clutch and stalling the engine ..it's somewhere in between ..but ya, practice ..I'd borrow someone elses car if I were you ..clutch pads are expensive

 

[Tyguy]

I'd borrow someone elses car if I were you ..clutch pads are expensive

haha, let them worry about it :thumbs:

 

[AKIRA]

here's what i do: i let go of the clutch (without pressing on the gas pedal) then as i feel the car start to move that's when i press down on the gas while still releasing the clutch. Now when i do that, i get a pretty smooth take off.

But i know if i'm in an intersection, i have to react much quicker than that...I tried doing that faster, but the car just ends up jerking then going.

 

[kirovman]

Practice. Just keep doing it until you find the right "bite" that suits you, in balance with acceleration. It's just one of those things that needs experience.

Personally, I'd just jerk off.

 

[Dekstar]

Use the accelerator? What you seem to be doing is riding the clutch. You should put yer foot down on the accelerator and the release the clutch when you're revving high enough.

 

[CptStern]

haha, let them worry about it :thumbs:

I learned to drive stick on one of the UPS type trucks ..it was a parts truck at the company my dad worked at ..so on the weekends my brother and I would go down and learn to drive stick ..you'd be surprised how much stuff goes flying up front into the driver area when you pop the clutch and stall the engine


I am now stick less ;( ..every car I've owned since I was 18 was stick, my current cars are not ...kinda miss it but I kinda like the convenience of automatic

 

[repiV]

It's just practice. I had real problems with clutch control when I was learning to ride (even worse as you have to constantly slip a bike clutch at low speeds), but nobody can really teach you how to do it beyond a certain point. You just have to keep doing it and eventually it will become as natural as typing.

 

[CptStern]

I found a bike clutch much much easier than a car ...I hadnt ever driven a motorcycle and had no lessons but had no problems ..well ok maybe I forgot once or twice what gear I was in

 

[AKIRA]

It's just practice. I had real problems with clutch control when I was learning to ride (even worse as you have to constantly slip a bike clutch at low speeds), but nobody can really teach you how to do it beyond a certain point. You just have to keep doing it and eventually it will become as natural as typing.

yea, i think you're right. How long did it take you to fully get used to it?

 

[repiV]

I found a bike clutch much much easier than a car ...I hadnt ever driven a motorcycle and had no lessons but had no problems ..well ok maybe I forgot once or twice what gear I was in

How powerful was the bike?
Small capacity motorcycles (~125cc) are really, really easy to stall pulling away - you have to get the throttle and clutch action just right or it will just die on you. Bigger bikes are much more forgiving in that sense as even if you dump the clutch there's enough power there to keep it going - although they have the opposite problem that if you aren't careful you'll flip the bike, lose traction or end up in the back of a car.
On the 125 what I kept doing was feeling it start to go at the bite point and then letting the clutch out too quickly. A familiar *thwonk* ensues...

 

[Glirk Dient]

I would say practice and get used to your car. My step bro took me out in a manual to teach me once and I could barely get it going and didn't get the hang of it. A few months ago my friend let me drive his manual and I was shifting a lot and it was completely smooth every time.

 

[repiV]

yea, i think you're right. How long did it take you to fully get used to it?

Several hundred miles, at a guess. I rode for hours every day for two weeks on a hire bike. Although that was a machine with the torque of a Nissan Micra and a top speed of about 60mph.
It's like anything you know...when it's new you have to think about it, but if you repeat the process enough times you can just do it without thinking about it anymore. When your input into the controls is a subconscious process, you know you've learned it.

 

[The Monkey]

I've only driven automatic once, so I've nothing to compare with. Just practice a lot and it will work. I found it hard too when I started to drive, but I learned to handle it after a while. Just work both the clutch and the gas pedal smoothly, and you should be OK.

 

[CptStern]

How powerful was the bike?
Small capacity motorcycles (~125cc) are really, really easy to stall pulling away - you have to get the throttle and clutch action just right or it will just die on you. Bigger bikes are much more forgiving in that sense as even if you dump the clutch there's enough power there to keep it going - although they have the opposite problem that if you aren't careful you'll flip the bike, lose traction or end up in the back of a car.
On the 125 what I kept doing was feeling it start to go at the bite point and then letting the clutch out too quickly. A familiar *thwonk* ensues...

I cant remember the engine size but it looked something like this

I dont think it was more than 900ccs

it was a harley ..drove it in jamiaca ..goddam it they had roads like you brits ..kept on screwing up on round abouts

 

[Gray Fox]

Don't be pussy, just floor it.

 

[Shodan]

Learn to use a biting point.

Balance both feet, so you're smooth with both actions.

A nice smooth action is always good.

 

[repiV]

I cant remember the engine size but it looked something like this

I dont think it was more than 900ccs

it was a harley ..drove it in jamiaca ..goddam it they had roads like you brits ..kept on screwing up on round abouts

Ah, well that explains it...lots of low-down power in the engine, but not a great deal of torque - so no great need for finesse with the clutch.
Try it on a small capacity bike or a revvy sportsbike/sports-tourer and you'll see what I mean.

Roundabouts are great. Well surfaced ones are practically tailor made for scraping your knee round in a gyroscopic motion...of course, you couldn't do that on a Hardley.
Amazing the number of people that have no ****ing idea how to negotiate one though, despite it being a mandatory part of the test. I've nearly been wiped out by a moron in a Micra/Saxo/Volvo/Chevvy/<insert numpty car here> trying to cut across my path to exit a roundabout on more than one occassion.

 

[CptStern]

ya but we have no need for roundabouts in canada ..most roads are straight ..jamaica was like europe: all windy roads ..also a friend in my group, too terrified to drive a bigger bike settled on a vespa ..he kept stalling it/grinding gears ..needless to say the rest of us in the group left him behind

 

[repiV]

ya but we have no need for roundabouts in canada ..most roads are straight ..jamaica was like europe: all windy roads ..also a friend in my group, too terrified to drive a bigger bike settled on a vespa ..he kept stalling it/grinding gears ..needless to say the rest of us in the group left him behind

Vespa do geared bikes?

Quite ironic really, it's much more dangerous to be on a machine that's not powerful enough to keep up with the traffic, handles like shit and is very difficult to see or hear...

 

[No Limit]

As already said just practice. There really is no "trick" to driving stick. Each clutch is different and you will find if you are great at driving your manual car you will need a few tries to get used to driving a completely different car.

I learned stick on a 1999 Mustang Cobra and to this day that's the only manual transmission I have personally owned. I wouldn't give up my automatic, too spoiled by it especially since I always multitask when driving.

 

[lePobz]

If you live in a hilly area, it's harder... Hill starts punish the clutch if you don't get them just right. I live in the pennines... You learn clutch control pretty quickly round these parts

And yeah, like everyone else says... practice. You'll have to learn to give the engine just enough 'gas' to move without stalling, based on the incline your car is on. Giving it too much gas will just damage your clutch over time. Practice will help you find biting point easier, too.

 

[AKIRA]

yea, well that's the thing, i know i need to practice but if i screw up too many times (which is probably what will happen), then the clutch and/or transmission will be history n my dad will destroy me...

Oh well, i'm just going to keep practicing and NOT panic, because i did that once on a hill n almost hit the car behind me lol...

 

[Top Secret]

Something that really helped me is what I call the "100% Rule"

Basically, when you take off from a stand still, push down on the throttle 20% of the way, and almost immediately let go of the clutch 80% of the way. The then let go of the last 20% over the course of one to two seconds (on the long side.)

Just keep smoothness in mind.

 

[AKIRA]

i was wondering: In heavy traffic, sometimes you stop and go frequently..can you release the clutch n just move forward very slowly without pressing on the gas in 1st gear? then when traffic stops, just go back to neutral..?

 

[Cormeh]

I got taught to remain in the "go" position in such a situation. Apply the handbrake, then set your pedals. The gas so that the revometer is just under or on 10, and the clutch is up enough for the front of the car to be pushing forward slightly.

This is OK practice for learning the balance of the pedals, but experienced drivers will mostly floor the clutch and use the footbrake, then quickly apply the gas and release the clutch. Obviously - this takes practice.

Trust me, when your confidence grows, you'll be setting off by the mere sound of the engine. You'll HEAR when it's ready to move off.

 

[lePobz]

i was wondering: In heavy traffic, sometimes you stop and go frequently..can you release the clutch n just move forward very slowly without pressing on the gas in 1st gear? then when traffic stops, just go back to neutral..?

Depends on the car... In some diesels you can, because they've got enough torque at tickover to move the car... In most petrols, you need at least a bit of gas. Unless you're on a downhill slope.

 

[Dan]

i was wondering: In heavy traffic, sometimes you stop and go frequently..can you release the clutch n just move forward very slowly without pressing on the gas in 1st gear? then when traffic stops, just go back to neutral..?

I can do it on my Honda Civic on flat ground. I guess it depends on the idle, but it definitely doesn't have all that much torque. You just have to accelerate shit slowly and you will feel a bit of shaking like the engine is on the edge of stalling. That just means you need to push the clutch in more.

A few times I have started in 3rd by accident. It feels kinda the same, you just don't accelerate very fast. Or when you forget to remove the hand brake. Haha.

 

[Dan]

I got taught to remain in the "go" position in such a situation. Apply the handbrake, then set your pedals. The gas so that the revometer is just under or on 10, and the clutch is up enough for the front of the car to be pushing forward slightly.

This is OK practice for learning the balance of the pedals, but experienced drivers will mostly floor the clutch and use the footbrake, then quickly apply the gas and release the clutch. Obviously - this takes practice.

Trust me, when your confidence grows, you'll be setting off by the mere sound of the engine. You'll HEAR when it's ready to move off.

You mean the tachometer? That's now one of those aluminium/aluminum words is it? Anyways, I think I tried using the handbrake on a hill when I was learning and my dad gave me a smack and told me to learn to drive properly. I also did the heal on the brake, toe on the gas, when I wasn't very good at starting on hills. Now I just start normally without having to think about it. My feet do it automatically.

 

[Ren.182]

Like everyone else has said it's just a matter of time and practice.

Once you learn where the "bite" is then you should be fine. Whilst raising the clutch to reach the bite just apply a little bit of gas to make sure the engine doesn't sound like its rubling. If it does sound like its rumbling you probably aren't applying enough gas so just squeeze down the gas pedal a bit more.

Also move your feet a smoothly as you can.

Manuals are great fun

 

[AKIRA]

yea, they're really fun once you get moving lol.

 

[lePobz]

It's certainly better than automatic (eww) but the best i've used is the sequential transmission in the murcielago... you can keep your foot on the floor whilst shifting and you know you're getting the maximum performance out of the engine (in my case, a 6.5 litre V12). The clutch is automatic but the gears aren't - It's like the best of both worlds.

 

[noQ]

asking such things on the internet...

WHERE IS YOUR MASCULINITY!?

YOUR PRIDE !?

 

[The Monkey]

i was wondering: In heavy traffic, sometimes you stop and go frequently..can you release the clutch n just move forward very slowly without pressing on the gas in 1st gear? then when traffic stops, just go back to neutral..?

Why would you want to go to neutral when you're in traffic? That's for parking only.

 

[AKIRA]

Why would you want to go to neutral when you're in traffic? That's for parking only.

because traffic stops and then continues lol. You can't break in 1st gear otherwise you'll stall. You have to go into neutral when you stop.

But i tested this out today and it worked.

 

[lePobz]

because traffic stops and then continues lol. You can't break in 1st gear otherwise you'll stall. You have to go into neutral when you stop.

But i tested this out today and it worked.

You are supposed to let the engine brake in first gear, and push the clutch down just before you come to a stop. Putting it in neutral to slow down is very wrong. The only time you need neutral is when you've parked up, or if you're stuck in a big traffic jam and need to rest your left foot.

 

[AKIRA]

hm, then my dad taught me wrong lol, cuz that's what he's been doing/telling me this whole time D:

 

[lePobz]

Eep. I hope he doesn't drive a manual...

Say you're in 3rd gear and you're coming up to a red stop-light or queuing traffic. You lift off the gas, let it slow down a bit (use the brakes if you need to), change down to 2nd, keep braking (if you need to), shift down to 1st, and then put your clutch down just before you stop. Keep your foot on the clutch and your other foot on the brake till its time to move off again. If you're on a hill, you will have to apply the handbrake and move your right foot from the brake to the gas, to get your revs up and your clutch at biting point so that when you're ready to move off, all you need to do is lift the handbrake and the clutch. If you're not on a hill, ignore the handbrake.

If you're lazy, you can do away with shifting down to 1st, but push the clutch down a bit earlier than you would if it was in 1st. Don't put it in neutral though... You'd never pass a driving test if you had it in neutral whilst still moving.

 

[AKIRA]

wow lol...i dunno why he drives like that then...

Does it do a lot of damage if you keep putting it in neutral?

This is what I do: I'm going about 60km/h...see a red light ahead of me..im in 3rd, so i break, it's slowing down, i get close to a car, then i just put it in neutral...then break finally, and just put it back to 1st when im ready to go again.

If im slowing down and traffic starts moving again(while im in neutral coasting), then i just put it back to 2nd gear and keep going..

bah, i hope i didn't destroy the trans.. D: