Can you drive stick / use a manual transmission?

[metroplex]

If so, what type of driving style is best for max clutch life and gas mileage?

Start off in 1st gear with some clutch slippage, and similar clutch release in 2nd, 3rd, etc... gears (don't just dump it)?

Or start off in 2nd gear and release the clutch as quickly as possible after shifting?

The reason I ask is because in an automatic transmission, the internal clutches and the torque converter clutches do not like heat (generated from slipping). A PCM programmed for harsher automatic shifting generally allows for max clutch life. The same theory applies to the clutches in a limited slip differential.

I don't see why this would be different in a manual transmission's clutch.

 

[dug777]

Start in first, with as little clutch slippage as is needed to pull away smoothly without jerking. You shouldn't need any real clutch slippage after that, just clutch pedal in, change gear, clutch cleanly out.

There is a first gear for a reason

 

[AcidicFury]

Umm, what's the question? I guess I usually just ease it into first (sometimes second as well) and release quickly in the upper gears to keep the clutch in good shape.

 

[TUKIN18S]

Don't start in 2nd if you want your clutch to last at all. Ease out the clutch in 1st and you can let it out faster after that.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Don't start in second and move off in first as dug suggested.


/Thread.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: dug777
Start in first, with as little clutch slippage as is needed to pull away smoothly without jerking. You shouldn't need any real clutch slippage after that, just clutch pedal in, change gear, clutch cleanly out.

There is a first gear for a reason

Yup, you NEED to slip in first. After that, dump away.

I'll slip a little bit if I have passengers in the car, but if it's just me, I shift as fast as I can.

 

[metroplex]

Thanks everyone. A lady at work was bragging about her new G6 with a 6 speed manual and was saying something about not ever racing on the road, and starting off in 2nd gear. It sounded like something an old guy, concerned about the longevity of their clutch, would say. My dad, OTOH, tells me exactly what everyone here has said.

BTW - I take it that you should let the clutch slip a little in reverse as well (similar gear ratio to 1st)?

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: metroplex
Thanks everyone. A lady at work was bragging about her new G6 with a 6 speed manual and was saying something about not ever racing on the road, and starting off in 2nd gear. It sounded like something an old guy, concerned about the longevity of their clutch, would say. My dad, OTOH, tells me exactly what everyone here has said.

BTW - I take it that you should let the clutch slip a little in reverse as well (similar gear ratio to 1st)?

You couldn't not slip the clutch if you wanted to in 1st or reverse. If you got skills and know your car well, you could minimize it, but you're probably going to either overrev it to compensate, which will burn your clutch, or underrev it, and lug your engine.

I rarely do anything BUT slip in reverse. Pulling the clutch all the way out would have me at too fast a speed to be pulling out of a parking spot.

But don't start off from a dead stop in 2nd. Thats just stupid. Rather than neither, or one or the other, you get to burn your clutch AND lug your engine at the same time.

 

[AbsolutDealage]

Originally posted by: metroplex
Thanks everyone. A lady at work was bragging about her new G6 with a 6 speed manual and was saying something about not ever racing on the road, and starting off in 2nd gear. It sounded like something an old guy, concerned about the longevity of their clutch, would say. My dad, OTOH, tells me exactly what everyone here has said.

BTW - I take it that you should let the clutch slip a little in reverse as well (similar gear ratio to 1st)?

Well then that lady has no idea what she is doing. She's going to burn up her clutch waaaay faster than if she would just start out "normally" in first gear.

I've done the second gear start a couple of times in my car, and you have to slip the clutch for far longer than if you were to just start out in first like you are supposed to. I have a feeling that this woman has no idea what actually causes the wear on a clutch, and she will quickly find out when it costs her $300 in a couple of months.

 

[Kevin1211]

this might sound stupid, but im just beginning to learn to drive stick.. what does "slipping the clutch" mean?

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: Kevin1211
this might sound stupid, but im just beginning to learn to drive stick.. what does "slipping the clutch" mean?

Letting the clutch out slowly. When you've got your foot midway on the pedal, the connection between the clutch and flywheel is loose. This allows you to get the tranny moving at the same speed as the flywheel gradually, instead of just popping it on and having the non-rotating clutch slam against the rapidly rotating flywheel, which usually = stall.

 

[SVT Cobra]

I recently bought a 6 speed mustang and I always slip it in 1st and reverse, I can't not slip it in reverse because I would be going too fast to be able to give it enough gas so it wouldn't stall out if I popped the clutch in reverse. From 2nd on I can pretty much let it out right away.

 

[Heisenberg]

Yeah, you pretty much have to slip it a bit in first (and reverse) unless you want to kill the motor or lurch forward. You shouldn't really need to in the higher gears.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Quite Often I start the work truck, moving, in 6th gear.

13 speed Roadranger, and a Big diesel engine.

Some people also call this gear; Granny gear high range.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

STarting out in 2nd gear is generally unwise because, as stated previously, it requires a longer duration of slippage. That's because 2nd gear requires a slightly higher speed than first gear before it can idle smoothly. There are times where starting in 2nd gear has its advantages, such as starting out on a slick-as-snot ice-covered road. 2nd gear, having less torque, is not as likely to promote wheelspin when you try to take off. But I certainly don't make a habit of it, and I doubt this coworker of yours is driving all the time on icy slick roads.

 

[Eli]

Starting out in 2nd gear is just stupidity.

 

[Alex]

Originally posted by: dug777
Start in first, with as little clutch slippage as is needed to pull away smoothly without jerking. You shouldn't need any real clutch slippage after that, just clutch pedal in, change gear, clutch cleanly out.

There is a first gear for a reason

QFT

i've never driven an automatic car but there's no real secret to stick driving it becomes automatic after like a week or something!

anyway yeah use 1st pretty much only to set the car in motion and then just shift cleanly... if you want to extend clutch life then don't keep shifting unecessarily, don't use a high gear with very low RPM (car starts stuttering) and keep that foot off the clutch when driving... most ppl rest it on the clutch thats bad cause you press it a bit and wear it out

 

[fire400]

it's similar for all cars, yet each car is unique in the way it copes with the other parts in the car.

for older cars, performance is derived if it hasn't had a tune up in years. for many newer cars, the engines are pretty healthy and boast technology that will make the car run more efficiently, perhaps faster than a lot of soup'd up-crayon painted civics (lol).

anyway, you start with practice to make perfect. you don't gear up really fast until you master the first few gears on small streets. otherwise, you face getting in a real bad car accident when you start panicking on the high way.

you reflexes should fall into place over time, usually a few weeks, you still need to use your brain to some extent. after months of practice, it should be like typing on the keyboard, less thought for which gears need to be switched and more focus on the use of second-splitting adjustments to get the most out of the car.

 

[Eli]

Just fscking drive, christ.

If you have any intelligence/mechanical aptitude at all, you will be able to figure out which practices wear and which do not.

Quite frankly, it's MUCH more fun to drive a manual in ways that wear on your sh!t than otherwise.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: fire400
it's similar for all cars, yet each car is unique in the way it copes with the other parts in the car.

for older cars, performance is derived if it hasn't had a tune up in years. for many newer cars, the engines are pretty healthy and boast technology that will make the car run more efficiently, perhaps faster than a lot of soup'd up-crayon painted civics (lol).

anyway, you start with practice to make perfect. you don't gear up really fast until you master the first few gears on small streets. otherwise, you face getting in a real bad car accident when you start panicking on the high way.

you reflexes should fall into place over time, usually a few weeks, you still need to use your brain to some extent. after months of practice, it should be like typing on the keyboard, less thought for which gears need to be switched and more focus on the use of second-splitting adjustments to get the most out of the car.

Ya seriously...it's like I rarely even think about it anymore. Rev-matching used to take thought and mental effort, now it's just automatic...not doing it would take effort. Driving a stick just has this certain satisfaction that's hard to explain...it's like playing an instrument. When you're good at it, and doing it right, it just feels good.