Need tips on driving stick!

[JeffreyLebowski]

i test drove a 00 sentra when i wa looking for a car for the GF, and man, the clutch on that thing was so different from the one in mine. In mine it's gotta go all the way to the floor, in the 00' you barely touch it and it engages.

 

[The Dancing Peacock]

for me, it always takes me a little bit of time to get used to a car's transmission, and I learned to drive stick years ago. I just bought a 99 accord coupe with manual transmission. It took me several days of driving to and from work to get the transition between stop and first to be perfect. I was giving it too much or too little gas. Give it some time, don't give up on it so easily, you just bought the car. Definitely don't go trade it in, that's just not a smart thing to do, money wise.


I reread your last post, and you need to let the clutch out slower. That was the exact problem I had before I got my transitions to be perfect. Give it some time, and you'll turn out fine. You wont need a class or anything.

 

[halik]

i dont leave my car in the gear when i park it,
the handbrake is strong enough to hold it by itself. Plus im planing on getting a turbo timer anyway, so theres no point in strating a habit.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Yield
real tip: downshift to save brakes, the clutch will outlast the brakes indefinitely.

bad tip
clutches do not necessarily last longer than brakes (especially if you drive that way) and trannies and clutches cost considerably more than brakes to repair/replace. Instead, use the brakes to stop and downshift softly only to keep the car in the gear appropriate to the speed. NEVER downshift into first while moving unless absolutely necessary.
The biggest tip I can give about driving a stick is that it should all be done by feel, not by sound or tach.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Yield
real tip: downshift to save brakes, the clutch will outlast the brakes indefinitely.

bad tip
clutches do not necessarily last longer than brakes (especially if you drive that way) and trannies and clutches cost considerably more than brakes to repair/replace. Instead, use the brakes to stop and downshift softly only to keep the car in the gear appropriate to the speed. NEVER downshift into first while moving unless absolutely necessary.
The biggest tip I can give about driving a stick is that it should all be done by feel, not by sound or tach.

Second at 5mph has no guts...at least not in my car..

 

[KokomoGST]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Yield
real tip: downshift to save brakes, the clutch will outlast the brakes indefinitely.

bad tip
clutches do not necessarily last longer than brakes (especially if you drive that way) and trannies and clutches cost considerably more than brakes to repair/replace. Instead, use the brakes to stop and downshift softly only to keep the car in the gear appropriate to the speed. NEVER downshift into first while moving unless absolutely necessary.
The biggest tip I can give about driving a stick is that it should all be done by feel, not by sound or tach.

Actually IN GENERAL you shouldn't use your tranny (not clutch) for engine braking to slow you down. Your tranny is not the best thing to put extra wear on considering how expensive it is.

If you wish to downshift at any time, whether for passing power or whatnot, rev-match. This is a case where either having an instinctive feel for your RPMs or seeing it on the tach is useful. However, I wouldn't recommend you learn to 1step rev-match when you're still getting the fundamentals down.

Double clutch instead. Shift into neutral let the clutch out, wait till car slows to appropriate speed, then proceed to the lower gear smoothly. After a while, you'll be able to blip the throttle to make the process go faster. Finally, you'll be able to skip entering neutral if you want.

Learning hills is basically learning to slip out the clutch well. Finding where your clutch starts to grab is a key. Learning to stomp on the clutch whenever your engine seems like it might die is a good instinct to learn too. Good luck, and ENJOY!!

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: CadetLee
Second at 5mph has no guts...at least not in my car..

Then in your case downshifting to 1st at 5mph would be "absolutely necessary."
No, seriously, that shouldn't hurt your car. I was really referring to people who downshift into 1st at 20mph or (believe it or not) in order to use engine compression to stop :Q
Crazy, irresponsible, damaging, and totally unnecessary.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: KokomoGST

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Yield
real tip: downshift to save brakes, the clutch will outlast the brakes indefinitely.

bad tip
clutches do not necessarily last longer than brakes (especially if you drive that way) and trannies and clutches cost considerably more than brakes to repair/replace. Instead, use the brakes to stop and downshift softly only to keep the car in the gear appropriate to the speed. NEVER downshift into first while moving unless absolutely necessary.
The biggest tip I can give about driving a stick is that it should all be done by feel, not by sound or tach.

Actually IN GENERAL you shouldn't use your tranny (not clutch) for engine braking to slow you down. Your tranny is not the best thing to put extra wear on considering how expensive it is.

If ever tow a trailer downhill, you'll either be engine braking, burning brakes, or ramming guardrails..

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: CadetLee
Second at 5mph has no guts...at least not in my car..

Then in your case downshifting to 1st at 5mph would be "absolutely necessary."
No, seriously, that shouldn't hurt your car. I was really referring to people who downshift into 1st at 20mph or (believe it or not) in order to use engine compression to stop :Q
Crazy, irresponsible, damaging, and totally unnecessary.

I redline at 33-35mph in first..so I *could*..but second gear engine brakes just fine..then normal brakes can do their job

I've used first for engine braking a few times, but not much/hard..not saying it's a good thing, though.

 

[Vic]

Properly done, downshifting is no more harmful than upshifting. In fact, I'm a big fan of the theory that people should keep the car in the gear appropriate to the speed they are driving at, and should never coast in neutral more than necessary. On the other hand, people should never use downshifting as the main means of slowing down or coming to a stop - that's what the brakes are for and that's the kind of driving habit that can cause excessive wear on the tranny.

Anyway, this might be a little advanced for someone first trying to learn how to drive a stick

 

[Balthazar]

Originally posted by: WarSong

Originally posted by: wasssup
gah...i'm so damn frustrated right now, can't drive it "normally" yet...i called the dealer up, and asked him about trading it in for one with auto, he said to call back friday morning.

wonder how much i'm gonna lose

Why would you want to trade it for an auto? You won't catch me dead in an auto I think I would fall asleep of bordom.

This message brought to you by someone who obviously doesnt drive in the city most of the time and spends their time on the I-state/Highway/Freeway.

 

[TrueBlueLS]

I always thought it'd be a pain to drive stick in rush hour, but I've opened my eyes.

 

[poMONKey]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
The clutch is for pansies. Powershift.

- M4H

lol ~ my old subaru wagon could powershift through the first three gears... no prob

 

[cavemanmoron]

take your time, it will become easier,
when parking,put car in first,or reverse, if on an incline,put in the opposite gear; reverse if headed downhill, etc,

 

[WarSong]

Originally posted by: Balthazar

Originally posted by: WarSong

Originally posted by: wasssup
gah...i'm so damn frustrated right now, can't drive it "normally" yet...i called the dealer up, and asked him about trading it in for one with auto, he said to call back friday morning.

wonder how much i'm gonna lose

Why would you want to trade it for an auto? You won't catch me dead in an auto I think I would fall asleep of bordom.

This message brought to you by someone who obviously doesnt drive in the city most of the time and spends their time on the I-state/Highway/Freeway.

I spent 5 years doing a 1-1.5 hour (depending on traffic), 25 mile (each way), daily commute in rush hour down the 405 freeway in Southern CA. Oh I know traffic, and I still wouldn't trade it for anything

 

[NokiaDude]

When I was learning to drive stick these two things that my dad showed me help ALOT; a car NEEDS gas to go, you cannot put the clutch in gear and expect to lightly push the gas like an auto, you need to rev to ~2000rpms and then shift. Don't ride the clutch take your foot off the clutch and put it on the foot rest to the left. Oh, and learning to drive a stick after learning how to drive on an auto sucks, you never really are driving untill you drive a stick!!!

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: Balthazar

Originally posted by: WarSong

Originally posted by: wasssup
gah...i'm so damn frustrated right now, can't drive it "normally" yet...i called the dealer up, and asked him about trading it in for one with auto, he said to call back friday morning.

wonder how much i'm gonna lose

Why would you want to trade it for an auto? You won't catch me dead in an auto I think I would fall asleep of bordom.

This message brought to you by someone who obviously doesnt drive in the city most of the time and spends their time on the I-state/Highway/Freeway.

However..this message *seconded* by someone else..who does drive around in the city most of the time. =)