YACT: Uhg, learning 5-speed and RWD almost made me wreck.

[Red]

I have been driving my new car for about a week now. This is my first 5-speed and my first RWD so it is taking some getting used to... especially in hilly northern Kentucky and with wet roads this past week. Yesterday I was at a stop light on a slight grade and was turning left. Since I've definitely not mastered 5-speed and am not used to the physics of RWD.... I throttled it too much going into 2nd gear and let the clutch slip too fast. It was early morning, about 7:45 so the roads were cold and wet. I DID A FREAKIN 180 in two lanes. The whole back end slid out and because I paniced I let off the gas, which took the weight off the rear wheels and my car slid all the way around, I was facing traffic. Luckily everyone stopped and let me turn around. I was so embarrassed and felt like an idiot... needless to say, I need to learn to let the clutch slip a lot slower when taking off in low-traction conditions.

 

[conjur]

Practice makes perfect.

Find some parking spots that are steep. Should be able to find some someplace. Practice starts from there in various weather.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Clutches take some getting used to, I'm just glad I got to learn in some torquey vehicles. (first time: Jeep Wrangler w/ 4.0, got proficient in a Dodge Ram w/ a Cummins, got good in a V8 Dakota)

 

[TheAudit]

I don't know, you must have been giving it a LOT of gas to do a 180 like that. Just calm down with the right foot.

 

[Red]

Originally posted by: TheAudit
I don't know, you must have been giving it a LOT of gas to do a 180 like that. Just calm down with the right foot.

More than I meant to give it, I'm sure :/ How long will it take before it starts to come natural to me? I've been driving it for about a week now, every day, and I'm still afraid of hills and suck at 1st gear. I stalled coming out of my driveway in 1st gear this morning, GRRRRR.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Letting that clutch out really nice and slow and easy is key. At first, it seemed too slow, but you get use to it.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: TheAudit
I don't know, you must have been giving it a LOT of gas to do a 180 like that. Just calm down with the right foot.

not necessarily. i had a mustang LX 5.0 back in the DAY. it was a five speed and let me tell you, it didn't take much at ALL on a wet day to spin that puppy.

shoot i could spin it pretty good on dry pavement.

 

[Turkish]

as said above, practice makes perfect...
i have driven MT for 9 years and even i make weird stuff besides, as you said, it takes time to get used a new car's clutch/gas ratios.

 

[LordJezo]

RWD sucks.

Worthless garbage.

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: LordJezo
RWD sucks.

Worthless garbage.

LordJezo sucks.

Worthless garbage.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: LordJezo
RWD sucks.

Worthless garbage.

ignorance STRIKES again.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: LordJezo
RWD sucks.

Worthless garbage.

ignorance STRIKES again.

Gay men don't appreciate cars.

 

[LordJezo]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: LordJezo
RWD sucks.

Worthless garbage.

ignorance STRIKES again.

No, RWD causing me pain and anger for years in the winter strikes again.

No weight on the back of RWD cars.

Several times I had to have 3 guys stand in the trunk to get me traction when backing out of a parking spot in snow.

Car fishtailed a few times too.

RWD would be fine in someplace with nice weather. Sure sucked in NJ winters on the mountains.

 

[Beau]

Originally posted by: LordJezo

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: LordJezo
RWD sucks.

Worthless garbage.

ignorance STRIKES again.

No, RWD causing me pain and anger for years in the winter strikes again.

No weight on the back of RWD cars.

Several times I had to have 3 guys stand in the trunk to get me traction when backing out of a parking spot in snow.

Car fishtailed a few times too.

RWD would be fine in someplace with nice weather. Sure sucked in NJ winters on the mountains.

Lemme fix that for ya: Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive vehicles (or any vehicle) that don't have good weight distribution between fron and rear SUCK in the snow.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: LordJezo

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: LordJezo
RWD sucks.

Worthless garbage.

ignorance STRIKES again.

No, RWD causing me pain and anger for years in the winter strikes again.

No weight on the back of RWD cars.

Several times I had to have 3 guys stand in the trunk to get me traction when backing out of a parking spot in snow.

Car fishtailed a few times too.

RWD would be fine in someplace with nice weather. Sure sucked in NJ winters on the mountains.

It does suck in snow if you don't have traction control...

 

[sillymofo]

Originally posted by: conjur
Practice makes perfect. Find some parking spots that are steep. Should be able to find some someplace. Practice starts from there in various weather.

Practices don't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. Besides, he has to learn to drive before attempting to "drop the hammer".

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: LordJezo

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: LordJezo
RWD sucks.

Worthless garbage.

ignorance STRIKES again.

No, RWD causing me pain and anger for years in the winter strikes again.

No weight on the back of RWD cars.

Several times I had to have 3 guys stand in the trunk to get me traction when backing out of a parking spot in snow.

Car fishtailed a few times too.

RWD would be fine in someplace with nice weather. Sure sucked in NJ winters on the mountains.

hmmm. I drove my Mustang LX 5.0 with a 5 Speed thru a HORRENDOUS winter in Michigan (worse than ANYTHING you can imagine in NJ) without any issues.

Seems to me that you SUCK at driving RWD. and yes, it is different from driving FWD, it does require more skill.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
It does suck in snow if you don't have traction control...

Never gave me a lick of trouble in my 924S. Even though I had 3 season tires on the car and drove on unplowed roads the day University was closed because we got more than a foot of snow overnight.

That said, I wouldn't wish my Lincoln on my worst enemy in bad weather. Bloody thing fishtails if it's raining. And it's got traction control.

As for how long it should take you to get used to a manual transmission, it took me a couple hours to stop botching shifts and a day or two to get decent at it. I had to practice a couple weeks to start getting double-clutching down pat though. And about another week to start getting heel-and-toe downshifts working more than half the time. Driving a non-synchro car is fun.

ZV