First Time Driving Manual Transmission...Need Advice!

[blur]

All my friends are just getting into driving manual, so what I usually tell them when they take my car for a spin is:

1. rev to 1000rpm
2. release the clutch halfway
3. Very very very very slowly (cannot emphasize enough, the slower the better) release the clutch... until the RPMs dip (may be harder for you since you have no tachometer)
4. keep the clutch where it is, apply gas
5. car should start moving, slowly keep releasing the clutch
6. let out clutch and drive off

I was using this method to drive my friend's prelude yesterday which apparently has a sports clutch that grabs harder. From a stop it was no issue modulating a smooth start, but when I shifted to second and third the car jerked... I still gotta learn how to drive that sh!t.

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by blur

All my friends are just getting into driving manual, so what I usually tell them when they take my car for a spin is:

1. rev to 1000rpm
2. release the clutch halfway
3. Very very very very slowly (cannot emphasize enough, the slower the better) release the clutch... until the RPMs dip (may be harder for you since you have no tachometer)
4. keep the clutch where it is, apply gas
5. car should start moving, slowly keep releasing the clutch
6. let out clutch and drive off

I was using this method to drive my friend's prelude yesterday which apparently has a sports clutch that grabs harder. From a stop it was no issue modulating a smooth start, but when I shifted to second and third the car jerked... I still gotta learn how to drive that sh!t.

That's a pretty failproof way to do it, but halfway on some clutches is barely grabbing at all, and 1000rpm is not enough on engines that need some maintanence and have sluggish response :/ For smooth upshifts what I've been doing lately is engaging the clutch partway as the rpms drop, since my 1st gear to 2nd gear is quite a large drop in rpm (though not as big as Toyota C52s, 3.5something down to 1.93!).

[White Shadow]

Here's a great forum for people who are learning (or interesting in learning) how to drive a manual transmission vehicle. There are lots of guys with tons of experience who are willing to answer questions and provide tips, etc...

www.standardshift.com

[White Shadow]

Originally Posted by blur

All my friends are just getting into driving manual, so what I usually tell them when they take my car for a spin is:

1. rev to 1000rpm
2. release the clutch halfway
3. Very very very very slowly (cannot emphasize enough, the slower the better) release the clutch... until the RPMs dip (may be harder for you since you have no tachometer)
4. keep the clutch where it is, apply gas
5. car should start moving, slowly keep releasing the clutch
6. let out clutch and drive off

I was using this method to drive my friend's prelude yesterday which apparently has a sports clutch that grabs harder. From a stop it was no issue modulating a smooth start, but when I shifted to second and third the car jerked... I still gotta learn how to drive that sh!t.

A great way to teach someone to get the feel for clutch engagement is to have them practice "no gas" launching. This method is also very easy on the car. The idea is to bring them to an empty, level parking lot and have them put the car into first gear and get it moving without ever touching the gas pedal. This will give them a great feeling for the clutch engagement point. It also allows them to focus on just one thing (the clutch) without having to worry about the accelerator at the same time.

[einzlr]

Originally Posted by blur

All my friends are just getting into driving manual, so what I usually tell them when they take my car for a spin is:

1. rev to 1000rpm
2. release the clutch halfway
3. Very very very very slowly (cannot emphasize enough, the slower the better) release the clutch... until the RPMs dip (may be harder for you since you have no tachometer)
4. keep the clutch where it is, apply gas
5. car should start moving, slowly keep releasing the clutch
6. let out clutch and drive off

I was using this method to drive my friend's prelude yesterday which apparently has a sports clutch that grabs harder. From a stop it was no issue modulating a smooth start, but when I shifted to second and third the car jerked... I still gotta learn how to drive that sh!t.

Well every car is different, so a carefully crafted recipe that works perfectly for one car will likely be less successful in a different car. The general idea is to slowly move both feet in opposite directions i.e. gradually apply gas while gradually letting off the clutch, all the while listening to the engine and minding the clutch's friction point to keep the revs just high enough to not stall. Doing it this way you can catch the jerking before it happens by either applying more gas or easing back on the clutch a tad.

[whaap]

To me there was an unexpected degree of difficulty in driving the FR-S manual. I started driving in the late 40's, legally in '52 and over the years most of my driving experience has been in manual equipped cars. The surprise in the FR-S for me was the spring tension on the gas pedal is so light I often found myself giving the car too much gas while not being aware of it. I've really had to make it a concentrated effort not to do that. I think I'm slowly winning the battle but I still have to be aware of it.

[zenki_levin]

Also don't overthink the whole clutch thing. It will only make you more nervous thus you will stall more. And when you shift don't grip the shifter like you're holding on for dear life. Use the palm of your hand and push it gently into gear.

[einzlr]

Originally Posted by whaap

To me there was an unexpected degree of difficulty in driving the FR-S manual. I started driving in the late 40's, legally in '52 and over the years most of my driving experience has been in manual equipped cars. The surprise in the FR-S for me was the spring tension on the gas pedal is so light I often found myself giving the car too much gas while not being aware of it. I've really had to make it a concentrated effort not to do that. I think I'm slowly winning the battle but I still have to be aware of it.

All the more reason to learn first in an "easy" car like my Accent () or like I imagine the Yaris is.

[bestwheelbase]

Originally Posted by Hachivic

Also don't overthink the whole clutch thing.

Good point! @Veloist all this talk of releasing the clutch very slowly should come with a bit of clarification... it's a training technique which you will quickly outgrow. Like in one afternoon.

You will get a feel for the friction point and learn to get the car rolling with a modicum of time slipping the clutch. And once you are moving, it is basically unnecessary to slip the clutch.

Clutch engagement is a big hurdle at first, but don't obsess over it. Get the basic mechanics in your head and you will develop finesse as you practice other elements.

[einzlr]

Originally Posted by bestwheelbase

Good point! @Veloist all this talk of releasing the clutch very slowly should come with a bit of clarification... it's a training technique which you will quickly outgrow. Like in one afternoon.

You will get a feel for the friction point and learn to get the car rolling with a modicum of time slipping the clutch. And once you are moving, it is basically unnecessary to slip the clutch.

Clutch engagement is a big hurdle at first, but don't obsess over it. Get the basic mechanics in your head and you will develop finesse as you practice other elements.

Yes! Can't stress this enough. We're kind of "obsessing" over describing it because it takes a lot of words to try to do that, but if you find a place to practice that is flat and free of traffic, you'll catch on quickly like bestwheelbase says. After that it's a matter of getting smoother by doing normal daily driving

[Eau Rouge]

If there is resistance to letting you learn in a less challenging environment than hilly streets with other cars around, you may want to consider a "more flexible" instructor. I'm a cyclist too and I never take newbies onto busy, hilly back roads with little to no shoulder anywhere close to when it's getting dark to teach them how to shift their front and rear derailleurs.

[bestwheelbase]

@Veloist how's it going?

[Kilzod]

Originally Posted by Veloist

Okay so it's a little harder than I thought...I drove for an hour in a Yaris and I was still jerking to both 1st and 2nd. i drove for about a mile until my first stall. I did everything on the list--stalled, jerked, wheel spun, rode the clutch, etc...I was learning in a semi-hilly place but still stalled on the false flats. I'm still engaging to first very very slowly. This is why I'm not learning in the our new FR-S plus it's not even broken in.

At the end of the hour, I stopped stalling until our driveway but still took a long time to get the car moving. Sometimes I rev too high and the clutch isn't halfway out...but sometimes I roll back and my dad says I'm not giving it enough gas...It was confusing because the Yaris has no tachometer so it was really only up to me to determine gas input.

My left foot is also sore, on the top. Is that normal? I'm a bicyclist so it's not like my feet are unfit for physical activity. What's the correct position for the clutch foot?

Am I supposed to keep my heel on the floormat? I watched my dad and he keeps his heel on there, but when I do it I feel I need to raise my whole foot and I think that's what's slowing me down.

I only got an hour because we borrowed the car from a friend who didn't mind because he's selling it but I'm still looking for my own I can beat up.

I feel like I need a lot more practice just to get my muscles to remember when to let in and out but the uneven terrain is what's messing me up.

I'm never going to give up but I'm frustrated because it looks like I won't be driving the FR-S anytime soon, because I really want to be refined at it before I get behind the wheel of it.

Originally Posted by bestwheelbase

@Veloist how's it going?

@Veloist

It's all about practice. Each person will learn at a different pace, don't get down or upset because it just takes time. Everyone here has given good advice. Start in an empty parking lot, somewhere flat, where you don't have to worry about hills, focus on going from neutral (stopped) to 1st (moving). Each person also has their own way of driving a manual. You will know what feels 'right' to you, once you get more seat time.

The best part is, once you get it down, it will feel like second nature and (most likely) you'll never want to drive an automatic again! When I drive my wife's car I find myself trying to use a clutch pedal that isn't there.

[bestwheelbase]

Originally Posted by Kilzod

When I drive my wife's car I find myself trying to use a clutch pedal that isn't there.

I have done that in rental cars. Very funny!