how many rpms do you rev at starting off first gear?
 

I'm kinda new to driving stick shift and it's a blast to drive. I still feel like I struggle a little bit with first gear. I was wondering how many RPM's do you rev at to get the car moving on first gear for NORMAL driving. I usually rev to about 1750 to 2300 rpm. I am not sure if that's too high and cause premature clutch wear. If you have any tips, it would be much appreciated. Thanks for your input.

no more than 1100 and that's a bad start too.

I engage at <1K, and fully off clutch pedal before 1.5K

I would say that's pretty normal, especially since you're newer at manual. The key to avoiding excess clutch wear is to not ride the clutch and let it out smoothly and fairly quick.

Figured this out as I started driving manual more, gently start releasing the clutch until you feel it start to grab. You'll feel the car start moving a little then you give it some gas and accelerate. Practice makes perfect. Hope that makes sence and helps.

I usually rev to 4-5k then drop the clutch.

Usually around 15,000 RPM.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu34Kw490Ws"]F1 Belgium 2013 - Fernando Alonso Onboard Start + First Laps - YouTube[/ame]


But seriously... just give it enough power to not bog it down. As others have said, you'll eventually get the feel for what's right.

Someone likes to launch their car. :burnrubber:

I usually rev and engage at 1.2K-1.5K.

wow you guys are low. I rev to at least 2k and I've been driving manual for 20+ years. Usually in a hurry to get to the next stop light tho

Have you worn your clutches out quickly that way? I'll do that when I'm aggressively driving through the city, but always wondered how my clutch would fare if I did that constantly for 5+ yrs.

how are you guys revving so low, idle is about half those RPMs the car likes to rev, dont you bring it to 5k ever?



side note: during normal driving and traffic i do rev at about about 2500-3000 rpms, i always considered that normal

I give it just enough to start moving. Flat ground is either <1k or letting out the clutch, even if I'm in a hurry. Hills require a little higher rpms (~1-1.5k) and a bit more finesse with the clutch. Around town, sometimes I shift between gears without the clutch

I rev to like 1.5-2k. Our clutches are so damn heavy that if I don't do that, I get in the habit of revving lower and end up stalling. I rarely - if ever - stalled my last car.

This. 1.5-2k to get into first gear. I don't know what you others are doing...

Do all of you drive like grandmothers? Seriously I'm looking at my dash right now I'm idling at 900 rpms so you touch the gas and you immediatley shift up, how?

Thirded. I can keep it down near 1k which is just above idle if I'm on level ground and don't care whatsoever how quickly I start (so basically only if I'm pulling out of my driveway or a parking lot if I have just turned the car off since it idles at 1.5k at start up). I'll occasionally start without touching the gas, but then I really have to be dreading wherever I'm headed to....

This is just to begin moving from a stop. 2500-3000 rpms while moving is normal. 2500-3000 rpms while stopped to start moving I would say is not normal. I'd think that would wear out the clutch pretty quick. I try to keep mine below 2000 when starting to roll.

Hang on, what exactly is OP asking? Are you wondering how much you should rev to get started from a stop, or at around what revs you should be shifting into second gear after getting moving?

If I'm stuck in traffic ya 1.0-1.5k for stop and go but really 2-2.5k is more the way to go since there's no torque to speak about from dead stop. Like it's mentioned in another thread I just can't drive this car like any other car. I'm always on alert to DRIVE the thing and never really take it easy. What I hate is music during start in first gear. Hard to make it perfect when you don't hear the engine.

I took his question as starting from a stop, which for me, unless I am launching the car, I go pretty gently and keep the revs below 1000 until the clutch is all the way out, then when I shift all depends on how fast I want to be going.

I say ignore the guys saying that taking off at less then 1500 rpm is slow, chances are they are riding the clutch way too much when they try. Also some may be trolling.

A 1500 rpm start in an FR-S/BRZ is plenty to take off and throw the rear end out sideway with TC off. The only cars I would teach someone to bring the rpms up to 1500-2000 are sub 150 hp front wheel drive cars.

A proper take off in a car with a manual transmission is done by feeling when the clutch grabs and rolling on the throttle slightly while rolling off the clutch. This should be done in 2-3 seconds. By learning to take off this way you will be better equipped to take off and spin the rear tires if you want to.

I bring my car to idle rpm around 650-850 rpms and that full engage. I don't like people thinking I am racing them and also the police. Plus I have a aftermarket exhaust so I am trying to stay away from a fix-it ticket. I have driven like this for all my cars for the pass 15 years. I have never needed to get a new clutch.

First is really to get the car going. Unless you are ripping around, then you would go crazy in first lol.

I like to hear my exhaust. So I rev to 1.5-2k

This thread has made me second guess how I drive now....

I'm going to bring this thread back from the dead. :)

I had the exact concern of the OP. I tend to to rev to about 1k - 1.5k while releasing the clutch and maintain that until the clutch is released. I do feel like a grandma though. What do you guys do? Just trying to get some more input into this issue. Thanks peeps.

For normal starts, I suggest you just "drive the car" (sort of like "just fly the plane").

Slowly let the clutch out AS you push on the gas pedal. If the engine "dies" ..... push on the gas a bit more next time. If you "peel out" ...... push on the gas less next time. If you smell "burning clutch" ..... let the clutch out quicker next time.........:popcorn:


humfrz

Mine's an automatic, so I guess I don't belong in this thread.

Thanks for your contribution!

When I first started driving it I was around 2k rpm for takeoff as I got used to it, 2.5 years later I'm consistently down to 1.2k-1.5k for takeoff, I could do lower but I would be impeding traffic if I did it at a lower rpm in a smooth fashion and sometimes if I'm in a hurry I'll rev it up to 2k for getting going.

My car is 2.5 years old with 40k miles on it with no signs of premature clutch wear including several hard launches for AutoX and 4x track days in addition to hundreds of stalls, lugs, and 2k rpm n00b starts. Clutches are made to be used and replaced, don't worry about it and take @humfrz advice to heart.

I'm right in the same boat :laughabove:

This is great advise. These things are meant to be replaced just like any wear product on your car i.e brake pads. Even though these clutches have been trickier than most manual cars i've driven.

This is my first manual and I've always tried to keep the revs low ( under 1k) when engaging first.

Maybe im doing it wrong.

This is also my first manual car. In normal traffic I rev between 1200-1700 rpm to get started. Only time I am around 1k rpm when moving is getting out of my driveway. Im not too worried about clutch wear. I haven't smelled it burning but its something meant to be replaced; as long as I dont have to replace it in the first 80k miles I will be okay.

If you can do it without the engine lugging (it would sound like a tractor motor instead of nice and smooth) and you're smooth off the line then you're fine, and more skilled than I am.

Ive gotten to the point its smooth 80% of the time, but the only reason I was doing it that way was because I didnt really know how much leeway i had with it and fear of causing clutch damage.

I think knowing that I can get away with a little more revving makes it a little less stressful for me while driving in traffic now.

:burnrubber:u4-5k because race car

I am baffled.

Why are you people revving to 1.5k to get this car moving from a stop.

You don't need any accelerator to move this car from a dead stop. If you just release the clutch to the friction point, the car moves. Driving to get a gallon of milk, I'm at best 800 rpm when moving from a stop. shifting around 2.5k rpm to 2nd. All these people starting at or north of 1.5K? are you serious? lol

Of course if all of you live your life a 1/4 mile at a time then I totally understand.

Of course! Because that's exactly why we bought the FRS:cool:

:burnrubber::burnrubber::burnrubber::burnrubber::b urnrubber::burnrubber::burnrubber::burnrubber::bur nrubber::burnrubber:

It's an old habit, learned back in the day, ...... driving a underpowered tractor ..... pulling heavy ground working implements ........ :respekt:


humfrz

.......and yes, the fields were uphill ..... both ways .....:D

I redline then dump the clutch.