Driving A MT
 

First time driving a MT, pointers??

Find an instructor and pay a small amount for proper training! Will pay off huge in the long run. Far too many people teach bad habits right from the start and don't even realize it.

How long should it take to learn driving a MT? Been driving an hour or two a day and still find myself stalling on the main roads

Been driving them for 40 years and STILL screw up a shift or manage to stall once in a while (rare but it happens). Anybody that tells you they don't is either lying or have a very selective memory!
All I can say is practice, practice, practice and eventually you will realize you are doing it without even thinking about it (which is also why you will screw up once in a while really).
If I had to say one major pointer it would be: Be VERY careful not to down shift too far and over rev. A down shift from 5th or 6th to 2nd at highway speeds will rip your car apart in a hurry!

Only problem i have is getting off from a standstill and not knowing what gear to be in when i'm coming to a turn etc. I literally got my probationary license a few months ago but thought i'd try my hand at MT, hopefully i don't destroy this car.

Pretty hard to destroy really just watch your down shifts. Like I said before a few dollars spent for a pro to teach you is a good investment. It is amazing what they can tell you in an hour or two.

Looked online and it appears that a two hour course in Australia would cost between $100 and $150. Can probably save that much in gas for a year just by learning how to shift properly!

Take an hour, go to a parking lot, and learn the engagement point. Practice bringing the clutch out to just prior to the engagement point, do this repeatedly and commit to muscle memory. The engagement point is crucial.

Once you have the engagement point down, everything else is simple. Moving from 1st, starting on a hill, smooth upshifting, etc.

When stopped on a hill, use the ebrake to help you out. That way you do not roll back. Just have the car ready in first, hold the ebrake up, as you accelerate and let out the clutch, release the ebrake. No rolling!

What gear to be in comes with experience. My advice is don't downshift for a corner you aren't sure you should downshift for. If you find you're going too fast get on the brakes, and if you feel like it's bogging down coming out, downshift.

Things like that vary car to car, but you'll gain a general idea after you get experience.

The rest is just practice really. I'm self taught and I get along great :)


I work at a car dealership, so I drive many different cars. I'll stall now and again. Anybody who tells you they don't ever stall are liars.

Don't be afraid to give it some gas when getting started in 1st. Most people stalling a lot aren't on the gas enough to get moving smoothly. Clutches can take an incredible amount of abuse.

Also yeah, everyone stalls now and again. I do once every 3-4 months and it's always embarrassing!

YES.....VERY important. Be careful not to mis-shift going down the gears (for example, shifting down from 5th heading for 4th .... and hit 2nd by mistake).

The rev limiter will not "save" you in this case (the rev limiter only works going "up" the gears).

Some call this type of mis-shift a "money shift" ...... for good reason.... :sigh:


humfrz

I never stall. Ever. I came out the womb via a 4k clutch dump and haven't missed a shift since.

It took me a week of driving it daily to get the hang of driving MT. Then it took another month to get really comfortable.

I taught my 19-Y-O daughter this way and she had it down within an hour and was much more confident. It takes the pressure away and gives your brain time to memorize the steps. It still took her a further week or two to master it though...if any of us ever master it! :)