Newbie Manual Driving Help Needed

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by Teclis

I am sorry, but don't you americans learn to drive stick at when you want to get your drivers lisence?!

Might be that I am from Norway (North part of Europe), and the rules here clearly state that you MUST learn how to drive stick.. Of course you can take the drivers lisence here with an automatic, but then you are not allowed by law, to ever drive stick, unless you take that test..

Then again most people here in Scandinavia drives stick, yes some prefer automatic ofc

Nope. In fact most North Americans never even get into a car with a manual shift during their entire life, let alone try to drive one.

Soon the rest of the World will catch up......8-)

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by nyfries

I'm getting better at using the clutch at low speed instead of mashing on the gas releasing clutch. Someone told me its bad to use the clutch like this, but than it is also bad to slip the clutch ?

the first few days i had the car i was constantly driving in stop and go traffic and incline, I may very well have burn my clutch with my shoddy clutch work . My frd drove my car today and he said he feels like my clutch is slipping a little, i never get to the point when I smell the clutch though how much damage did i do?

Clutch slip is easy to diagnose. Find a decently steep hill, anything in Vancouver above Kitts Beach will do fine. Drive up in fifth gear at 3,000 rpm or so with your foot on the floor and watch the tach and digital speedo. If the tach increase rpm while the digital speedo stays at one number you have burned out your clutch. If the rpm stay in perfect synch with the speedo your clutch is still ok.

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by Teclis

I am sorry, but don't you americans learn to drive stick at when you want to get your drivers lisence?!

Might be that I am from Norway (North part of Europe), and the rules here clearly state that you MUST learn how to drive stick.. Of course you can take the drivers lisence here with an automatic, but then you are not allowed by law, to ever drive stick, unless you take that test..

Then again most people here in Scandinavia drives stick, yes some prefer automatic ofc

North Americans.
I'm almost certain that at least 8/10 Canadians can't drive manual (and have no interest in learning) either.
This seems to be going global - I'm told Macau has more A/T drivers now (used to be dominated by M/T)

[Jaywest717]

Originally Posted by Suberman

Nope. In fact most North Americans never even get into a car with a manual shift during their entire life, let alone try to drive one.

Soon the rest of the World will catch up......8-)

It's true. I wish I had learned to drive stick when I first went to Driver's Ed. But then again, people here can't even drive automatics. I'm terrified what would happen if all of these people started driving stick.

[executor]

Originally Posted by Want.FR-S

To sum up, it is not hard to drive a manual car fast. Once you pass the 1st and 2nd gears, the up shifting is better and smooth because the speed difference between the flywheel and input shaft is less and thus smooth shift.

It is, however, hard to drive a manual car *slowly*: i.e. stop-n-go traffic, parking lot cruising and backing or parking. To get the car go like it is an automatic in these situation requires proper control on the clutch, and not necessary on the gas. In these situations, clutch footwork is more important than gas footwork. Once you master the clutch control to move the car *without* gas, you have graduated to a new level of manual car driving.

Lastly, let me quote Sir Jackie Stewart in one of the Top Gear episode when he was teaching James May about race car control: don't press the gas pedal unless you know you will not lift off later.

correct me if i'm wrong but i'm pretty sure that by not adding gas while moving out the clutch; you will also wear out your clutch

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by executor

correct me if i'm wrong but i'm pretty sure that by not adding gas while moving out the clutch; you will also wear out your clutch

Depends.

By adding gas you can get off the clutch more quickly, but you're also spinning the clutch at a higher rpm thus generating more friction (slippage). With no gas the action of engaging the transmission takes place over a longer time but at a lower rpm so there's less friction (slippage) but it's applied over a longer period of time.

It's a balance and there's no correct answer, the only right answer is whatever method you feel comfortable with that results in smooth, safe and comfortable motoring.


Edit: unless you're speaking about 'feathering' the clutch to keep the car at a speed below what the car would travel at with the clutch completely engaged (foot off the pedal), in which case that does add wear to the clutch and you're usually not using the gas, but this should be within normal operating modes. People seem to forget that the clutch is a wear item on a car and it is designed to be replaced.

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by Jaywest717

It's true. I wish I had learned to drive stick when I first went to Driver's Ed. But then again, people here can't even drive automatics. I'm terrified what would happen if all of these people started driving stick.

Non-issue.
They would never even be able to move out of the parking lot

[daiheadjai]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Depends.

By adding gas you can get off the clutch more quickly, but you're also spinning the clutch at a higher rpm thus generating more friction (slippage). With no gas the action of engaging the transmission takes place over a longer time but at a lower rpm so there's less friction (slippage) but it's applied over a longer period of time.

It's a balance and there's no correct answer, the only right answer is whatever method you feel comfortable with that results in smooth, safe and comfortable motoring.


Edit: unless you're speaking about 'feathering' the clutch to keep the car at a speed below what the car would travel at with the clutch completely engaged (foot off the pedal), in which case that does add wear to the clutch and you're usually not using the gas, but this should be within normal operating modes. People seem to forget that the clutch is a wear item on a car and it is designed to be replaced.

IIRC, the clutch is a wear item (like brake pads).
Regardless of how you use them, as long as you use them, they will wear out.
The question is which method can spare the most unnecessary wear and tear.

[Frost]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

IIRC, the clutch is a wear item (like brake pads).
Regardless of how you use them, as long as you use them, they will wear out.
The question is which method can spare the most unnecessary wear and tear.

QFT!

It's amazing how I hear people say "you should never have to change your clutch - if you do, you're doing something wrong!".

Materials wear out - even when perfectly used. I mean, think about it - you have two spinning surfaces that, even if perfectly speed matched, have to suddenly grip each other and transfer power. It will eventually wear out - just a matter of time.

[scionfrs2014]

Sound like you cannot wait to go to combat while still in top gun training center. I am an experienced manual driver, yet I am still learning how to manage FR-S. (My FR-S just reaches 500 miles.) For me, many FR-S's designs seem to focus on track racing. I need more time to manage it.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by Frost

QFT!

It's amazing how I hear people say "you should never have to change your clutch - if you do, you're doing something wrong!".

Materials wear out - even when perfectly used. I mean, think about it - you have two spinning surfaces that, even if perfectly speed matched, have to suddenly grip each other and transfer power. It will eventually wear out - just a matter of time.

Reasonable driving tends to wear out a clutch around 80,000 miles these days.

Dump and run acceleration runs can shorten clutch life considerably.

The key to remember is the clutch doesn't wear at all until you push the clutch pedal. The more efficiently and smoothly you drive, especially on a track, the longer your clutch lasts.

I know skilled but conservative drivers who get well over 100,000 miles out of one clutch.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

North Americans.
I'm almost certain that at least 8/10 Canadians can't drive manual (and have no interest in learning) either.
This seems to be going global - I'm told Macau has more A/T drivers now (used to be dominated by M/T)

Canadians are North Americans. Not sure about how many Mexicans can drive stick, though.

Manual transmissions are rapidly being rendered obsolete except as a historical curiosity, like pushrod valve trains ....

[Frost]

Originally Posted by Suberman

Reasonable driving tends to wear out a clutch around 80,000 miles these days.

Dump and run acceleration runs can shorten clutch life considerably.

The key to remember is the clutch doesn't wear at all until you push the clutch pedal. The more efficiently and smoothly you drive, especially on a track, the longer your clutch lasts.

I know skilled but conservative drivers who get well over 100,000 miles out of one clutch.

80,000 miles ~ 124,000km - I hope it lasts longer than that.

My current DD is at 149,xxx km and I haven't had to change the clutch on it yet but I don't know if the previous owner changed it.

On my dad's old corolla where I put most of the miles on it, I changed the clutch at 120,000 km but keep in mind that was my first stick shift (heck, first car) and I did abuse the hell out of it.

[Danny86]

My car turned off on me 3 times as I was leaving the Toyota dealership :facepalm: the look on the sales reps at Toyota was priceless. It's not my first time driving a manual but definitely the first time in a long time. Also, since my sales rep didn't explain the reverse lock mechanism I thought first was reverse and kept putting it into 3rd. I quickly got the hang of it though.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk