Tips for driving stick/manual?

[kitatech]

I don't know how to drive stick shift, but I want to learn. I'm considering getting a manual transmission car - possibly a Scion FR-S, or possibly a Mazda 3 w/manual - very soon (as in a few days or sooner).

Wonder which car OP got....and if "New York" is NYC? That would be a bear running an MT...

 

[biostud]

The only time I use the clutch is from a stop.

...How do you switch between gears?

 

[Zenmervolt]

...How do you switch between gears?

Firstly, he's not serious (or he drives an OTR truck or a heavily modified car with a non-synchro transmission and is intentionally giving advice that is wholly irrelevant to the OP).

Secondly, you can shift without the clutch by precisely matching engine speed to the speed of the transmission's input shaft for the gear you're trying to shift into. However, in a car built since the mid 1950s, this will place a SEVERE strain on the synchros and wear them out very quickly so it's not something that should ever be done with a production street car's transmission.

Basically, it can be done, but you'd have to be a complete idiot to do it with a production car's transmission. (Caveat: This can be used in emergencies to get the car to limp home if the clutch cable snaps or if the clutch hydraulics stop working, but it will be very hard on the synchros.)

ZV

 

[Jinny]

find yourself an empty parking lot like a business park over the weekend.

on a flat surface, push down the clutch, and put it into first gear, now without using the gas pedal, let go of the clutch slowly until you can feel it grabbing and the car is slowly moving without it struggling. you can let go of the clutch completely once hte car begins moving and you dont feel it struggling.


then push in the clutch again and brake to stop the car.


repeat this over and over until you get the feel of the the clutch. once you do, you can give it some gas and then push the clutch back in and put it into second gear and then give it some gas and again slowly let out the clutch. rinse repeat

if you feel the car struggling, push the clutch back in or the car will stall.

 

[The Stigenator]

The hardest thing in driving stick is the first and reverse gear.

Here is how I teach people how to drive.

1. With car off, practice shifting with clutch in, clutch out and moving through the gears. Get familiar with it. Role Play, you are starting from stop, you go into first, you release clutch, press gas, you press clutch, shift to 2nd, release clutch, gas, .. rinse repeat.

Then you do that in reverse from 6-5-4-3-2-1

In practice, you can get to 1, but in real life you dotn get to 1 until you are stopped or when you are really really really really < 10 mph.

2. Start engine up. Dont press gas, push clutch, put in first. SLowly release the clutch, the car should stall. Do it 2 more times, by now you will find right before it stalls, the car will slowly start to move or attempt to move before stalling.

3. After stalling a few times, give car a little gas (1500rpm should do), and release clutch as before, teh car will start moving, if car stalls, give it abit more gas. Once car is moving, release clutch fully, drive in first gear for a bit, then press clutch and release gas pedal to go into 2nd gear, release clutch smoothly, press gas.

When downshifting under power, you shift down, release clutch, match RPM's with gas. It takes a bit of practice, but you will eventually get it.

For hills, use the handbrake to hold car.

In advanced hills, you can hold brake with your right foot, and release it at the same time as your approaching the friction zone of the clutch, and move foot to gas, and release handbrake at the same time. Its 4 thing to do at once.

 

[Drako]

I'm so old I still double clutch. :biggrin:

 

[JEDIYoda]

make sure the stick shift is not loose and screwed on properly!!

 

[MongGrel]

The Saginaw 3-speeds used in the 2nd-gen Camaros were synchronized on all gears.

Back in the 1950s and early 1960s, the Saginaw 3-speeds lacked syncronization on 1st only (2nd and 3rd had synchros), but by 1970 all three gears had synchros.

ZV

The one I had wasn't, and was over cammed.

Had been modified a bit

It wasn't your typical Camaro.

Next up you'll be telling me how to build Aerospace equipment...

J/K a bit.

 

[Zenmervolt]

The one I had wasn't, and was over cammed.

Had been modified a bit

It wasn't you're typical Camaro.

Next up you'll be telling me how to build Aerospace equipment...

J/K a bit.

Fair.

I've met enough people who just assume all cars before about 1980 were non-synchro that I can get a bit blunt sometimes. (OK, maybe a lot blunt. :biggrin: ) It's up there with the people who claim that an M22 uses straight-cut gears (it didn't, at least not stock, though the helical angle was much smaller than the M20/M21 used).

Anyway, long story short is you caught some of what gets caused by all the "car guys" who claim to remember their father's "1962 Mustang." Sorry about that.

ZV

 

[MongGrel]

Fair.

I've met enough people who just assume all cars before about 1980 were non-synchro that I can get a bit blunt sometimes. (OK, maybe a lot blunt. :biggrin: ) It's up there with the people who claim that an M22 uses straight-cut gears (it didn't, at least not stock, though the helical angle was much smaller than the M20/M21 used).

Anyway, long story short is you caught some of what gets caused by all the "car guys" who claim to remember their father's "1962 Mustang." Sorry about that.

ZV

It's all good.

+1

 

[exar333]

Hill-assist equipped MT can be great for beginners too. BMW and Subaru both have this IIRC, maybe others too? Just get comfortable out away from traffic and practice a good amount from stop into 1st and then into 2nd. Shifting after that is usually pretty easy.

Just get some confidence and you will get the hang of it pretty quick.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Maybe you are lifting up on the clutch too soon while trying to get it into 2nd? That or shifting too fast? Some gears don't like to be rushed. 2nd to 3rd in my car has a tendency to do that if i try to move it there too quickly.

Someone else -- maybe it was MonGrel -- mentioned the feature of "synchromesh". I've had all sorts of stick-shifts in my life: Honda Civics, a 1949 International Pickup, '61 Volkswagon, a '95 Nissan HardBody Pickup . . . my girlfriend's (1977) MG Midget . . . A 1987 Isuzu Trooper 5-speed . . . Those are "reality" cars.

My "virtual" cars include a Shelby Mustang GT Turbo and a Lotus 2-11.

They all behave a bit differently -- real or virtual. I have an impression -- someone else can correct me from my virtual bubble -- that some cars like a Nissan "Z" sports car have a very short range for 1st gear, or that you could just as easily get them rolling by easing them into 2nd.

But probably, the thing to do with the OP's car, at least for the moment, is to accept a slower transition from 1st to 2nd. That doesn't mean to just wind it out in 1st to 7,000-rpm-redline. It just means give up pretending that you're James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause", hoping to pop that clutch and get to the end of the run faster before you roll out of the driver's seat. Stop thinking you're Mario Andretti driving a Formula 1. Think about the trucks I've owned or driven.

So, shift from 1st to Neutral, wait a bit, and ease it into 2nd . . . I think my 87 Trooper required the same sort of attention . . . unless my memory fails me . . .

ADDENDUM: Someone else can elaborate on my very intuitive observation. I wouldn't know enough about it to expound the particulars. My mention of it here derives from reasonable intuition.

Here's a link to "Free Dictionary" for "synchromesh":

Synchromesh

This could underscore an explanation for what the OP observes about his manual transmission.

 

[EXCellR8]

this thread is old... regardless, #savethemanuals

Americans buying less and less MT's is almost as serious an epidemic as this goddam COVID-19

 

[KentState]

Manuals are only necessary with ICE cars at this time. As we move to electric, I'd expect them to be a relic of the past.

 

[EXCellR8]

lol electrics are years, if not decades, away from being widely adopted--let alone becoming the majority of autos on the road.

and manuals aren't necessary with internal combustion cars... we all know auto/semi-auto is quicker it's just a matter of preference. for me, I prefer the simplicity, low maintenance cost and long lifespan of the noble gated manual. relics my arse...

 

[KentState]

lol electrics are years, if not decades, away from being widely adopted--let alone becoming the majority of autos on the road.

and manuals aren't necessary with internal combustion cars... we all know auto/semi-auto is quicker it's just a matter of preference. for me, I prefer the simplicity, low maintenance cost and long lifespan of the noble gated manual. relics my arse...

Cling on to your ancient technology. I bet you also covet your rotary phone and your washboard.

 

[ondma]

I learned to drive with a "three on the tree" (manual trans on the steering column.) Drove a few manuals over the years, but only buy automatics now, both because it is easier for my wife and I drive in a lot of city traffic. Just practice in a deserted area until you are comfortable. It shouldnt be really difficult, but each car is different. I never had problems driving a stick except for my son's Focus. Never could get the feel of the clutch pedal in that car. One tip is to never slip the clutch to keep from rolling back on a hill. Use the emergency brake and release it while easing out the clutch to start on a hill. Takes a bit of practice, but is not as difficult as it sounds.

 

[ondma]

Cling on to your ancient technology. I bet you also covet your rotary phone and your washboard.

I actually like a manual trans for driving in slippery conditions, one can control the power on take off much more precisely that in an automatic.
But for everything else now, I prefer automatic. One reason manuals are disappearing now I think, is that it is more difficult to make the work with safety/drive assistance packages like adaptive cruise.

 

[Commodus]

lol electrics are years, if not decades, away from being widely adopted--let alone becoming the majority of autos on the road.

and manuals aren't necessary with internal combustion cars... we all know auto/semi-auto is quicker it's just a matter of preference. for me, I prefer the simplicity, low maintenance cost and long lifespan of the noble gated manual. relics my arse...

Maybe so, but I'd say it's still important to accept that manual transmissions are likely to go away forever, and that they impose limits on things like driver assistance features.

 

[killster1]

just rent a car and learn on that. No need to smoke your new cars clutch last time i rented a car it was strange and i kept trying to shift into third instead of first. wow was there some smoke. im really good at driving manual too i usually just go first second then skip to fifth gear of course it wasn't my car, i hate down shifting too prefer to coast and use the brakes. i just save downshifting for high speed driving when i want to shift up faster around a turn.

 

[repoman0]

im really good at driving manual too

Doesn't sound like it

 

[EXCellR8]

Maybe so, but I'd say it's still important to accept that manual transmissions are likely to go away forever, and that they impose limits on things like driver assistance features.

Eh, driver assistance features just make for worse, less aware drivers if you ask me. The less we rely on good judgement/practices, and more on fail safes, the worse off we are.

If you're excluding the US/Canada market, I can assure you that there are plenty of MT cars still on the road. Many European countries are prominently manual... and I know what you're thinking. EXCellR8 if you love it so much just move out of North America and stfu well maybe I just will then lol

#savethemanuals

 

[Commodus]

Eh, driver assistance features just make for worse, less aware drivers if you ask me. The less we rely on good judgement/practices, and more on fail safes, the worse off we are.

If you're excluding the US/Canada market, I can assure you that there are plenty of MT cars still on the road. Many European countries are prominently manual... and I know what you're thinking. EXCellR8 if you love it so much just move out of North America and stfu well maybe I just will then lol

#savethemanuals

I agree that you shouldn't lean on driver assists as a crutch, but it's good to have them if you're otherwise aware of what you're doing.

Many European countries are also more aggressive about mandating a switch to EVs than the US! Like I said, it's probably a question of when you give up your manual, not if.

 

[repoman0]

Like I said, it's probably a question of when you give up your manual, not if.

Basically true if you drive new cars and unless you drive a Porsche. I'm going to keep my two early 2000s cars on the road far past the point of financial responsibility for that reason. Clinging on to my ancient technology as @KentState suggested. Strangely enough I like my iPhone and washing machine though .. almost like that analogy doesn't really work ..

 

[Commodus]

Basically true if you drive new cars and unless you drive a Porsche. I'm going to keep my two early 2000s cars on the road far past the point of financial responsibility for that reason. Clinging on to my ancient technology as @KentState suggested. Strangely enough I like my iPhone and washing machine though .. almost like that analogy doesn't really work ..

Well, even if you drive a Porsche! PDK gearboxes are increasingly common (and frequently faster for shifting), and the Taycan of course has no manual option.

My view of manuals is this: it's not so much that they're old (though they do make you put in a lot of effort), it's that the advantages provided by other transmissions are increasingly outweighing the visceral feel of driving stick. I'd rather help the planet (and get loads of instant torque) with an EV than seek the thrill of downshifting.