Amoah,

Sounds like you are leaving your foot on the accelerator while shifting gears. Make sure to quit applying throttle before each shift. Doing what you describe is a quick way to ruin your clutch.

if am changing from second to third is a problem to me, the car jerks and engine sound rises.. like huunnnnn.what do i do

i want to in uk canada usa as a light driver

why bother? automatic is the modern more user effecient thing right? wouldn't logic dictate that manual should be dying out?

it makes about as much sense as everyday people learning to adapt to and maximize the capabilities of a computer made with say windows 92.

leave the dying to die and make better use of your efforts I say.

Nothing to be embarrased about. I doubt too many western farmers know the optimum way to plow a field using a mule either.

i am encountering a problem with my 2007 civic, i tried reversing it & it couldnt while the reverse light was ON showing its engage but the car couldnt reverse. though i returned the car to D & it went forward, the reverse is just my problem. how do i solved it?

"Someone said don't hold the clutch and the brake at a red light. Someone else said don't in neutral at a red light. So you can't hold the clutch, can't sit in neutral, so what else are you supposed to do to keep the car from shutting off? In an auto, I hold one pedal - the brake. In a stick, unless I go to neutral, the car will shut off if I'm not pressing the clutch."-ReVeLaTeD

Wrong- That is exactly what you are supposed to do when you come to an intersection or street light by putting the gear in neutral but keep your foot of the clutch until it is time to proceed from 1st-2nd and later 3rd if needed depending on how fast you are going

Take the following: Road, vehicle with a stick shift, a driver that knows how to use it, put them all together, what do you get?

PLEASURE!!!!!

Stick. faster, easier to control car, FASTER!

This is an old topic...but I thought to comment.

Someone said don't hold the clutch and the brake at a red light. Someone else said don't in neutral at a red light. So you can't hold the clutch, can't sit in neutral, so what else are you supposed to do to keep the car from shutting off? In an auto, I hold one pedal - the brake. In a stick, unless I go to neutral, the car will shut off if I'm not pressing the clutch.

lol......."rear ended"........hhhmmm.....you're right Phaedrus....I've never been. But I've seen other's. You're right.....it realy sucks.....and both incidents I've witnesed were due to a non aware driver not braking the right time, meaning.....braking late ending up rear ending the others.....now that I think of it.........YUK !!!!!... THIS REALY SUCKS.....but what about the driver who rear ended those cars you mentioned.....???........why the hell was he still going 55 when approaching a trafic light???.......why on earth was he STILL going 55 "if" he had seen the other cars stopped on a trafic light in front of him???....why the hell did he had only rear brakes???....what happened to the front ones????.......you're talking about a 1/2 ton truck. Now I don't know how big this is but ....if I'm guessing right, the driver's seat must be positioned relatively "high" on those trucks, so.....how come he didn't see all those things going on in front of him ????.......even "I" could see them with my ordinary car just by looking "through" the glass of the car ahead of me. What kind'a driver is that who doesn't practice common sense???........if you see a bunch of cars stopped in front of you and you know you're gonna hit'em....you don't continue going 55 .....how come these people are still on the road???.......these guys are here in greece too......they see a red light and they go on accelerating........and when they reach the trafic light, guess what.... it's still red......lol.....what jerks......and they "climb" on their brakes trying to stop at the very last second, probably without gear.....and if the road is dry they may stop, but it the road is wet....they'll rear end the poor guy in front of them who thinks nothing bad will happen to him when he's waiting on the trafic light...lol....so what happened to the guy of the 1/2 ton truck???.....is he still on the road???

wow, thanks for all you guys discussing this. Hopefully, its ok if I shift into 2nd gear at 55 mph? I mean that seems to be the most proper time that I need to engage my clutch.

A lot of very interesting observations. In South Africa we have the K53 driving test, very similar to the UK, based on the master's (advanced) driving licence (for responsible people at least). When bringing your vehicle to rest and your car is in gear and/or handbrake off you will fail your test. Defensive driving should teach you to protect yourself, your passengers and other cars on the road. I jump started a friend's car once - the two cars facing each other. The idiot put her car in gear and her foot slipped off the clutch nearly breaking my leg. (while I was disengaging the jump cables). Don't forget the notorious and infamous Ford auto clutch tensioner. I go for the 'neutral' approach for learners - it's the safest bet.

Another thing - keep your F/wheels straight guys and girls - a clown hits you from behind you may go into oncoming traffic.

Oh yes, I always stop with clutch in and first gear. (Having not learnt my lesson driving a Ford Sierra where the auto tensioner slipped. I don't make it a habit of parking on the vehicle in front's bumper - saving my butt in this case).

"what emergency can happen when you're waiting on the red light that requires this level of readynes?"
I see you've never been rear-ended. Here's the short of it; 1/4 ton truck, left turn, no light, one car ahead of me, also turning left, tiny and full of children. I hear tires, look in the mirror and see the broad side of a 1/2 ton truck. He had only rear brakes. The cop who measured the deformation said they hit me at 50-ish MPH [80KPH]. Now, back to the tiny car; Not involved in the incident. I saw the wreck coming, cranked the wheel to the right and got barely moving before the excitement happened. I ended up next to the car, rather proud of myself. I don't really have an opinion on red light practice, both sides have good points. It's better to slow down early to avoid stopping altogether.
Now on to rules and corrections, since they seem so popular; While waiting for a left turn, keep wheels pointed straight forward. This will keep you out of oncoming traffic in case of (A) Getting rear-ended, or (2) mechanical failure. In stop&go traffic, REFUSE TO PLAY. If traffic goes 30, 0, 30, 0; Try going 15, your car, your clutching knee, and your pocketbook will appreciate it, and your stress level will drop. It's not a math exercise, though, just pay attention, accelerate a little slower than the cars in front of you (It's nice driving truck, 'cause I can see over all the brilliant people in front of me and make educated driving decisions), and slow down when the brake lights light up.

Concerning coasting; When one takes a CDL test in the states, being out of gear for more than a truck length is points against you.
LogTruckDriver, how many axles you got under that thing?

eeeeehehehehehe,......come on M.....we're only writting what we've learned from all those years of driving, and some of the guys here have studied autos and parts a bit more, and they know what they're talking about. Now for this idea of having the car in 1st while waiting on the red light...hhhmmmm.....after some time, you tend to get borred (and tired) of having your foot pressing the cluch all the time, and I strongly believe that reverting to "neutral and cluch released" is the next thing someone will do.....besides.....what emergency can happen when you're waiting on the red light that requires this level of readynes????????????...you're not in the races or anything, you're in the traffic!!!! and you know what?? if, for a couple of times, you "forget" that you're pressing the cluch, and let your foot go, (it happened to me, it can happen to anywone) the car will jump forward and stall (that is "IF" you're pressing the brakes). This jump is quite a surprise, and it puts unnecessary forces to the mechanical parts (I think this is important for trucks and heavier vehicles, but not that much for passenger cars, you won't brake a gear or anything, but it still is an unnecessary force, so why have it???). And the most natural position for our feet is the released position, so I guess it's less tiring to have the cluch released while waiting on the traffic light. The same "why have it " goes for the cluch bearing. Why pressing the cluch, and "risk" wearing the bearing, when you can easily avoid it???

I wish everyone would stop playing these "he's not right, I'm right, because I've been doing it my way for the longest" games!

@H from NYC
When I was taking drivinglessons, my teacher told me that you should always wait for a trafficlight with the car in first gear and your foot on the clutch. Why? Because if something happens you can act emediatly, without having the delay of first putting the car in gear.
I've asked her more then once if that isn't causing any wear, and she told me that it didn't.
I know someone who's driving around for 47 years (only in manual shifting cars) and is doing the exact same thing; putting the car in first and having his foot on the clutch.
If it would cause excessive wear to the clutch, he would have burned alot of them in 47 years, don't you think? The fact is: he hasn't.
So I have my strong doubts about that whole "excesive wearing" thing.
Besides, if a clutchcable would snap, the engine would stall emediatly, so I don't really see the risk in that.

Greg from NY, the issue with your WRX is a known characteristic/ design flaw (depends on who you ask) for the WRX. For those saying that you shouldn't have to shift into first at anything higher than 5MPH... not everyone has a 100.91 first gear ratio (sarcastic exaggeration alert for those without a sense of humor). My car can attain 47MPH in 1st gear, and I'm here to tell you that 2nd gear at 10MPH is useless and will NOT allow me to safely merge into freeway traffic, parkway traffic, or merge onto a busy thoroughfare from a smaller side street. Sometimes, you need to shift back into 1st gear at speeds higher than 5 or even 10MPH (heavy traffic is another good example).

On approaching a stoplight...

For the "stay in gear" school of thought, you say that one should remain in gear until the engine begins to lug (which is a great way to wear your rod bearings incredibly fast, by the way), since remaining in gear will give you more control (???). For the sake of arguement, you mean to tell me that if I'm in 4th gear approaching a light, and I'm down at 30MPH and suddenly, I have to accelerate quickly to get out of danger, I should remain in 4th gear to do so? Not for nothing, but at 30MPH, 4th gear isn't going to do anything quickly in anything short of a Viper SRT-10 or the like, and you're going to get creamed either way if that's the situation you're in.

In the 12 years I've been driving stick in and around NYC, I've been coasting to a stop approaching stop lights and signs, and have never had an incident.

To Robert, with his advice of remaining in 1st gear at a light, foot on the clutch...

Doing this is causing excessive wear to the release/ throw out bearing and pressure plate fingers on the vast majority of passenger cars. It would suck to have to replace a failed pressure place long before the friction disc wore out. Furthermore, if a failure of the slave cylinder or clutch cable were to occur, the car is going to lurch forward unexpectedly. Now, instead of just a clutch cable or slave cylinder repair, you've also got additional body damage repairs, or worse yet, medical bills if the resultant collision is serious enough.

I STRONGLY DISCOURAGE ANYONE FROM FOLLOWING ROBERT'S ADVICE REGARDING WAITING IN GEAR AT A STOP LIGHT.

I've seen the results of the failed slave cylinder while in first gear. Unfortunately, the person who this happened to did not get the chance to see the results. He died when the semi hit his car.

Other than those few tidbits, this was an excellent tutorial on how to drive a manual transmission vehicle. Kudos to the author.

Robert, your method for stopping at traffic light is unadvisable. If you are hit from behind your feet could easily slip from the pedals cousing you to launch forward from the force of the collision AND your own engine driving 1st gear. The recommended method here in the UK is to aplly the handbrake and select neutral. Then take both feet away from the pedals. When the lights are about to change, clutch pedal down and select 1st. when the lights change gently let out the clutch while releasing the Handbrake.

Also on the subject of coasting, (I don't think that this has been mentioned), a point on stopping in an emergancy. While the car is in gear once the car slows down sufficiently the wheels will continue to be forced around, this REDUCES the risk of your wheels locking while braking harshly, therefore (as adviced in the UK at least) the clutch pedal should be pressed only once youo have slowed down considerably to a speed where the engine is likly to stall. If the car is in neutral and you have to perform an emergancy stop not only will you have no engine braking, but there is greater risk of your wheels locking.
What Paul said, "And I don't know what kind of car you drive, but my brakes and steering work whether the clutch is pressed in or not" goes out the window once your wheels lock. You will be unable to swerve and you won't stop as quickly. And to clarify, coasting in the UK is illegal, (for valid reasons)

driving the manual is one of the most exciting challenges.actually I can torque a Manual from 0-240km/h in about 30sec.I aint a profetional driver but I sure can drive.Am from Zimbabwe but leaving in south africa.I've driven a freight liner 9speed manual gearbox,450horse power,top speed of 150miles/h.GUESS WHAT I'VE CLOCKED IT MORE THAN 20 TIMES

LOL Try a 10 gear truck..easy..:-)

Zach is completely right about coasting!

If you leave the car in gear without touching the clutch and the gas pedal, modern (fuel injection) cars will cut the fuel supply COMPLETELY. This until the revs go below 1,000 or so, in which case you might want to shift to a lower gear (e.g. when slowing down approaching a red light). If you make a habit of this "engine breaking" you will find your brakes will only be needed to go from say 10 Mph to a full stop.

Standing still at a traffic light, it's perfectly OK to put the car in 1st gear with the clutch fully (dis)engaged (I mean on the floor). There will be no wear at all. And when the light turns green, you can quickly drive off without having to engage the clutch, shift into gear, etc.

Make sure that when standing still, do not touch the gas pedal but keep your left foot solidly on the brake (they will not wear when standing still)! This in case someone unexpectedly hits you from behind.
I don't know about the UK rules to engage the parking brake when at a traffic light but to stay solidly on the foot brake is safest, especially when you're about to make a turn to the left (to the right in the UK) and have your front wheels in a not-straight position. Can you imagine what happens when you have the car in neutral and aren't solidly on the brakes? Yes, you will be bumped into the opposite lane and might get hit frontally.

Also, as long a a car is moving at anything above 5 Mph or so, there is absolutelyu no need to shift into 1st gear. 2nd will do fine to take any turn and accelerate even a slowly moving car.

When the speed is too slow in 2nd (so that the engine starts vibrating), just feather the clutch (and release to accelerate again by applying some gas.
At low speed, the wear on the clutch by feathering will be minimal, and MUCH less damaging than under-revving the engine!

Best practice is to use 1st gear ONLY to come out of a complete standstill, or climb a very steep hill. Shift to 2nd as soon as possible. To slow down, release the gas pedal without touching the clutch or the brake for maximum efficiency. Shift down when you need to go slower and the revs are under about 2,000 RPM for a petrol engine (1,500 for a diesel). It saves fuel and saves wear on your brakes.

Only pussies can't drive stick.

Dan - were you my instructor? This whole student who nearly couldn't drive at all..sounds very familiar to me..

ok..........I don't know what'a hell I'm talking about.....so just disregard the comments said by "zach".......lol

When I say CDI I mean Mercedes Sprinter van, 2.2L CDI turbo diesel 136hp @ 3500rpm, 350 Nm @ 1500-2400rpm :):):)

D) Shifting up at 5000 rpm.
Again, Carlos is right, what on earth is your engine doing at 5000 rpm when you're driving in city traffic conditions? Are you practicing for the drag race?? The fast and the furious is only a movie, and they clearly stated "DO NOT try those manuvers in your every day driving". I have a co worker who thinks he must constantly keep his engine above 4000 rpm in order for it to work properly. Because he read that his engine is produsing it's top torque at that point. What an ass!!!!!!!! He's using his engine 95% of the time in full rpm condition. The wear on the cylinders and internal moving parts must be huge. The fact that you can't see anything doesn't mean that it's not there (or it will be there soon enough). As the article above says, the engine has enough power to move the car from idle on a paved, level, dry surface. Actualy, the VW-AUDI grup cars that I drove once, have a little trick for that, in order not to stall the engine. The ECU is actualy pushing the gas a liiiiiiiiiiittle bit, if it detects loading on the engine, so if you partialy release the cluch to the friction point, without pressing the gas, you'll feel the gas pedal going down under your foot. That's the computer pressing the gas for you. Nice trick!!! The CDI I use at work, has enough torque at 750 rpm to move the vehicle in 1st, then 2nd, and then 3rd, without pressing on the gas pedal even a little bit, but on a level, paved, dry surface (although I never actualy put 3rd without pressing the gas, better be on the safe side). Diesel engines, however, are totaly different that gas engines, they are for smooth, easy driving. So, Tim, you say you have a problem puting your 3rd gear, next time try driving as if your mother is in the car, (if you haven't done it allready) and see what happens. I'm guessing the gears will change normaly. I'm changing around 2000-2200 rpms and the car is going very smooth, and the passengers don't get hit in the back whenever I change gears, you know? And even from 1200rpm the car has enough power to start from a red light smooth as butter(on level, dry surface). And your passengers will have a better impression of you if you treat them that nice.

Oh and.....Greg from NY....you've done a good choice of learning on a new car with a manual. If your friends are making fun of you, then they are not true friends.......lol.....you'll come to realize the benefits of the manual later on. Automatics are for those who don't want to put their mind into work, and driving is an activity that needs your mind working all the time.

You know guys.....I came to realise something very important. No matter what we do, as drivers, we are allways jugded.....by everyone, young and old, other drivers and our own passengers. Especialy our passengers. At the airclub where I go flying, we have a saying, "a good pilot is the one that makes you wanna fly with him again", I believe that this goes for the "good driver" too. I also believe that a good driver is the one that is allways able to improve (I've read this last one on the internet.......looooool...but it's true, right????)

Zach
Thessaloniki
GREECE

P.S. wow, that was realy a long comment....lol,...... sorry guys:):):)

C)Changing from higher to lower gear: Is it possible to change to 1st gear while still rolling?????
Of course
I can be driving with a 5th gear, going 60(mph), I can press the cluch and put in the 1st gear. Honest, I can.
But what will you do afterwards???? Release the cluch???? If you do that, while going with 60, you better start counting your money. I buned a cluch this way, going slower that 20(mph, repetedly), and keeping the cluch on the friction point to brake, bad habit....I learned my lesson (about $750 damage). After that, I poke the gas a little bit to rev up, before engagind the lower gear, and I don't go lower that second, the 1st gear is to short to use it for dynamic braking, unless you select it at a very low speed, e.g. while in second and going with 6-10 mph and reving up again by hitting the gas pedal once, or if you're starting from a stop. You can also change to 1st gear while rolling if you're in a bumper to bumper situation and the two first gears are the only ones you are able to use. Oh, now that I remembered, if you're cought to a bumper to bumper situation on an uphill, there's no need to stick your bumper to the guy in front of you, he may roll back and hit you, not a good idea. Instead, leave some distance from him, so as to be able to see his whole rear end and a small part of the road. Especialy if the vehicle in front of you is a truck or heavy vehicle. If you go too close to them on an uphill, they won't be able to see you on their rear view mirrors (trucks have a lot of blind corners) and there 's a good chance of hitting you without noticing IF they accidentaly roll back, which rarely happens, but better be on the safe side.

ok I wrote a comment and it said that it was too long so I'll post it in two parts..........

Now, I've read all your comments and I have to say this......people, you listen to Carlos, this mother fu@#$%*er knows what he's talking about. The log truck driver also knows the business. I tend to dissagree with Dan on a few points but his comments are so far back that I'm too bored to go back up and read them (looooool), so I'll say my points from my every day driving.

A) Fuel consumption
on idling the ECU is consuming gas (or diesel fuel) to keep the engine to 750 rpm (more or less). Now, leaving the car roll with a gear engaged (on a dry, paved surface, upgrade or downgrade doesn't matter), without pressing the cluch AND without pressing the gas pedal, the motion is going backwards, from the weels to the engine. If the speed of the car is high enough to make the engine rev above 1500rpm, the ECU cuts the fuel. TOTALY. We've learned this at auto mechanics shool. That's how fuel injection works. I have a car with a trip computer, and many times I happen to go down on a long donwngrade, with a gear that gives me 1600-2000rpms, after a few seconds, it shows me "instant consumption 0.0 litres/100 km". The same happens if I let it roll to the red light with a gear engaged, the fuel consumption actualy reduses. The same hapens on today's common rail electronic Diesel injection engines. I use one of them at work. They also cut the fuel if you're going downgrade with a gear, without pressing the gas and if the engine is overeving. And of course there's the added benefit of the "dynamic braking" effect. The air that is compressed into the cylinder has so much energy which is actualy enough to reduse the speed of the car. The thing is that older carburator systems don't do that. They don't cut the fuel so.....if you're leaving the car in gear wile going on a long steep downgrade, it does give you dynamic braking, if you choose the right gear (my instructor told me the same gear to go up, use it while going down, maybe the next lower if it's too steep),....but......it also burns buel. Not much, but it does. It draws fuel from the bypass pipe that the carburator uses to draw fuel for idling. But it's far better to go down on a long, steep, paved, dry downgrade WITH a gear, than go in neutral. I once done this, and the brake pads started smoking. Bad idea. Do what truck drivers do. Select the lowest appropriate gear BEFORE starting the downgrade, but if you need to change to a lower gear.....do it, it's a passenger car, not a log truck.......lol. Tip the gas once to get the revs up and release the cluch to the point where it catches, then release it even further gradualy, while having your right foot on the brake and braking softly, keeping the car in ballance.....

B) Bumper to bumper
This brings up the issue of the "foot on dead pedal" and "hand on gearshift".
How on earth can anyone put his foot on the "foot rest" and remove his hand from the gear shift, if he's changing gears every 3 to 4 seconds????? Your hand will get tired after driving a few yards, let alone through a whole city. (aaaahhhh I see.......That's why new drivers get automatics, because they think they'll have to move their right hand from the stickshift to the weel and back all the time....lol). It is actualy imposible to remove your hand from the gear shift, and your foot from "covering" the cluch if you're driving in city traffic conditions, where a gear change takes place in an average of every 4 to 5 seconds. And I mean "covering" the cluch, not "slightly pressing it" or "resting" on it. Now, I never heard of damaging the gearbox if I keep my hand on the gearshift, so I don't doubt that one. But what else can you do???? Have your hand moving up and down all the time???(lol) I'd feel rediculus. When I'm driving in the city, I change gears very very often. When I'm on the highway, however, I do keep both hands on the weel and foot on the "dead pedal", it comes natural, but in the city......come oooooooon

Lazer, driving a turbo should be no different from a regular stick shift except that it can be a bit more fun!. But to answer your second question you need to understand how a turbocharger works.

The turbo works by using the exhaust pressure to drive a turbine. The turbine drives an impeller which compresses the intake air into the engine, giving more oxygen, higher pressure and therefore more performance out of the car.

The larger the turbo, the heavier the components, and the longer it takes to "spin up" to working speeds (some rotate at up to 200,000RPM!). This means that there has to be a trade off between a small turbo giving small boost but spinning up quickly, and a large turbo giving high boost but which only kicks in at relatively high exhaust output (and by inference high engine revs).

Most standard turbochargers only kick in at about 2,500 to 3,000 RPM. If you change up gears quickly, i.e. before the revs get to working turbo speeds, the turbo won’t have time to kick in. Find a bit of quiet road and test this yourself. If you listen you can work out exactly what rev rate the turbo starts working at. It should be roughly the same in any gear.

Most cars don’t like getting above 3,000 RPM in 1st or 2nd gear, so the turbo probably won’t kick in till you hit 3rd. Remember this when overtaking; if you want to get the most from the turbo change down a gear before pulling out, so that the revs are high enough for the turbo to engage.

hey is driving a turb the smae is non turbo for stickshift

and how come sometimes you hear the turbo sound after every gear and sometimes you dont???

sti?evo

Yesterday I drove home normaly with a 2/4 gas in the tank. When I left for work this morning I had less than a quarter. I cept driving in 5th gear and made it to work with gas to spare. I love stick shift!

I feel like an idiot. After yeling at the dealer for two days I figured out what was going on with my transmision. It seems that when accelerating really hard from second I can actualy give my car so much momentum that the transmission WONT LET ME shift into third to avoid damage due to high rpm's. It seems that the rpms have to be below 5,000 then I can actualy push the stick into 3rd with ease.
Sorry first time stick driver, long time spectator.

To Carlos, I don't understand how you can use more fuel while coasting in neutral. I once coasted 8 miles out of a total of 15 to my destination because i was worried I would run out. Mind you it was a mostly downhill journey from the hills to the valley.

Carlos, do you think I should wait and see how the car behaves before trying to force the dealer to change everything? I know it was probably my fault that the cluch is crap. And I did experience all of the things you outlined before. Including heavy studering.

Thank you Carlos.
It must be the cluch presure plate. I remeber that whenever I back into my parking spot I fether the cluch for a long time because its a very tight fit into a gate and I have to go slow in order to avoid running into the fence. I always smell something burning after I get out of the car. There is no way to go head first into that spot and I will not park on the street(First brand new car, very protective of my new obsecion).

Thank you Carlos that helped out allot. My upshifts have become much smoother than before.
But now I have developed a new issue. For some reason after taking my car to the dealer to get floor mats installed and having them bring my car around to the waiting area, I could not shift into third gear on my way home, twice. Then I thought that it became a little harder to change gears like as if there was something in the way before the gear changed. It just seemed that it was smoother before.
The mechanic at the dealership told me that it was my imagination and that there is no way that a car with 400 miles on it would have the trans go bad after a trip around the lot.
It might just be new car jitters on my behalf but I feel like they just dont want to take the time for a proper test.

I recently got a manual Scion tc 07. I never drove a stick shift before so I'm having a little problem getin a smooth shift. When I go from 1st to second my car jerks then from 2nd to 3rd it jerks less and from there on the jerking is much less. No mater how smoothly I release the cluch it still jerks around I was wondering if this happens because my cluch is damaged or is it possible that I just suck at changing gears? Is it possible that I'm just not changing gears fast enogh? I don't know enyone who own a stick shift car so I can not ask them for advice.

IowanMai Said
"I have found it a lot easier to turn in neutral, and then shift into whatever gear"

I personally think this is a terrible idea.

Firstly because, as has been said above, coasting will completely remove all power you have available to you and if you need to accelerate you cant.

Secondly, when cornering, the balance of the car is all important. Can you imagine a conker on a string hanging inside from the roof of the car on a piece of string. Before you turn into the corner you loose power by disengaging a gear and all the weight pushes forward, meaning the conker would swing forwards. If you then have the car in netural when you turn into the corner all the weight distribution will be put onto the front outside wheel (Front Left wheel on right turn, and vice versa).
When doing it at anything other than crawling speed it has the same sensation as a roller coaster.
This will destabilise the weight distribution, and (as our US brothers like cars with heavy front ends and rear wheel drive) could lead to serious overstear because of lack of weight on the rear wheels if you decide to engage the gear and apply any power.
So, even though the effect you get will not matter at very low speeds is this a habbit you want to get into?

When a gear is engaged when turning a corner you can keep steady pressure on the accelerator, meaning that the front wheels pull you round on a front wheel drive car, or on a rear wheel drive will push you round if power is kept steady, what it will do, if we imagine back to the corner, when (steady) power is applied around the corner the conker will be pushed more to the rear of the car, ensuring more even weight distribution.

The reaccuring theme amongst all the above post concern keeping power, therefore keeping control. if you can feel the balance of the car then you will begin to understand why it is important that you dont get into the habbit of coasting round corners.

I understand IowanMai, that your Impreza has a sophisticated 4WD system so traction is increased so some would maybe think the above doesnt apply.

How all these 4WD systems work is to reduce power to the wheel(s) that loose traction and deliver power to the wheels with traction.
By disengaging a gear whilst turning you are effectively rendering the 4WD system that makes the road/rally cars so much fun to drive useless as it is unable to do its job.

anyway thats my 2 pennys worth..........

Also, I have consulted with my Subaru specialist- that it is absolutely normal.

My sister drives a mustang and 30mph for her is 3rd gear. But for us(Greg), our Subarus' prefer 4th. It's been a while since your last post, but I hope you have it down and understand now. It takes a lot to know a Subaru.

Hey Greg From NY,
Actually I think it okay to let it vibrate, as I have found that normal. Especially because of the boxer engines that Subarus have. I myself, have an 07' Subaru Impreza WRX. And I tend to find that the engines are much louder. So in this case I just stay in second, however, I tend to turn in 2nd gear and sometimes neutral depending on my speed. And guys, I have found it a lot easier to turn in neutral, and then shift into whatever gear depending on your RPM. Once you have "driving stick" down it shouldn't be difficult for you to shift up in speed after you turn. Just make sure( since you were sort of a beginner that you know your "H").

There is wear on parts of the clutch mechanism as you hold the pedal down. However, I guess it has the advantage that you are ready for a gear if you need it. I would only use these techniques in an emergency though. Coasting in neutral can be quite dangerous and shouldn't be a part of normal driving...and if it isn't a part of normal driving you won't save any significant amount of gas.

thanks for all of the helpful information. One more quick question regarding coasting...is there any difference (in terms of wear & tear and/or fuel economy) between shifting into neutral to coast, instead of leaving the car in gear keeping the keeping the clutch fully disengaged while coasting?

Just going back to the coasting thing - I live in the UK (not an instructor mind) but I thought the entire point of NOT coasting the car was to slow the car down through engine braking? e.g. If you need to slow on an incline, the car will not gather speed if you leave the clutch engaged and in a low gear; thus allowing you more control than just 'roll and brake' (which is somewhat like being on a skateboard).

I learned in the UK where use of the parking brake is mandatory on the test, even if you are just stopped at a traffic light.

I'm so used to it now that I use it if I even suspect there's a hill. I don't like the idea that if have to use engine power to stop 3000 pounds of vehicle rolling back and then get it rolling forward again. Waste of power and time.

Like Gonzo, in bumper to bumper on a hill I feather the clutch sometimes

Oh, BTW.. I bought a (used) Vauxhall Vectra, and at first I had the same problem with selecting 1st gear. It seemed to "lock" you out if you were going too fast, presumably to avoid damaging the drive train.

However, the problem only seemed to last for the first two or three months, so it seemed like it was just teething troubles as I got used to the car. Since then, I have driven about 4000 miles and I now change gear almost "automatically" without even thinking about it: simply man and machine acting as one!

Bumper to bumper on a hill is probably the only situation where an automatic is preferable to a manual. You have to first accept that tt's just plain hard work!
Either you a)move forward a little in 1st and then use handbrake and neutral, or b)you "feather" it in 1st. It really depends on how fast the trafic is moving.
Clearly it is best for the car not to feather for long periods, so normally I just let a two car gap develop before moving: people tend to drive too close togethere anyway.
The only time I feather deliberately is when I know I will need to wait a second or two at a junction, but it doesn't quite warrant the handbrake.
Whatever, I'm sure you guys wil all have an opinion on my driving style!

I should mention this is an '07 Honda Civic SI, if that makes any difference for the question related to reverse. And yes this is my first stick car, only had it for about 4 weeks.

I'm surprised no one has addressed this situation yet: what are you supposed to do when you're in bumper to bumper stop-and-go traffic on an incline? I recently was in this situation and found myself feeling the need to feather the clutch, which I know is not good for it, but I felt like that was the only way I could stay close to the car in front of me and also not stall the car. When I say bumper to bumper I'm talking walking pace, then stop for 4-5 seconds, then walking pace, then stop again, etc.

Second question: In my car, I feel like I HAVE to feather the clutch when going in reverse, because when I tried backing up without feathering it the revs would go up WAY high. Either that, or I felt like it was going to stall. Any ideas?

you're right Greg. I have been an instructor. I've never heard of a transmission that locks you out of a gear (which is not to say it doesn't exist) but manual transmissions without synchromesh in first gear used to be quite common, probably for the reasons you suggest.

However, if you drive stickshift it's a very good idea to check your owners manual and find out what the max speeds are on each gear. If you have a tachometer it will also tell you what are the maximum rpm for your engine. Getting in to fist gear on the move should not be a problem of you get the engine rpm up to what's required for the speed you are going.

Next time you start off in first gear watch the tach.

If yoiu are really serious about getting the best from manual then the "spread" between the gears is important for you. You can check this by picking a speed, for example that is good for 2nd and 3rd and changing back and forth while watching the rpm -- but use the gas pedal well or this wont give you much information

I think you meant to say Dan. It sounds like he's an instructor. I realized that I can shift into first at a roll, but only a very very slow roll, and it takes a little wiggling of the stick to get it fully engaged into first. If I'm going faster than about 3-4mph, the stick will simply not move into first. I assume it's a safety feature to prevent damage.

It is bad to ever lug your engine. To get it into first while still rolling, poke the throttle quick to get the RPM's up like Greg said... just start comparing your RPM to speed in first gear so you can judge where to match them to get it in from second. Usually after practice, a quick poke of the throttle is all it takes. Greg, you must drive for a living?

Thanks for the quick response. My car is an '04 WRX which does have syncros (and yes everyone laughs in disbelief that I'm learning on a nice new car, but I have faith in myself, and it's going pretty good so far)

What I'm referring to is that my car seems to lock out 1st gear until I'm completely stopped. I assume that's a safety device to prevent damage to the tranny. My problem is when I'm in taking a very slow corner or waiting to merge while at a slow roll, sometimes I slow down enough in 2nd gear that the engine starts to lug, but I cannot downshift to first unless I brake to a full stop, and don't want to (for the sake of people behind me). In this case is it ok to let the engine lug a little?

Greg, when you get very slow you should be in first gear. If there is no "synchromesh" then you have to have the engine speed right. This is not as hard as it sounds. With a bit of practice you will get the feel of it. Just squeeze a little on the gas pedal as you shift. First gear is usually good down to walking speed (about 3 mph). Below this you will need to manage the clutch and gas pedals to control speed.

You can also use this technique in 2nd gear. I do this a lot of ice or packed snow where I don't want power. That's actually an major advantage of having a manual transmission.

It's worth noting here that if you are in the habit of matching engine speed and transmission speed when shifting gears there is little or no wear on the clutch. It can last the lifetime of the car - or longer, maybe.

One car I had lasted 310,000 km (almost 200,000 miles) on the same clutch. And that included about 1000 driving lessons!

Hello, question here:

I'm new to driving a manual, just 3 days experience so far. I'm a quick learner and so far I can now functionally drive on public roads, but of course I'm still a little jerky and I don't know all the proper ways to do everything.

I'm wondering what I should do when I need to come to an almost full stop, like rolling about under 5mph, but don't want to fully stop. Such as slowly rolling down an entrance ramp waiting for a chance to speed up and merge, or making a very slow turn, etc.

I assume should have it in 2nd gear going that slow, but at such a low speed in gear the car starts to vibrate at such low RPM (is this lugging?) and intensifies when I accelerate until I get the RPM up a little. I know you're not supposed to shift to first unless at a complete stop (and my car does lock it out until fully stopped) It seems like a situation where it's too slow for 2nd, but not slow enough for first. What do I do here? Is it ok to just let it vibrate?

Thanks

two schools of thought on waiting at a red light. One is wait in first gear, just in case someone threatens to rear end you. The other is shift to neutral, release the clutch pedal and move your left foot to the "dead pedal". As an instructor I favour the second option. It is more relaxing, saves wear on the clutch, and I think it's safer.

I once saw a bad accident where a driver was rear ended at at traffic light and appeared to have been knocked unconscious. His car, probably in first gear, wandered off through the intersection and into oncoming traffic the other side before hitting a pole.

When coming to a red light brake to slow the car to the point where it starts to lug and then you shift it to neutral while you continue to brake to bring the car to a complete stop. While waiting at the red light, make sure your left foot is completely off the clutch to avoid wear to the clutch bearings.

And what do you do while waiting at a red light?

I just got a standard here and I'm a bit confused about how to drive it to be honest. When coming to a red light I can come in in whatever gear I'm in then disengage the clutch as I'm almost stopping and shift it into first?

And what do you do while waiting at a red light?

I now have a way better understanding of how to drive a manual. The entries about using the cluthc properly (friction vs. torque) were very helpful. Also, now I shouldn't have to worry too much about hills anymore. Thanx!!!

Yo thanks man! Now i kno how to drive my lamboughini this is off the chain.

All the manuals say no, you don't have to shift down unless you think you will need a lower gear. You just disengage the clutch before the engine gets too slow and begins to lug.

if your in forth gear and coming up to a red light can you shift straight to 1st gear or do you have to go thru all the gears before you stop

I have never driven an automatic so far so I can speak only from this point of view.
The technique to start rolling is often wrong. I have seen some drivers shifting and maintaining clutch at friction for 1-3 seconds - wrong! you put a lot of friction on the disc.
Don't put your foot on the clutch pedal unless you are going to shift! You'll wear out the disc.
Don't stop at the traffic lights with the stick into 1st gear and the foot on the clutch - boy, have I seen LOTS of people doing this!
Don't shift into neutral before stopping at a traffic light or a crossing, or eve worse, downhill - you'll lose control of the car. There could be a situation in which you need to accelerate and with your stick in neutral you won't get any movement at all - worse still - you could overrev the engine.
About shifting into neutral and the fuel consumption: you won't get any fuel saving for a fuel injection engine - shift into a lower gear instead of neutral; for a carburator engine idling is best for fuel consumption, but don't do this.

Don't forget buses have airbrakes that don't release as fast as you could a park brake. You have to learn how to balance properly.

I have heard that bus drivers in the mountains of Switzerland must demonstrate that they can start on a very steep hill with a manual shift without crushing a matchbox placed behind the rear wheel. They do it using the handbrake (parking brake in North America). I believe the same test was given to drivers of double decker buses in England.

Balancing the clutch is tricky and not the best way.

I would definetly be the most experienced person to answer this, I haul 75,000kgs of logs through the Northern Rocky Mountains in BC. Trying to lift off from steep hills with that much weight is extreamly hard on the truck and must be done correctly not just to save wear, but to avoid breaking driveline. You must "load" the clutch. This requires you to keep your foot on the brake and realease the clutch into the catch point before you move your foot from the brake pedal to the throttle. This puts torque into your drivtrain smoothly and also keeps you from rolling back when you take your foot off the brake. This tecnique is very difficult to do properly and may take some time to learn. It is best to find someone who knows how that can sit with you and ensure you are doing it properly to avoid damage to your vehicle. If done improperly, it may lead to that.

The correct way to prevent rolling back when starting on a hill is to use the parking brake.

This is far easier if the parking brake is hand operated rather than the foot pedal operated in many automatic transmission cars.

1) pull the parking brake on
2) get the engine revs up to what you need
3) release the clutch pedal to the friction point
4) release the parking brake

Hint -- don't try to do everything at once. Concentrate on each step as you do it and -- very important -- don't try to operate the clutch and gas pedals as you release the parking brake. Release it quickly and fully (the car shouldn't move if you've got everything right)

Then you can concentrate on your feet again.

If you are good at this it is the best way by far and the most efficient.

can some one tell me how to take off from a stop position on a hill, without rolling back.

The ideal stickshift driving is to drive just like you are driving automatic. 99.9% of the time you are driving just like automatic. In other words, use your right foot to accelerate and brake. Your left foot is on the 'dead pedal' except during the second or two of a shift.

Oh, and don't rest your hand on the gear lever. Get it back on the steering wheel immediately you have shifted.

Barry, -- another instructor's view - the temptation to coast in neutral is based on the idea of saving fuel. However, you wont' save much fuel unless you do a lot of it. In other words you have to make it a habit.

Once you make it a habit you start to do it without thinking and that's where the danger lies.

When you coast in neutral you don't just push down the clutch pedal and hold it down. That's too hard on the clutch mechanism. You need to pop the transmission in neutral and release the clutch pedal.

Now you see the problem with having no power. You never know when you will need it. Then you'll have to disengage the clutch, get into the appropriate gear and preferably get the engine revs right before you engage the clutch again. Not good in an emergency!

I agree with Gary above that it's not a good idea unless you are really worried about running out of gas. Even then, you'd better be a very good driver and keep your concentration.

I'm also curious to know why coasting is considered such a big no-no. The notion—as I think understand it—is that you won't be able to accelerate as quickly. It seems like that would mostly be negligible because the car is already in motion and it takes no effort except to release the clutch in order to accelerate once more should the need arise. What's more, this need comes up very rarely and I really don't see the folly of taking a bit of liberty in depressing the clutch when coming up to a traffic light instead of following a strict routine of depressing only right before coming to a complete stop.

I'm a fairly new stick-shift driver myself so I'm not one to argue with professionals, but I have to wonder why I've always heard this to be such a horrible thing.

I would only cost in neutral if i was worried about running out of gas

Re coasting - here's a driving instructor's input.

Coasting in neutral, as Paul says, doesn't affect control over the steering or brakes. It can save fuel. However, it doesn't save anything significant unless you do it a lot and this is a very dangerous habit. In some places it is illegal.The reason is that you don't have power if you need to accelerate or get around something.

Also, suppose you try to change lanes and forget you can't accelerate?

"Coasting in Neutral or with the clutch depressed is bad practice - you have no control over the car while doing this"

David: You have no control over the car when the clutch is depressed?? Wtf?? Personally I like to coast to the light, thereby increasing fuel economy. And I don't know what kind of car you drive, but my brakes and steering work whether the clutch is pressed in or not.

I have been driving a stick since I was 11 and I'm 35 now, and I haven't burned a clutch out yet. just don't rest your hand on the gear and keep your foot off the clutch until u need to and the car will be and you will be safer.

to Ben and Brian, I've got a friend who hardly ever gets the revs right when he let's go the clutch pedal. Every time h shifts his car lurches or jumps. He's used about 3 clutches in 4 yrs. Cant seem to explain to him what he's doing wrong!

Brian, resting your foot on the clutch pedal and/or resting your hand on the shift lever as you drive and two no-nos of stickshift driving. They cause continuous wear on the clutch and the bearings. Worse still is riding the clutch at the friction point while accelerating. Lots of drivers do that as they accelerate away. They try to blast off before the clutch is fully engaged. This really wears the discs.

My friend has a 91 ford ranger and he rests his foot on the clutch.(taught him self). so far his clutch got burnt out and had that replaced. next his transmission droped(couldnt get in any gears other than first). would both of these transmission/clutch probles be caused of resting foot on the clutch?

Planning some driving on a forthcoming trip to Washington D.C., I was astonished to be told that car hire firms don't stock cars with manual transmission because "most people can't drive a stick" [sic]. Learning to drive a manual is unlike advancing your other driving skills, though, because it does require that you deconstruct and rebuild a major dimension of your car control, rather than improving it gradually. That's a serious step, but one worth risking, and I'm pleased to find someone encouraging Americans to do so.

Manny, I agree with David. When you drive a manual shift you should drive just like you would with an automatic - The shifts are quick and smooth and then both hands on the wheel again and left foot back to the "dead pedal."

Don't coast in neutral, and when stopping, brake in whatever gear you are in until you are too slow for that gear , and then push the clutch pedal down. There's no need to shift down through the gears - unless you think you might need a lower gear.

Manny, It's a real shame you didn't have anyone to teach you!
Please DON'T shift into Neutral and then Brake as you come to a Stop sign. Please Brake first and then, just as the car almost stops, engage the clutch and select First gear. Coasting in Neutral or with the clutch depressed is bad practice - you have no control over the car while doing this. If you're unsure about all this read the article above again

It think driving stick is very easy. i mean I learned it in one weekend....without anyone to teach me.
the key to it all is when you shift....when you shift in to first...u keep your foot on the clutch....and then slightly release....and at the same time you have to slightly touch the pedal...then u can let go of the clutch...and then u keep your foot on the gas....when u come to a stop sign, just shift your car in to nutral....and then break....then you shift and your on your way.....

Someone once said "There's no such thing as a new idea!" We've been pushing this technique for years, particularly when training parents in coaching their 'rookie' drivers. For those parents who are 'supervising drivers' and who need their confidence boosted,

Take it from the experts Kevin (instructors who have taught thousands of drivers). There's no need for the clumsy trial and error stalling method. The very first thing an instructor whould do is teach abut the frictoin point and torque. The best way to do that is to get them to start off in second gear without touching the gas (accelerator) pedal. It's all done in half an hour and then the wear on the clutch is very little from then on.

As the article above explains, the shift is quick but the process is always the same.

Hi

Im from Norway, where 99,9% learn on a stick shift car. Maybe 5% of the cars in this country are automatic. The "riding of the clutch" as we call it really sounds like a bad idea. It really teach you nothing, since the importent thing is to learn the relationship between friction and torque. Shure you can get a car to move without using any throttle, but you'll never do it like that when you drive. The clutch is released in about half a second, in incriments, and in combination with the accillerator. Its not hard at all, you just have to get used to it. Learn it right! Dont use alot of time with this easing out the clutch trick. Stall the engine the first times you try it and youll get it right.

hi can you helf me lean driver thankyou tayson

To Orlando,

No. "Riding" the clutch pedal, even a light pressure, is not good for the bearings. Ideally, when you drive stickshift, your left foot is on the "dead pedal" (if you have one) or on the floor of the car. When you shift it's quick ... all over in a second or so, and your foot goes back to the floor. It's also bad to rest your hand on the gear lever. This causes wear on the clutch bearings.

an inquiry on driving in heavy traffic isit good to the vehicle in sticking my foot in clucth pedal?

this article made me understand stick so well thanks

For years I instructed new drivers, most of the time on manual shift. I don't recollect any time that I had a student who couldn't handle it. There was only one of the hundreds of students I thought would not be able to drive at all - but that was on automatic.

stick is hard!!! Thank god for automatic