I am about to own a g35 coupe 6mt (by soon i mean when the 07's come out). I have no experience with using the clutch (but i do know alot about it). One thing that confuses me like hell (actually 2 things) is starting to roll when your bearly taking off.

When i start my car off, i know i must first have to clutch depressed. I also know that i must match the RPM's (only in 1st gear) while engaging the clutch (correct me if im wrong). Now my question is, at around how many rmp's (in 1st gear) should i have fully engaged, or release, the clutch on the g35 6mt?

second: If im driving on an empty freeway going down a slope (which is a RARE in L.A) and i want to release the gas to let my car roll freely, do i have to depress (press down on) the clutch? or do I HAVE to change to neutral? Im a bit paranoid because my friend told me that everytime you hold down the clutch your wearing down the clutch ( he basically said it worked like brake pads).

THIRD!!! lol, is it bad if i release the gas pedal (or the brakes),and the clutch at the same time when my car is rolling freely down the freeway? Is it true that I always have to depress (press down on) the clutch whenever i brake? Even if its just a slight brake due to traffic?

Thanx for any help, i just want to verify this info with experieced drivers, and i know there are a ton of you guys here.

...and note how paranoid i am! lol

 

First of all, congrats on your upcoming purchase.


1. When accelerating from a dead stop in first gear, there really is no RPM matching involved. With a smooth clutch release, one could potentially get the car moving without applying the gas pedal at all. On the other hand, one could also launch the car at 5k RPM, though be prepared for premature clutch wear. I'd advise trying to maintain a healthy 1.5-2k RPM's when launching the car throughout the learning process. Any less and you're likely to stall.

2. It sounds as though you already understand this, but its worth pointing out that being in nuetral and pushing the clutch to the floor are essentially the same thing, at least so far as the car bahaves. Having said that, no, you do not have to be in nuetral when coasting along. So long as RPM's do not drop too low (less than 1-1.5K), you're fine coating along in gear. Your clutch will require replacement at some point, but with proper treatment should far outlast your brakes.

3. Unless in nuetral, you must always press the clutch in when stopping. Not braking, but stopping. See above, if braking but not going below specific RPM levels, no clutch work neccesary... Though you may want to consider downshifting.


I know you're not likely to heed this advice, but I would highly recommend learning on another car.. one that is less expensive and easier to drive. I've been driving manual transmissions for 15-16 years or so, and personally I feel the G35 clutch/tranny combo is almost a chore to drive sometimes. Not the best setup for a beginner.

Hope this helps.

 

Ok so let me clarify this...using the clutch when coasting along as stated above wont wear out my clutch at high speeds?

And from what you stated above...im assuming that if i brake my car from 75 mph to 50 mph (or 40 mph to 20 mph), i wont have to use the clutch at all when braking as long as my RPM's dont go to low right?

Also, what exactly is engine braking? I know its really bad for your car, but how exactly does this happen? Is that when the car is going at high or medium speeds and I release all pedals?
thanks for your help

 

http://www.standardshift.com/videos.html

 

eh

All i see is a guy driving...ive seen that vid before and im pretty sure it hasnt helped out anyone

 

Let me thread hijack a minute...

What if you are stopped an on uphill...is there a special way to change gears so you don't roll into the car behind you? Is the trick just changing gears really fast?

 

umm.. parking brake..

 

basically, apply ur parking brake ( hand brake ) if fully stop is required.
Just launch you car like normal but keep ur parking brake on until right before the engagement of the clutch with your gear.
Right before the engagement, let go of ur parking break.
your car should be rolling up hill without a problem.
Depends on the slope of the hill, sometimes you might have to rev the engine to higher rpm than normal launching.

hope this helps

 

Mikey,

If I didn't know better, I would say that this is a trick/loaded question. However, assuming that it is not . . . You simply push down on your brake pedal while the clutch is down and change/shift into 1st gear and then continue from a stop. At that point, if you are worried about rolling into the car behind you . . . You simply pull up on the parking brake and release the clutch pedal, while applying the gas. When you feel the clutch grabbing and the car starts to move, you immediately release the parking brake and go on your merry way.

 

This here is true. Listen to this man. I learned to drive stick on a Civic which is very easy and forgiving. Had to relearn quite a bit when I got my G. I couldn't imagine trying to learn on the G from scratch.

 

i learned on my G, but only after i had a VERY good understanding of how the clutch works, and what exactly is happening given clutch in and out etc.. just learn on a beater if you can. good luck!

 

the parking brake way is used when people first start to drive stick. i used it for sure. now im used to it. i go on La Cienega blvd and Vine St. in hollywood (huge inclines) without rolling back at all....practice makes perfect.

 

I'll second (third?) that also... the G is not the easiest car to learn on. I learned on my car and thought there was something wrong with me until I drove my friend's Civic... it was so easy!

And in reply to question #2 above, clutching in while in gear and neutral are *effectively* the same thing, but holding in the clutch (like at an intersection) wears your throwout bearing unnecessarily.

 

wow dude thanks for bringing my hopes up, seriously. lol. I too have a very good understanding of how the clutch works. I still have time to learn even more (bout 6 months). Im driving an automatic right now, and im planning on switching directly to an MT, a g35 6mt that is. Hopefully i find it easier to drive with my knowledge than what most of you guys are telling me (except Alan)

 

haha dont get me wrong, its a tough learning curve, but its doable. again, get a beater. you have time. when you get your G, go easy on it and be careful.