a tip i have learned, is when u come to a 4-way-stop. dont wait with the clutch in, esp. if u are on a hill. just sit there on the brake with the clutch just barely catching and when it is ur turn u just go with out hesitation of not stalling.

 

I don't know what it is about this car, but it is obnoxiously easy to chirp the tires when shifting(even from 3rd to 4th!!!!). A few years ago I had a new C5 vette that was very difficult to chirp going from 2nd to 3rd, but I imagine this is also because a shift from 2nd to 3rd in the vette took place at 76mph redline with some fatter tires than the G.

Still though, chirping when going into 4th on a sub 300hp car is pretty funny

 

my g has a flat so i'm waiting for my tire place to get my tire in stock so i can replace it for free under warranty. i been driving an automatic 5at accord and i'm so boredddd.
i miss my G =\

 

Is this based on something in the clutch, or is this just an estimate of where people typically shift?

 

the 6mt was my first stick car as well...what i did was go to a place with speedbumps and go over them. And then i went to a big hill and kept going up and stopping...over and over again...you really get a feel after doing it awhile...trust me...i couldn't drive it in the daytime for like the first month...it took me soo long to get used to it...even now after having it for about 6 months i still stall every once in a while. Oh when i first got my car i didn't go past 4 rpms. I think the g catches a little later then most cars so you really just have to get the feel of the car.

 

www.howstuffworks.com

as for when to shift, that often depends on the torque and hp curves for the car.. weaker torque'd engines (honda s2000, etc) need to shift at higher points.. you need to even launch at a higher point in that car..

anyways, check out that site howstuffworks, and read up on clutches, and manual transmissions.. It's pretty simplified, but very good fundamentals to help you truly understand some concepts... good luck with the car.

 

i'd say when you can stay on a very steep hill without using the break and not roll back you're good enough to drive decently.. learn to balance the clutch and gas..

as for 1st gear when racing.. i posted this earlier.. i find it easier to shift at 5.5 instead of closer to redline because i have less tirespin that way... i guess im just not supposed to floor the pedal right after shifting 1st to 2nd

 

don't bother to look at the rpms or study torque/hp curves. just practice practice practice, you'll get it. now when you're comfortable w/ your manual skills, then maybe you can play w/ the rpms.

avoid doing racer like moves like heel-toe, double-clutching, rev-matching. these can distract you and cause accidents while you're on your learning stages.

some ppl take some time, some learn quickly. just practice. drive safe, dont play around in these stages.

 

3rd to 4th????? Give me a break!!!!! This car will NOT chirp 4th stock or even somewhat modified!

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I took the car out for some practice after work today. I did a little better but I still stall. The worst was today when I was on a slope and there was a car behind me. I definitely burned some clutch after stalling and trying not to roll back any further. I ended up reving the engine way past 5000 rpm and dropping the clutch not to good for the break in period huh? There is an odor coming from the vents now, I'm assuming that its the smell of burnt clutch?

So is it bad to release the clutch slowly? I've been releasing it really slowly coming out of red lights and sometimes I leave my foot on it pressed slightly to switch to second and third easier. Starting from a dead stop am I supposed to release the clutch completely as soon as it engages and I have pressed the gas?

When I get good is it supposed to feel as smooth as an automatic? Or is it acceptable to feel the jerks? Thanks again for the info. I will try to keep all your tips in mind and practice some more tomorrow.

Jason

 

10 years ago, i picked up my manual transmission car from the dealer without never driven a stick shift. that night i went out partying. i stalled 6 times at one stop sign, jerked hard everytime i shifted gears, etc..

each person has their own comfortable way of driving stick shift. just drive it for a week or so and u'll get it down. don't worry about it too much.

if anything, just shift gears at 3k rpms. even if we give you tips on it, i doubt that it will help. the more you drive, the better you'll get at it. simple as that.

 

Uh, how long have you driven stick for? Its really not all that hard to chirp them when going from 3rd to 4th(in this car, never came close in any other cars ). Although I will give you the benefit of the doubt this time that maybe the dealer didn't properly inflate the tires to the proper PSI. I have only checked one tire and it was slightly low at 32psi

Trust me, I was just as surprised as you are.

Can anyone else back me up on this?

 

F50,

Don't let the stick scare you. What you have to remember is that the clutch and gas are two levers that you use to make smooth transitions between stop and go. With an AT it is too easy to get in the bad habit of treating the pedals like on/off switches, but you can't do this with a clutch. Once you get the hang of it driving a stick should be as smooth if not smoother than an AT.

Many of the comments are good, especially the ones referring to practice. The most important thing for you to do is become familiar with you car. You need to know the friction point of the clutch, this is when as you slowly release the clutch (no gas for practice) you will hear the engine revs dip and the car start to slowly move forward. It may not take off and roll with out applying gas so just depress the clutch again. Practice this is a deserted parking lot over and over until your leg learns where the take-up (friction) point of the clutch is. From there slowly squeeze in a bit of gas when you feel the clutch getting to the take-up point. Remember that the two pedals you are using are levers that need to be squeezed not hit or kicked.

Regarding hill starts, please please please do not get in the habit of holding the car from rolling back by holding the clutch at the friction point. This will burn up a clutch fater than most anything. Hill starts are very similar to regular starts, you just have to be faster moving your foot from the brake to the gas.

And just remember, the clutch and gas pedals are your friends, so give them a nice squeeze and not a kick.