Hi Guy's,

I just got my 6mt and I was wondering if you have any tips on driving stick. This is my first stick shift car. It's something I kinda learned on my own so I'm not sure if I am doing it right. Whats the best way to shift gears without wearing out the clutch too much. Does it damage the clutch or engine to release the clutch to soon? What RPM do you usually switch each gear at for conservative, normal, and fast driving.

I'm still getting used to driving stick usually when I go into second gear there is a small jerk. I've been able to get it smooth a few times but its hard. I realized its because I'm not putting enough gas and letting go of the clutch to soon. Does this damage the engine? I just got it last night and have stalled about 30 times coming out of a dead stop. Its horrible. Hopefully I'll get better. Any advice or tips you can give would be great.

Thank you,

Jason

 

Just give it a week you will get used to it.
When you shift from for example 1st to 2nd rpms drop during the changing process and when you release the clutch pedal either rpms are high for the 2nd gear or rpms are low for the same gear thats what causing the jerking.
After couple of weeks you will get used to the car.

 

Haha I'm 16 and having the same problem trying to learn to drive our 6mt G35. One thing to really be aware of is seat position.. it can make a HUGE difference. If youre too close you give too much gas and have a harder time releasing the clutch so play around with where you sit a little bit. A really good tip from starting from a stop that I've gotten from people here is to let the clutch out a little slowly and you'll feel the car start to roll then you give it a little gas and let the clutch engage all the way. Shifting you just push the clutch in all the way and let go of the gas put it in gear and let off the clutch while giving it gas again. If I ever learn to drive stick I'll let you knwo more things that helped me.

 

Hard to say without seeing you drive, but one possibility is that you are coming off the clutch too fast. While you are learning you should be letting the clutch up slow enough that you can see the RPMs start to dip as the gears engage and either add gas or push the clutch back in to correct the problem. That said, don't burn your clutch out, all of this should take place in well under 3 seconds (probably closer to 2 seconds). As you get more experienced, you should be able to smooth shift in around 1 second, and quick shift in well under a second.

 

Oh, and don't feel bad, the G is not an easy car to learn stick on!

 

Practice makes perfect. Starting off in 1st gear (especially uphill) is the first big hurdle for everyone. Just give it more gas!! You might burn up a little clutch & tires, but it's something you'll obviously have to learn to drive. I absolutely love my 6MT and would never trade it for an AT.

They key is finding the "friction point" of the clutch when you're at a dead stop. From a dead stop in 1st gear, VERY SLOWLY and gently let the clutch out until you notice the RPMs drop slightly. That's when you should be giving it gas. Also, when shifting from 1st to 2nd, if you can pause ever-so-slightly at the friction point while giving it some gas, it makes the shift much smoother.

As you become more familiar with the feel of the clutch & transmission, you can be much more flexible with your shifting. For example, (if i'm not in the racing mood) i start out in 2nd gear when facing downhill, just to avoid the extra shift.

As far as performance driving, just take it up to or near redline for each gear. The biggest thing to keep under control is tirespin, which DEFINITELY comes into play in the G. for "conservative" driving, i usually shift at 3000 RPM.

hope this helps

 

conservative driving: shift a 3k
Normal driving: shift at 4k
Agressive driving (VDC ALWAYS off): shift at 6300-redline (05 6800k-redline), drop clutch method (this will cause a chirp into second and third if you are lucky) and as quick a shift as you are able to do without missing!

DO NOT ride your foot over the clutch, that can cause you to slip it yourself. Avoid high RPM launching, that beats up the clutch big time!

Remember that this car has decent power, so when driving with VDC off......it is rear wheel drive, so keep it in line until you have about 100,000 miles under your belt!

 

3K for every car? How can this be since most cars have different engines and performance?

 

I was not really being "exact" on the RPM's for normal or conservative driving, I am sure 2600 would be fine too? Without getting into a 3 page novel to outline driving a stick, I kept it short and to the point for a general idea! I am not sure about the whole "Flux capacitor" valve or whatever, I just drive the car as it feels good, or drive the S*** out of it when feeling frisky! Having half a million miles under my belt on two and four wheels, no one is going to tell me when to shift, I can figure that out myself!

 

Stall 30 times? You're killing the clutch. lol That's what happened to me with my old car. I was a beginner with a new 01Prelude and stalled many times, grind many times, but after a week I did a lot better. Few weeks later, I even learned to rev match, double clutch, and heel/toe. Just keep practicing but please try not to stall.

 

Don't bother trying to learn to double clutch, it has been unnecessary for a number of years now.

 

i had the same problem.. i learned stick on my coupe.. first time you drive auto after about a month of driving stick you will look for a clutch that doesnt exist so far i'd say im close to perfect on shifting after 2nd gear esp in races, but those are easy.. yesterday night i took out a stick mustang gt and 2 g35 sedans one with a popcharger at 2nd gear rolls... i still have problems launching because my rpms drop too low and i dont want to practice (afraid of tirewear) and i have problems shifting 1st to 2nd without wheel spin when racing...

 

When I started driving clutch, it was a piece of cake. Didn't really stall much, probably twice. I picked it up the very same day. Its really easy and nothing really hard about it. 1st gear to 2nd is the hardest, but afterwards, its all easy from there. I would suggest if you don't wanna stale, to rev up ur RPM close to 2,000. Then go from there, this way, you would avoid any drop of rpm with the added pressure of letting the clutch go while stepping on the gas. I usually shift at 4K RPM for normal fun driving. Shifting at 3K RPM is normal avoid the cops method. Anything less then that is gay. Shift close to redline if you are racing but try not to redline ever, does bad on your engine. The best way to start learning how to drive a stick is at a dead stop. Have a feel for 1st gear, step on the gas, let go of the clutch, even it out, go to around 10mph, then step on the clutch, then brake. Do the same thing over and over again until you feel comfortable with 1st gear. Again, as someone else stated, after a while, the stick would feel like its 2nd nature, and you wouldn't have to look at the RPM meter anymore. You would go by the feel of the car and the sound. Good luck!