PRD2BDF Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Yes. I admit, I haven't learned how to drive a manual transmission when I got my license 7 years ago. I've been driving an automatic car ever since. Recently after test-driving the Fiat 500 that Alex let me drive last year, I've become much more motivated to learn how to drive a manual transmission. My dad has a old red Ranger that has been sitting around and being barely if not driven. Last week, I decided that I would teach myself and started taking that truck to town and actually using it. I still use my car for long commutes but running in town is the truck's duty for me now. I wanted to see if there were any tips. I struggle with starting from a stop uphill and smoothly shifting. I could ask my parents but they only know three things: cutting hair, driving a manual transmission, and yelling. Cliffs: Tips on how to drive a manual transmission better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 You put you left foot in you take you left foot out and you shake it all about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwashmycar Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 At first just take your time. If you let the RPMs drop, then shift easily youll get the hang of it and eventually be able to shift quickly and at higher RPMs... Its all about getting the rhythm.. I've always had luck starting from a stop by slowly letting out the clutch and as the car creeps forward letting it out a tad more then slowly adding gas (very little gas until it gets moving... maybe just a little feathering of it). This eliminates the high rev jerkyness some get when starting out from a stop. You could essentially get going without any gas at all (not sure if true on all cars however) I for one enjoy NOT having a manual vehicle anymore, but am forever glad that I got the many years in that I did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky31186 Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 It's just something your feet have to learn. As you let the clutch out slow, you have to feel for the grab point. Then let your foot off the brake, and start giving it gas. Practice makes perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87GT Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Cliffs: Tips on how to drive a manual transmission better? Answer: Replace your daily driver/only car with a manual transmission car. Equal amounts of in and out on the clutch/gas pedal. Every car is different on where the soft spot is for the clutch to engage. Sort of like sex bruh. If you can't figure it out within 7 days you should give up on driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRed05 Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Practice. Take the truck out in a field somewhere, or a parking lot that has a bit of a hill. It's all about feeling the clutch and when it's about to grab. All cars have a different feel to them too. The more you drive the smoother you will start shifting. That might not sound like a lot of advice but it's the troof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Alex- Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Press clutch to floor, press gas to floor, release clutch, stab clutch and grab next gear when needed. Never lift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rally Pat Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Get in it, preferably with no one around, and just keep trying to get the hang of it. Thats the way I learned. When I bought my MR2, which was my first sports car, I had once in a while tried to drive friends' manual cars and never really got the hang of it. Hell, Sean Butt had to drive my car back from where we bought it out of town. I spent hours just getting used to doing different things in the car, but most importantly I did it alone. This took away any "stage fright" I might have had having somebody teach me. I stalled it. A lot. You just have to adapt and get used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copperhead Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Practice practice practice. And don't slip the clutch to hold it on a hill, use the brakes. That's a good way to eat through clutches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanB Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Just go out and drive as much as you can, it'll take a solid few weeks of daily driving the stickshift to really get the hang of it and not have any problems at all. Just be easy with the throttle and getting moving from a stop, and it shouldn't be a major problem. Definitely go to some steep hills and keep repeating hill starts until you have them perfect; once you have that down, it should be simple driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Cranium Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 When I was in high school I had been taught to drive my dad's car with a stick, but I mainly drove my moms automatic car. One day my folks were out and I needed to run an errand so I had to take dad's car. It was pretty ugly, and I don't know how many times I stalled it, but by the time I got home I was addicted. From that point on any time I needed to go anywhere I took my dad's car. I actually feel pretty bad because he lost his car that day and I never gave it back. Just drive it, you will improve over time with practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRD2BDF Posted May 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Practice practice practice. And don't slip the clutch to hold it on a hill, use the brakes. That's a good way to eat through clutches What does slipping feel like? I know that's a stupid question. The tachometer in the truck is busted. it won't show anything below 3,500 but once it passes 3,500, it will start showing the current RPMs. Smoothly shifting, do I need to give it some gas as I shift or just shift then gas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Brian Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Don't granny shift, double clutch like you should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanB Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 What does slipping feel like? I know that's a stupid question. The tachometer in the truck is busted. it won't show anything below 3,500 but once it passes 3,500, it will start showing the current RPMs. Smoothly shifting, do I need to give it some gas as I shift or just shift then gas? Shift, then, as you're letting the clutch out, match it more or less with the throttle, but a lot less. Like riding a motorcycle, you don't want too much throttle after letting out the clutch, but not enough won't get you going anywhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airwg2189 Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Practice finding the engagement point for the clutch. Gears 2+ are easy, just smoothly put clutch in, shift gears, smoothly release pedal and use gas to keep engine RPMs up should they drop too far or you don't shift fast enough (which isn't necessarily bad, especially for someone new to driving a stick. With time, however, you'll be shifting quick that you won't really do anything with the gas pedal... it just sorta stays where it is the entire trip). First gear is the hardest part. -Take car to empty, flat parking lot. -Put car in neutral, take out sawed off shotgun and remove right leg. -Clutch in. -Shift to first, keep clutch in. -Release clutch SUPER SLOW until you feel car start rolling. Notice the slight vibration-y feeling in the clutch pedal, and RPMs bogging down a little (this is because no gas). -Smoothly and slowly continue releasing clutch. If RPMs drop down to stalling, or almost stalling, you're releasing too fast. -Continue releasing clutch until your foot is entirely off the clutch and the car is moving. Cars can get moving without any gas whatsoever, up to ~3-5 MPH or so. Learning this is excellent for getting a feel for the engagement point. -Do this 200 times over, then 200 times but going in reverse. Everything else about driving a stick shift car will come naturally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwohio Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 What does slipping feel like? I know that's a stupid question. The tachometer in the truck is busted. it won't show anything below 3,500 but once it passes 3,500, it will start showing the current RPMs. Smoothly shifting, do I need to give it some gas as I shift or just shift then gas? It's so hard to explain to someone in words how to drive a manual. Honestly, it's just a 'feel' for what the clutch is doing. Some manual cars are easier to drive than others too as you begin to drive different cars that have a manual transmission. You just need to practice, practice, practice, and after a while you don't event think about it anymore. Here's a good video that explains how a clutch works, that may help you understand what you are doing while you are driving. So basically, when you are 'slipping' the clutch you have not fully released the pressure plate to engage the clutch disc against the flywheel, which will eventually wear down the material on your clutch disc if you 'slip' your clutch all the time (watch the video(s) for everything in this paragraph to make sense ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rally Pat Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Might be hard for him to watch those.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwohio Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Might be hard for him to watch those.... Why's that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fubar231 Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Why's that? Hes deaf... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmwohio Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Hes deaf... Well, then the visual ques should help.....thanks for the heads up......sorry, I wasn't aware, OP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripleskate Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Smoothly shifting, do I need to give it some gas as I shift or just shift then gas? Smooth shifting is matching revs to road speed. For example, if you shift at 3000rpm in 1st in my car, it will fall to 1600rpm in 2nd. A smooth shift would mean letting the revs fall to the desired RPM and pulling the clutch back out. Shifting too quickly (not letting the revs drop enough) or too slowly (revs dropping too far) is what makes people have jerky shifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Cranium Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Hes deaf... Well, that shoots my other piece of advice straight in the ass. When my dad taught me to drive a standard I learned to shift and work the clutch based on the sound of the engine. Not being able to hear the engine would be a problem for me driving a standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRTurbo04 Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Why's that? Hes deaf... Well, then the visual ques should help.....thanks for the heads up......sorry, I wasn't aware, OP. asshole.. as every ones said practice.. you will feel the cluch when relasing it ..once you start to feel it move at alll give her some gas as you keep bringing the clutch out. or hell just floor it and pop the clutch itll look bad ass :fuckyeah: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRTurbo04 Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Well, that shoots my other piece of advice straight in the ass. When my dad taught me to drive a standard I learned to shift and work the clutch based on the sound of the engine. Not being able to hear the engine would be a problem for me driving a standard. thats how i taught my self but yea that wont work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ansonivan Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 +1 for giving the truck a good beating, learning a clutch is like learning sex, you can figure out finesse and tenderness later, start out rough and hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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