Tips for driving standard

[pan]

I've been driving for a while now, but just with an automatic car. Recently i bought a new car, and it's a manual. I'm cool with it all, i got a lesson or two and am comfortable with it. The problem is, i just have the basic idea down. Can anyone give me any insight on how to drive with a standard. Little tips or tricks you do? Like, corners, coming to a red light, what's good for the clutch/engine, what's bad. Anything really.

Thanks!

[Total Madman]

Grow a penis.

Some balls too.

[Da KiLlDoZeR]

find what works for you and go with it....everybody drives differently, one thing i never do is use first for a engine brake. When you hit second to stop just pop it into neutral and and lightly apply the brakes

[Fordguy300]

Dont slip the clutch too much if you smell something simlar to fryed brakes its probably your clutch burning.

[/Δ\]

The first car I ever drove was a standard. It was my Dad's 02 Saturn SL (he recently replaced it with a new Subaru because it was leaking oil). Okay, so my parents took me and the Saturn out in it in an empty school parking lot. And the first thing I did is mess up. I didnt regulate the clutch right and the car started bucking like a horse. My parents were screaming at me to engage the clutch but I was too terrified to do anything. I wet myself that day. When I look back to it I can't stop laughing. :lol:

[break3r]

I remember when I first drove a stick. It was a Honda Accord and I was with my mom and the seller. My mom was in the back seat screaming her ass off and I didnt even get above 20 mph. I must of stalled 40 times in 10 mins. I was scared I was gonna hit something or blow the engine up.

And then another time I was in the bahamas and we rented a car and it was just a stick so my brother had to do the pedals and I did the stick. Now I can drive stick with my eyes closed.

[n00b_rocket]

Don't ride the clutch at all. Take your foot completely off the pedal if you aren't actually using the clutch. Also, never use the clutch to hold the car still on a hill.

[Total Madman]

Also, never use the clutch to hold the car still on a hill.

Wow, that's what we're taught to do over here.

[El Jarretto]

First time I drove stick I did fine and didn't stall but that's because I had a good hundred hours of experience on a dirt bike. Riding in tight technical areas really teaches you to use a clutch.

[n00b_rocket]

Wow, that's what we're taught to do over here.

Really? That sucks, because it will burn the shit out of your clutch.

[Y2K_MASTER]

Does towing a heavy load also wear the clutch down fast? My dad recently towed about 2500lbs of stuff in a trailer with his vw scirocco 16v from nova scotia to ontario, and today i noticed the clutch is starting to slip. We just changed it last year.

[Meio]

Really? That sucks, because it will burn the shit out of your clutch.

Not for long. Just long enough to disengage the handbrake (and not roll backwards) and apply enough throttle for setting off. How else would you do a hill start?

[n00b_rocket]

Not for long. Just long enough to disengage the handbrake (and not roll backwards) and apply enough throttle for setting off. How else would you do a hill start?


I was talking about using the clutch contact point to hold the car on a hill without using the brakes at all. It's possible. You can hold the car on a hill like that for a long time, and it's terrible for the clutch.

I don't use the handbrake for a hill start unless I'm unfamiliar with the car or it's extremely steep.

[Offcell]

Best thing to do is to just push the gas all the way down at the exact moment you take your foot completely off the clutch, don't ease it out just pull your foot completely off and with your other foot press all the way down on the gas.

[Kumacho]

Best thing to do is to just push the gas all the way down at the exact moment you take your foot completely off the clutch, don't ease it out just pull your foot completely off and with your other foot press all the way down on the gas.

Holding a car on a hill using the clutch causes heat checking on the flywheel and preasure plate. It also puts a glaze on the clutch and once a clutch is glazed it's not going to be long until you are replacing it.

Meio's method is my prefered method as well. I was unable to use it on my GTO since the e-brake was a foot pedal. I went through 4 clutches in that car...

[strikeandburn]

Erm.. I don't know much about Manuals.. But..
Can't you just hold down the break? Or.. is the clutch the break also?

[rochainskool]

I remember making a bet with my dad about driving his truck and not stalling it. I didn't even get it to first gear without stalling it. :wah:

But I'm pretty decent at it now, just not too comfortable.

[printithere]

I usually pound 4-5 beers back before driving, better safe than sorry.

[OE800]

i just hold the brake on hills, i can switch to the clutch fast enough to not roll back and have a smooth launch. unless its a really steep hill and im in my weak ranger, then i have to launch a little harder.

[pat99872]

I usually pound 4-5 beers back before driving, better safe than sorry.

I recommend about 12, unless you are a little sissy 78 lbs bulimic bitch.

[Beldar]

1st gear = for when you're starting/not moving. If you're gonna roll through a yield sign, 2nd gear. Don't put it in 1st while you're moving.

I like to engine brake. Just down shift as you're slowing down, enough so you can feel the engine itself slowing down the car. You don't need to go from 5th straight to 2nd.

If you're low on gas, you can use a little less power and shift a little earlier and you can save a bit of gas. When my truck sputters like its almost out of gas, I do this and it stops sputtering so I can get it to the gas station lol.

Definately get used to engine braking because it will save your brakes. :)

[RTShadow]

Anyone who buys their kid an automatic for their first car should be punched in the face several times, dipped in honey, and thrown into a pit with bears and fire ants.

[break3r]

Anyone who buys there kid a car in the first place should be punched in the face several times, dipped in honey, and thrown into a pit with bears and fire ants.

[elliott678]

Anyone who buys their kid an automatic for their first car should be punched in the face several times, dipped in honey, and thrown into a pit with bears and fire ants.I never understood this attitude at all. The average 16 year old driver is a retard, I really don't want to get rear ended at a stop light because some honor student doesn't have the coordination...

Also, my first car was an automatic, wanna fight about it?

[break3r]

lol all the ricer 16 year old pureto rican girls in their manual civics scare the shit out of me at red lights. there were two in a row, civic and del sol and they were freaking rolling back and forth the whole light. I made sure to get away.

[Meio]

It's funny because if over here you pass your test in an auto you are legally barred from driving a manual. If you pass your test in a manual then you can obviously drive anything, so everybody takes tens of hours of lessons in driving manual cars before taking their test and demonstrating car control on real roads in a manual. The test will usually include a hill start as well as an emergency stop (where coasting, stalling, or skidding will get you a bad mark and a possible fail). Test examiners don't like you doing 'launches' as they are looking for smooth confident driving, not agressive driving.

Everyone over here is taught the method I described:
http://johnfoote.co.uk/manouevres/hillstarts.htm

I'm still unsure how you would do a hill start without blasting off with wheel spin, stalling , or rolling back (slightly).

[elliott678]

My boss and I have no problem in either of the shop trucks, the only 'roll back' would be the suspension loading, then again, these vehicles actually have some low end torque.

[Meio]

My boss and I have no problem in either of the shop trucks, the only 'roll back' would be the suspension loading, then again, these vehicles actually have some low end torque.

Torque only makes balancing the clutch and throttle easier, in that you can release the clutch more aggressively with less throttle and not stall. I suppose you could avoid rolling back on a hill if you have more than 2 feet... heh

[afireinside4848]

Pop into nuetral when coming to a top or slowing down alot(where the rpms would stall the car),when turning normal turns 2nd is best, dont downshift to first unless ur under 10mph but even then don't sychros can be ruined easily, its always better to shift 1 gear up.

Know where your clutch point is, which is the point where the pedal comes up b4 it starts to engage. This is good for hills so when you get off the brake to the clutch pedal you can do it quicker with less roll.

[elliott678]

I guess you would say we are leaving a little aggressively on a hill, but with them the parking brake is not an option, for one it is a pedal, for two, it doesn't work anyway. If there is any roll back, it is less than a foot and if someone is that far up our ass...they deserve a smashed hood.

[McShady]

My first car was an automatic. Now I'm driving a manual. A lot of people here say not to have the clutch down when pushing on the gas and I ask why? I always have the clutch about half way down as I slowly press the gas pedal because it makes for a smooth ride. I do this up until 3rd gear, because then it is easy to switch.

The gears that suck for my car (2003 Saab 9-3) are the 1st and 2nd, but I'm sure it's like that with a lot of cars.

[Meio]

Pop into nuetral when coming to a top or slowing down alot(where the rpms would stall the car...

You mean that you depress the clutch just as you are coming to a stop (to prevent the car from stalling) and then engage neutral once you've fully stopped right? You're not changing down to neutral and then stopping, which would be coasting and would mean that you would potentially fail a test in the UK.

I guess you would say we are leaving a little aggressively on a hill, but with them the parking brake is not an option, for one it is a pedal, for two, it doesn't work anyway. If there is any roll back, it is less than a foot and if someone is that far up our ass...they deserve a smashed hood.

I hope I never share a road with you, especially a very hilly one.

EDIT: I thought I'd send some links relating to the driving standards expected of a driver in the UK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_driving_test
http://www.drivingtestadvice.co.uk/The_Tests/Driving_Test_Faults/driving_test_faults.html

Notice that they don't like engine braking...

[printithere]

Anyone who buys their kid an automatic for their first car should be punched in the face several times, dipped in honey, and thrown into a pit with bears and fire ants.

Anyone who buys their kid their first car shouldn't, a car is not necessary for the large majority of teenagers, especially when Mom and Dad have 1 or 2 in the driveway. PS I hope you sell your SRT4 before you have kids.

[RTShadow]

Anyone who buys their kid their first car shouldn't, a car is not necessary for the large majority of teenagers, especially when Mom and Dad have 1 or 2 in the driveway. PS I hope you sell your SRT4 before you have kids.

haha, there is no way I'd let my kid drive an srt4 or a car with power like that for their first car. My first car was a 1983 Dodge Colt 5 speed. The only reason I said what I did there in that post is because it's so irritating to have someone with you on a long trip that CANNOT DRIVE A MANUAL simply because they never learned.

[pat99872]

haha, there is no way I'd let my kid drive an srt4 or a car with power like that for their first car. My first car was a 1983 Dodge Colt 5 speed. The only reason I said what I did there in that post is because it's so irritating to have someone with you on a long trip that CANNOT DRIVE A MANUAL simply because they never learned.

Haha, colts are awesome. Very fun to drive and toss around in the turns.

[Total Madman]

EDIT: I thought I'd send some links relating to the driving standards expected of a driver in the UK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_driving_test
http://www.drivingtestadvice.co.uk/The_Tests/Driving_Test_Faults/driving_test_faults.html

Notice that they don't like engine braking...

Our tests are fucking stupid, 43% pass rate for the theory test, christ.

Sucks even more that if you get caught speeding twice within the first 2 years of passing, you have to re-do all the tests to get your licence back. To be honest, if you even got caught once as a young driver no insurance company would touch you. I know a couple of people that have had to sell their cars because they couldn't keep their insurance with 3 points on their licence.

I'm so cool that I passed everything first time, which is funny when I have buddies who are on their 10th/11th test.

[RTShadow]

Haha, colts are awesome. Very fun to drive and toss around in the turns.

Yep, I had one with the Economy/Power transaxle, so it was more like having an 8 speed car than a 5 speed, you had the 4 regular gear and then that transaxle, which was basically a passing gear, you slam it into Power and roar around. That car probably isn't very fast, but at the time, your first car seems really fast.

[Beldar]

My first car(truck) was an S10 with a 4.3 V6(160HP) Automatic. That fucker was fast, I only topped the spedo though, never went over(85MPH). My friend that had it after me drove it so fast, he burried it, and eventually it started bouncing from 0-85 and then it broke.

Later, the whole truck broke, which is why I got rid of it. Tranny was going(week after he got it it did), and the motor was ready for a rebuild. Amazingly it still ran after he beat on it so damn hard.

Im glad I got my 105HP Ranger, I'm 17 and know perfectly that its no truck to beat on. Thats why my old S10 is totaled now and my truck is still kickin. I love having a 5 speed too. It actually makes my truck fun to drive and its the only reason I traded(other than my S10 being ready to crap out after 200,000 miles).

Idiot traded straight up without a test drive, I didn't tell him about the crap that was wrong with it. He thought he got the better end of the deal anyway.

[Meio]

Our tests are fucking stupid, 43% pass rate for the theory test, christ.

<snip>

I'm so cool that I passed everything first time, which is funny when I have buddies who are on their 10th/11th test.

There must be a lot of thick people about. You know they publish all the questions for the year? £5 from Halfords.

Big off topic blah about his big gay car.

WE DON'T CARE!

[elliott678]

Notice that they don't like engine braking...Any reason why?

# Does not consult mirrors before increasing speed.What purpose does this serve? Making sure the car behind you isn't a cop?

[Meio]

Any reason why?

It's weird, I did a bit of a look and it seems that they might have changed their mind and that engine braking is "eco-safe".

What purpose does this serve? Making sure the car behind you isn't a cop?

If you don't look in your mirrors before you do anything (and I mean LOOK - look at me I'm looking - every 2 bastard seconds) you fail.

EDIT: Actually I looked again and eco-safe driving will only be part of the Driving Instructors test, so I'm guessing (like some other 'advanced' techniques) you will get marked down for using them in your normal practical exam.

[Bahbo]

Definately get used to engine braking because it will save your brakes. :)

replacing brake pads is much easier on the wallet then clutch/flywheel

haven't seen these mentioned: don't hold the clutch in at stop lights, use neutral (hard on throwout bearing), dont apply throttle/slip your clutch when upshifting (i hear too many people doing this, completely unnecessary and not good) when downshifting match your revs (bring rpms up to where they will be when engaged in the gear you're shifting into before releasing clutch) again i hear lots of people down shift at idle while moving and slip the clutch to match rpms bad bad bad.
the only time your clutch should slip at all is when taking off from a dead stop, if you get into these habits your clutch will last much much longer

[Meio]

replacing brake pads is much easier on the wallet then clutch/flywheel

Effective engine braking will potentially save you money in other areas and shouldn't really put undue extra stress on the sychromesh mechanism. There does seem to be an emphasis placed on using brakes to slow the car in driver training, which is why you see people braking on the motorway.

[dudeinanigloo]

haven't seen these mentioned: don't hold the clutch in at stop lights, use neutral (hard on throwout bearing)...
That's interesting, because my parents taught me to just leave it in first and hold the clutch in when you're stopped. I didn't think that was such a bad thing.

[elliott678]

That's interesting, because my parents taught me to just leave it in first and hold the clutch in when you're stopped. I didn't think that was such a bad thing.
You'll probably never have a problem. The main reason they say to leave it in neutral is if someone rear ends you at the light, you don't let go of the clutch and go out into traffic.