How to Drive a Manual?

[WaspHunter]

Alright, first up, I was talking about downshifting through corners. Looks like in trying to stop confusion I added some myself

I'm not going to admit to being an experienced track driver. You only have to ride shotgun with a true pro once to understand how much there is to learn. But I drive a lot, and am working towards a CAMS (racing licence). My new car gets its first track day sometime in March, so I don't know how easy/hard it will be to drift, or pull off a maneuver like the flick. Btw the flick isn't drifting - its similar but usually (usually!) requires the clutch to be put in and the revs to redline to cause the wheels to spin.

The flick is done on gravel. I have done it on an older impreza, non turbo, which makes it easier and harder at the same time - easier because you don't have to worry about a sudden input of torque through the wheels, harder because you sometimes don't get enough torque, and the car basically stops dead for a split second. Countersteer isn't a problem if you do everything absolutely perfect. NOTE: I've failed this maneuver and parked a car on the side more times than I've made it. Its second nature to rally drivers, so don't just go out to your local hairpin and start trying it with your newly detailed weapon.

This link describes it in less words than I could:
Richard Burns Rally (Game) "Training School"

Go to advanced->flick. Since its describing the maneuver with a paddle-shifted car it doesn't mention that you pick gear before step 1, and you don't leave that gear until the car either bogs or you're on the way out.

Anyway, that move and trail-braking are maneuvers you should really only try on a circuit or skidpan, where you get nice long runoffs when everything goes pear shaped. Maneuvers like that tend to make you forget your emergency actions the first few times, and more likely than not if you stuff them you'll end up stalled, facing the wrong way and too dazed to put the clutch in and restart. First time, my instructor was hitting me on the helmet telling me to get the hell off the racing line while I just sat there thinking "Holy &#$@". So lets get back to the simple manual driving maneuvers

[kokketiel]

I taught my GF (now my wife of 15 years ) to drive a stick while we were first dating. She said that the following was most useful to her.

Start off in a big, empty, level parking lot. Forget about the gas - you want to get a feel for what the clutch does. Depress the clutch pedal and put the car in first gear. Slowly let the clutch out and let the car creep forward, controlling the speed with the clutch - press in for less speed, let out for more speed. This should give you a very good idea of where the clutch "catches".

[The above is not very good for the clutch, but it should give you a very good idea of how the clutch works.]

After you feel comfortable with this, you can practice pulling away - as you are releasing the clutch, give some gas. All it takes is a little practice to get smooth pull-aways.

Once you feel comfortable pulling away and driving, you can worry about all the other stuff, like starting on a hill, etc.

What helped me a lot when I learned, was trying it first, having no clue, and then watching my dad do it. Somehow I didn't understand properly his verbal explanations, but watching him do it after trying it myself, I understood what he meant.

As various other members said - this is one thing that you need to learn hands-on. You need to develop the muscle memory to do shifts instinctively, and there is only one way to do that - practice!

Good luck!

[Accumulator]

[i]..how successful are you in scandanavian flicking? [/B]

Well, I don't do it all that often now that I'm all old and supposedly mature and driving expensive AWD cars, but it's a great way to get things going in a hurry in AWD/FWD cars and I can do it OK.

[sneek]

the first time i went stick was in drivers ed and they had some sort of pedal stop so it almost impossible to mess up the shift and then eventually i got to drive a car with no pedal stop .. never seen one in stores before but might be a good tool

***edit***how successful are you in scandanavian flicking or as we in the states refer to as drifting...i mean i know you can feed the throttle while turning fast/hard enought to lose traction, but how much countersteer can you apply because your car is awd ..and i take you must be a very experienced track driver

ya only the insanly good drifters can send an awd car into a controled spin.. its pretty easy on any rwd car with enough power(which a lot of drifters have.. but only the best pros can drift the under powered RWD cars aka the AE86

[Accident]

I don't know if any of this has been metioned before, so sorry if I repeat anything. Hills will be very intimidating. When I taught my girlfriend how to drive a manual, she would spin her tires every hill she was on if there was a car behind her. I did this too, I don't know if we were the only two to do this, but if it happens to you know you're not alone. That will pass with time, and maybe a set of tires . I'm only seventeen, but watching other people make mistakes and making my own has helped a lot. The only person that I ride with that doesn't drive a manual is my mom, so I've seen plenty of mistakes made. Like someone had said before, practice on backroads and empty parking lots. I was brought on a hill my first day and hated it - avoid hills until you are comfortable. A lot of people like to use the hand brake on hills, I don't, but if you are really uncomfortable maybe you're cousin can teach you. You asked about shifting into neutral to coast to a stop, I usually do that, but if you downshift like someone said, it is easier if you don't have to stop. Also, some people like to balance on a hill by holding the clutch halfway out and giving it a little gas, it will hold you on the hill, but will also mess up your clutch. If you have a tachometer, I suggest looking at that and shift at a certain RPM, not a certain speed, it makes the ride smoother, but that is just my opinion. The big thing is, don't worry about it. There isn't any mistake that you can make that hasn't been done thousands of times. When I taught my girfriend, it worked really well to have her drive around a parking lot a lot, get from first to second to third gear, stop and start again. Also when learning on a hill, try to find one where there is no way for someone to get behind you, and just go up the hill, roll back down some, and go back up repeatedly, until you are comfortable without a car, then go out and drive on other backroads. Anyway, I hope something that I wrote was remotely helpful, and that I didn't just repeat everything that other people said.

[sneek]

lol i think my girlfriend is better at driving stick than I am i sold the 300ZX so im getting rusty while shes constantly getting better

[WaspHunter]

Originally posted by Accident
Also, some people like to balance on a hill by holding the clutch halfway out and giving it a little gas, it will hold you on the hill, but will also mess up your clutch.

Theres a paragraph in the manual of every car I've driven that says specifically not to do that for long periods. Its ok if you need to move quickly and the lights are changing, but apart from that I'd suggest you don't hold it for much longer than a few seconds. Its not just the clutch, you put a lot of torque through the system every time you get a car started (Most drag gearboxes are broken in first or out of the shift to second), and holding it in the half-started position isn't going to do your five-digit investment much good.

[Mondeo Mk.III]

I have read a lot online about the techniques and understand it for the most part. I also understand that stalling is normal at first and it will happen. I have a cousin with a manual so I think I'll see if he can take me out. But I have a few questions I was wondering someone could answer.

Yup, you need to familiarize yourself with when the car starts to pull on the clutch and how much gas you need. And this will be new learning for every car, though first time you learn is the hard part.

- Alright, so you start the car while depressing the clutch. Once it is started, can you release the clutch?

If you're in neutral, sure.

Then when you want to back out of a parking spot in reverse, let's say, do you need to do utilize the clutch and gas as if you were driving normally out of first? Also, do I need to hold down the clutch when putting the tranny into reverse or is that not necessary?

At all gear changes it needs to be down. How much gas you need depends on the car.

All the while, I have my foot on the brake, correct?

Not on flat ground.

So, the sequence would be clutch in with foot on brake, start car, clutch in and move shifter to reverse, foot off brake and hit gas while clutching out. Once out of spot, clutch in, move shifter to 1st, clutch out while giving gas. Is that correct or am I making stuff up?

Why not use the handbreak?

Generally you keep your car in a gear, 1st or reverse, when not driving - this will prevent it from rolling. (If you might roll downhill, put it in reverse for parking and opposite.)

Cluch in, check you're in right gear or fix it, basic gas, clutch up (carefully around when it's starts to pull) and off.

- Let's say I'm driving on a highway in fifth gear. I see a stoplight ahead and will need to come to a stop. What do I do? Do I clutch in, pop it in neutral, then clutch out with gas and then coast to a stop? I can also stay in any gear until around 1,500 RPMs, then pop it into neutral, right?

No, you take your foot off the gas and let it enginebreak. When revs are getting low, shift down one and repeat.

If you want to coast to save fuel or not slow down as much, do go down through the gears anyway so you remain in the right gear at all times.

- The same technique is used for downshifting and putting it into neutral, in terms of clutch in and gas while clutching out (as I mentioned above)?

Yes, but it's much easier to do when rolling.

- Let's say in the above situation the light turns green before I come to a stop. I'm already in neutral. How do I know what gear I need to go back in since I was previously in fifth? Does it depend on how much I slowed down?

As I said above - you shouldn't be in neutral.

- I come to a stoplight and am stopping. After stopping (clutch in and then to neutral while giving gas, right?) do I take my foot off the clutch and keep it only on the brake, as if I was in an automatic?

When you stop, you put it in 1st so you're ready to go. Keep the clutch down. You shouldn't need to give any gas while clutched (unless it's an old car in the winter).

- How do you know when to downshift? I know when on a highway and you need more power, but what about when making turns? It seems so confusing to me that I may be in a gear, make a turn while braking, then may need to downshift because the RPMs are getting too low for that gear.

Well, as you really should accelerate out of the 2nd half of a corner, you should have downshifted before the corner while braking for it.

- What happens when you stall? Do you clutch in, put the car in 1st, and clutch out while gassing?

cluch in, 1st gear, restart car, clutch up while giving basic gas - as any other start.

Or if you mean while still rolling... clutch down and restart car and select the gear you should be in and clutch up with some gas like any other gear shift.

When I park, I understand you need to put the car in gear. So I put it in 1st or reverse if I am facing uphill or downhill, respectively? What about if on flat land?

Yes.

Well, where are you going next time you get into the car?

I know
the questions are confusing and jump everywhere (and my assumptions could be completely wrong), so I apoligize in advance.

No probs... I probably couldn't drive an automatic myself.

How did everyone else learn? Are there driving schools which give courses in driving a manual transmission? I know how to drive, just not a manual.

We don't learn it any other way over here (Sweden).
Automatic transmission doesn't equal driving, that's just riding.