Good write up, reminded me a lot of a beginners Motorcycle riding instruction. Gave me a few ideas when trying to teach the GF how to drive the truck. But its a easy one, just let out on the clutch in 1-3 and it rolls w/o the gas, 4th gear take off needs feathered. The clutchless (Power) shifting comes in handy when you lose a clutch.
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How-To: Drive Stick Shift - A 12 step program
- Thread starter chuyler1
- Start date
Nice write up!
I wrote an article on how to drive a stick here a long time ago, too.
http://www.epinions.com/content_2037555332
Let me know what ya'll think,
I wrote an article on how to drive a stick here a long time ago, too.
http://www.epinions.com/content_2037555332
Let me know what ya'll think,
MzdaSpeed_Pro
Member
- :
- 2003 MazdaSpeed Protege
Good write up. I still remember when my brother and friend were teaching me to drive my msp (which is only in stick shift for those of you that didn't know ;-D) My hardest parts were "feathering 2nd gear" and going into 3rd and 5th gear.
3rd gear came easy after a couple hours practice but 5th gear was questionable. I still remember the time I drove home from the mall on the highway in 4th gear....LoL! I don't think my car was liking that too much just chilling at around 3,500 RPM's for about 15-20 minutes...
Good luck to those of you trying to learn! I got it completely down in about 4 days.
3rd gear came easy after a couple hours practice but 5th gear was questionable. I still remember the time I drove home from the mall on the highway in 4th gear....LoL! I don't think my car was liking that too much just chilling at around 3,500 RPM's for about 15-20 minutes...
Good luck to those of you trying to learn! I got it completely down in about 4 days.
This is a Mazda site...I'm pretty sure everyone is aware that the Mazdaspeeds (all of them) only come in stick. But anyway, starting is the hardest, 1-2 shift is next (to get it smooth) and knowing the difference between 3rd and 5th is the final barrier. Glad you got it down in 4 days...but it takes a lifetime to master! Heh heh.
MzdaSpeed_Pro
Member
- :
- 2003 MazdaSpeed Protege
hey
Ha - Yeah every once in a while I will let off the clutch a little too quick and the car shakes slightly. This is proved to be the hardest for me. It actually only gets worse the faster I try to drive - in case I try to shift fast...any tips?
...And rev matching - That's a different story - haha I haven't really practiced that but I would like to really soon - If time permits :-D
This is a Mazda site...I'm pretty sure everyone is aware that the Mazdaspeeds (all of them) only come in stick. But anyway, starting is the hardest, 1-2 shift is next (to get it smooth) and knowing the difference between 3rd and 5th is the final barrier. Glad you got it down in 4 days...but it takes a lifetime to master! Heh heh.
Ha - Yeah every once in a while I will let off the clutch a little too quick and the car shakes slightly. This is proved to be the hardest for me. It actually only gets worse the faster I try to drive - in case I try to shift fast...any tips?
...And rev matching - That's a different story - haha I haven't really practiced that but I would like to really soon - If time permits :-D
MzdaSpeed_Pro
Member
- :
- 2003 MazdaSpeed Protege
Ha - Yeah every once in a while I will let off the clutch a little too quick and the car shakes slightly. This is proved to be the hardest for me. It actually only gets worse the faster I try to drive - in case I try to shift fast...any tips?
...And rev matching - That's a different story - haha I haven't really practiced that but I would like to really soon - If time permits :-D
BTW - This only happens from 1st to 2nd gear...sorry forgot to make note of that.
I don't know if this has been covered, but I'm a new stick driver (just got an MS3 yesterday!) and I can't seem to avoid riding the clutch in reverse (in fear of rocketing through the side of my house).
Also, from a 1st gear start I'm still keeping the clutch in longer than I probably should (only way I can seem to avoid stalling out).
Any protips?
How much does it cost to replace this clutch after I fry it with my noob stick skills?
Also, from a 1st gear start I'm still keeping the clutch in longer than I probably should (only way I can seem to avoid stalling out).
Any protips?
How much does it cost to replace this clutch after I fry it with my noob stick skills?
What you describe sounds normal for the most part...as long as you aren't flooring the throttle while you do this.
I rarely take my foot off the clutch in reverse unless I am backing up for a long distance. Backing out of a parking spot I use the "feather" technique described in my first post...so the technique you are using for reverse is pretty close to the same.
As for starting out in first, there is a period of time where you leave the clutch half-in in order to produce a smooth start. Again assuming you don't floor the gas with the clutch half-in this is normal wear and tear on a clutch. How long you keep it half-in will shorten as you get better. I probably average 2-4 seconds of clutch when starting out in my MS6. Enough for the car to get moving at a speed where I can let it out completely...the time is obviously longer for an up-hill start.
I rarely take my foot off the clutch in reverse unless I am backing up for a long distance. Backing out of a parking spot I use the "feather" technique described in my first post...so the technique you are using for reverse is pretty close to the same.
As for starting out in first, there is a period of time where you leave the clutch half-in in order to produce a smooth start. Again assuming you don't floor the gas with the clutch half-in this is normal wear and tear on a clutch. How long you keep it half-in will shorten as you get better. I probably average 2-4 seconds of clutch when starting out in my MS6. Enough for the car to get moving at a speed where I can let it out completely...the time is obviously longer for an up-hill start.
Makes a hell of a lot more sense then. All this "YOU ONLY EVER WANT THE CLUTCH FULLY ENGAGED OR FULLY DISENGAGED" stuff I've read on the internet had me worried about 1st gear/reverse gear. I'm sure I'll shorten the time needed eventually, but I have to get the feel for the car just right first.
I went from stalling out about 6 times in a parking lot yesterday to taking it for a spin on a nice road with a few lights but not much traffic alone today with no problems at all (except for the stall pulling up to the gas pump as people stared at me, hehe).
A guy was pumping gas and I told him "hey man, I'm just learning to drive a stick". He replied with "that's good! everyone should be required to start out with one." I didn't feel like such a jackass for revving the engine like a mofo and bucking/stalling after that.
I went from stalling out about 6 times in a parking lot yesterday to taking it for a spin on a nice road with a few lights but not much traffic alone today with no problems at all (except for the stall pulling up to the gas pump as people stared at me, hehe).
A guy was pumping gas and I told him "hey man, I'm just learning to drive a stick". He replied with "that's good! everyone should be required to start out with one." I didn't feel like such a jackass for revving the engine like a mofo and bucking/stalling after that.
Yup...its all a learning experience. As long as you aren't riding the clutch, revving the engine to high hell with the clutch half-in, or using the clutch to balance the weight of the car while stopped on a hill...you're good to go. Those are the three things that really do a number to the clutch.
In reverse I have been riding it too much and even producing a burning smell on occasion (unless that's just "new clutch smell"). I know this is horrible... I'm working on it. I'm gonna do a hell of a lot of driving tomorrow... since I have to take this baby to work in real traffic on the interstate and whatnot on Monday.
How about this scenario for reverse: clutch fully in, apply gas, slowly release clutch, clutch engages, apply enough gas to get rolling, clutch fully in, attempt to coast as far as needed in reverse... repeat until ready to roll forward. Is that bad practice?
How about this scenario for reverse: clutch fully in, apply gas, slowly release clutch, clutch engages, apply enough gas to get rolling, clutch fully in, attempt to coast as far as needed in reverse... repeat until ready to roll forward. Is that bad practice?
I think that's pretty much the right technique....and what I call "feathering". You don't need to fully engage the clutch nor do you have to leave it half-engaged. Just feather the throttle and clutch enough to get the car rolling and then push the clutch back in until you need more momentum.
I think I have this starting from first/reverse thing mostly down. I even backed out of my driveway with the clutch fully engaged today!
Once you get a feel for the sound of the engine it's pretty easy to judge by that how much to apply to each pedal to get rolling. When I was trying to do it solely by looking at rpms, it was usually epic failure time.
I drove it through several fancy neighborhoods... stopping and starting from 1st to get the hang of it. Then I took it on the interstate and made my M-F drive to work. I drove around in the work parking lot (hills, speed bumps galore, etc.), parked, and got myself outta there.
I then took River Road (a really long road that parallels the Mississippi River) back home as I avoid the interstate after work.
I'm much more comfortable in the car now. This was all done with very little traffic, however. I might head in to work early tomorrow to avoid traffic or take it out later today when the traffic kicks up a bit.
I'm right at home going through the gears. I blame Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport, and Enthusia. If you are planning on picking up a manual, try one in a racing simulation video game for a while. You'll quickly learn at least the basic principles of how the tachometer, engine sound, and speedometer match up. You won't learn to actually shift with a clutch (unless you get one of those REALLY expensive Logitech wheels), but you'll learn how to utilize gears. Of course, you won't be WOT and shifting at the redline in real life (at least I hope not).
Once you get a feel for the sound of the engine it's pretty easy to judge by that how much to apply to each pedal to get rolling. When I was trying to do it solely by looking at rpms, it was usually epic failure time.
I drove it through several fancy neighborhoods... stopping and starting from 1st to get the hang of it. Then I took it on the interstate and made my M-F drive to work. I drove around in the work parking lot (hills, speed bumps galore, etc.), parked, and got myself outta there.
I then took River Road (a really long road that parallels the Mississippi River) back home as I avoid the interstate after work.
I'm much more comfortable in the car now. This was all done with very little traffic, however. I might head in to work early tomorrow to avoid traffic or take it out later today when the traffic kicks up a bit.
I'm right at home going through the gears. I blame Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport, and Enthusia. If you are planning on picking up a manual, try one in a racing simulation video game for a while. You'll quickly learn at least the basic principles of how the tachometer, engine sound, and speedometer match up. You won't learn to actually shift with a clutch (unless you get one of those REALLY expensive Logitech wheels), but you'll learn how to utilize gears. Of course, you won't be WOT and shifting at the redline in real life (at least I hope not).
So some days my 1-2 shift is smooth and some days I can't seem to do it without bucking a bit. I think it depends on several factors including what shoes I'm wearing.
I'm starting to come to the conclusion that there's no way to launch a car in 1st without stressing the transmission quite a bit. At least not a powerful FWD car like my MS3.
I'm starting to come to the conclusion that there's no way to launch a car in 1st without stressing the transmission quite a bit. At least not a powerful FWD car like my MS3.
transmission? or do you mean clutch. The clutch is a wear and tear part so it is designed for you to gently slip it out just like your brake pads are designed to rub against your rotors.
How much you let the clutch slip and at what RPM is what determines how long the clutch will last. For most Mazdas you need at least 2K-2.5K RPM on the tach before letting out the clutch for a gentle start. If you are revving to 3+K RPM all the time and then letting the clutch out you are giving it too much gas.
How much you let the clutch slip and at what RPM is what determines how long the clutch will last. For most Mazdas you need at least 2K-2.5K RPM on the tach before letting out the clutch for a gentle start. If you are revving to 3+K RPM all the time and then letting the clutch out you are giving it too much gas.
I generally shift at around 2500 - 3000. I'm not sure what I'm stressing when the car bucks, but I'm assuming it's the whole drivetrain. I think I'm just giving it too much gas when I shift up to 2nd. I should practice easing out on the clutch after rev-matching to about 2000 to 2500 rpms.
My 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, 4-6, and 5-6 shifts are usually buttery smooth. Likewise with 6-5 and even 6-4 downshifts.
My 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, 4-6, and 5-6 shifts are usually buttery smooth. Likewise with 6-5 and even 6-4 downshifts.
I'm starting to come to the conclusion that there's no way to launch a car in 1st without stressing the transmission quite a bit. At least not a powerful FWD car like my MS3.
Oh, stop bragging.... (lol)
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