Learning to drive a manual

[ILLaViTaR]

Knowing that my current auto is shagged I'm wanting to replace it with a manual.
Problem is I have my auto license so I have to get the condition taken off it by re sitting the license test in a manual car.
Yesterday my mate was drunk so I had to drive him home in his heavy clutch 5speed VL and didn't have any problems.
But I'm going to get 3 lessons or beforehand. I just got a few little questions regarding how to drive them (Some might be hard to understand).

When I was in reverse in his car with the clutch fully "up" his reverse was rather fast, Once at friction point the more I bring the clutch up the faster it went in reverse. So should I bring the clutch completely up (engaged?) and then use the brake to control my reversing speed like in my auto, or do I reverse with the clutch say 4/5s up/use the clutch to control my speed?

When changing gears do I completely take my foot off the accelerator and only reapply my foot to the accelerator after I have fully engaged the next gear?

Again with gear changes if I bring the clutch up too fast will it stall? (I know this is the case on takeoff).

When slowing to a stop from even 5th gear my old instructor (I had 2 manual lessons in the past) taught me to down gear form 5th>4th>3rd>2nd>1st>then clutch in at stop. On my mates car you can just leave it in 5th until you need to put the clutch in at 3kmph or something like that . Which way is the right way?

Everything else I'm pretty solid on from my previous lessons and logic.

[Buddy 1]

Ya Joking right?

It is all common sense & everyone should know answers to the questions you have asked, use your feet & brain at the same time & it is easy :P

And YOU had 2 lessons from a teacher, more than I had & I started Driving a manual with no help when I was 12 lol

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

When I was in reverse in his car with the clutch fully "up" his reverse was rather fast, Once at friction point the more I bring the clutch up the faster it went in reverse. So should I bring the clutch completely up (engaged?) and then use the brake to control my reversing speed like in my auto, or do I reverse with the clutch say 4/5s up/use the clutch to control my speed?

Dont 'ride' the clutch, it should be fully out, just dont accelerate.

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

When changing gears do I completely take my foot off the accelerator and only reapply my foot to the accelerator after I have fully engaged the next gear?

Completely off the clutch otherwise you'll be riding the clutch which makes nasty smells and eventually cost money replacing it

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

Again with gear changes if I bring the clutch up too fast will it stall? (I know this is the case on takeoff).

You'll only stall on take off

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

When slowing to a stop from even 5th gear my old instructor (I had 2 manual lessons in the past) taught me to down gear form 5th>4th>3rd>2nd>1st>then clutch in at stop. On my mates car you can just leave it in 5th until you need to put the clutch in at 3kmph or something like that . Which way is the right way?

I dont know as there is a 'right' way. Just make sure you're in the right gear for the situation

[ILLaViTaR]

Originally Posted by Buddy 1

Ya Joking right?

It is all common sense & everyone should know answers to the questions you have asked, use your feet & brain at the same time & it is easy :P

And YOU had 2 lessons from a teacher, more than I had & I started Driving a manual with no help when I was 12 lol

I'd rather know the answers without experimenting. I don't want to destroy a friends transmission.

[ILLaViTaR]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Dont 'ride' the clutch, it should be fully out, just dont accelerate.

Completely off the clutch otherwise you'll be riding the clutch which makes nasty smells and eventually cost money replacing it

You'll only stall on take off

I dont know as there is a 'right' way. Just make sure you're in the right gear for the situation

Thanks heaps mate just the answers I was looking for.

With the reverse if I need to go slower do I use the brake or is it basically impossible to reverse slower in a manual?

[DOC]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

Thanks heaps mate just the answers I was looking for.

With the reverse if I need to go slower do I use the brake or is it basically impossible to reverse slower in a manual?

Feather the clutch to engage reverse ( so you start to move back, then its a combo of accelerator / more clutch out to control your reverse.

It is your accelerator that controls the speed in a sense not the clutch, that enables the gear / reverse mode

[Buddy 1]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

Thanks heaps mate just the answers I was looking for.

With the reverse if I need to go slower do I use the brake or is it basically impossible to reverse slower in a manual?

Ha Ha Ha Ha, try using the Brake & Clutch along with less go Pedal to go slower in reverse or turn ya Mates idle down as either his car is idling at 2500 rpm or you are using too much Throttle :P

Or you could try flooring it in reverse & when fast enough swing the steering wheel hard either way & as you do that reef on the Handbrake & as you are sliding into a 180 engage 1st & get ready to floor it when you are facing the direction you wish to travel LMAO

Is what we used to do at your age & in the Wet as well lol

Sorry could not resist

[ILLaViTaR]

Originally Posted by Buddy 1

Ha Ha Ha Ha, try using the Brake & Clutch along with less go Pedal to go slower in reverse or turn ya Mates idle down as either his car is idling at 2500 rpm or you are using too much Throttle :P

Or you could try flooring it in reverse & when fast enough swing the steering wheel hard either way & as you do that reef on the Handbrake & as you are sliding into a 180 engage 1st & get ready to floor it when you are facing the direction you wish to travel LMAO

Is what we used to do at your age & in the Wet as well lol

Sorry could not resist

hahahaha after a stupid experience in the wet I'll never drive dangerously again.

The idle could be a part of it it, I know it idles high I can't remember a figure but it sounds like my car when it's at 1700RPM or so but I doubt it'd be that high lol.

[3vXT]

The gearing for reverse is shorter than the forward gears, so at the same rpm the car will go faster than if would in 1st. It can be tricky sometimes if you are in a car you haven't driven before but most people (men anyway...) work it out pretty quick.

Generally the clutch accelerator thing is exactly the same as taking off in first but a little more sensitive because of the gearing.

Also i'm not sure what everyone else does but personally, i don't shift into first while the car is moving unless i'm trying to get a bark from the exhaust to scare some pedestrians.

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

hahahaha after a stupid experience in the wet I'll never drive dangerously again.

The idle could be a part of it it, I know it idles high I can't remember a figure but it sounds like my car when it's at 1700RPM or so but I doubt it'd be that high lol.

1700rpm in reverse isnt slow, it isnt breakneck speed, but its not slow. You should be able to reverse a distance at idle with no worries clutch fully out and the car doing maybe 5km/h in reverse, depends on diff gearing but if its doing 15 or so without accelerator, then the idle is too high.

Auto has the stall converter, meaning you can brake at idle and the car wont stall. Manual does not, if you use the brake and the car is moving too slowly, the car will try to stall unless you use the clutch. So clearly you need to use the clutch.

Most situations like reversing into a parking spot etc, you dont ride the clutch, you should always avoid riding the clutch as per above reasons of nasty expense. When youd put your foot on the brake in an auto, treat a manual the same but put your left foot on the clutch to take the drive force off the wheels (basically, your foot and the clutch are the stall converter). Just remember when your foots on the clutch, theres no engine drive like an auto has dragging on the brakes with feathered brake, so you use less brake in the manual as its simply rolling.

youll work it out.

[Sloth]

When reversing, you usually just engage it fully with your foot very gently on the accelerator, if you are going too fast, brake and put the clutch pedal in if its going to stall.
If you want to keep the speed slow and more controlled eg, very slow backing out of parking spaces etc, you can sort of ride the clutch a bit (engaging for a second and then disengaging while giving it some gas), but you can wear out the clutch if you keep it at that contact point for too long all the time. The same applies for when driving forward in slow moving traffic.

Yes take your foot right off, but practice a smooth motion when applying throttle again while engaging the clutch, giving it a few revs at the time the clutch engages will make a smoother change.

It won't stall because it can't stall as long as you are moving, but usually if you engage it too fast the change will be a lot rougher.

Changing down through the gears (engine braking), helps slows the car down and puts less strain on the brakes as they're not doing all the work to stop the car. It depends how fast/slow you are going and the situation though, (Sometimes you skip gears, eg. you might be going to slow and changing to 3rd won't do anything so you go straight to 2nd.) I'm usually going slow enough when I reach 2nd then put the clutch in and/or slot into Neutral, and stop.


Just give it a bit of practice though, it will all come naturally soon enough.

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by Sloth

(Sometimes you skip gears, eg. you might be going to slow and changing to 3rd won't do anything so you go straight to 2nd.)

I think the testers like you to use each gear in order, makes it easier for them to keep track, they dont like thinking much.

I think its some idea about constant control of the vehicle or similar, its what I was taught anyway just for the tester, dont go skipping gears.

[Sloth]

Originally Posted by fmc351

I think the testers like you to use each gear in order, makes it easier for them to keep track, they dont like thinking much.

I think its some idea about constant control of the vehicle or similar, its what I was taught anyway just for the tester, dont go skipping gears.

True, true. My mistake, I wasn't thinking in a test scenario, more my own habits. They do watch everything very closely so ILLaViTaR, ignore what I said or you'll get marked down.

[LPGUTE]

i agree with every thing sloth said but for reversing in a V8 i can just use the cluth without reving but when i drive my LPG 6 i cant. i didnt skip any gears in the test but now i do :

[Rob]

Originally Posted by fmc351

I think the testers like you to use each gear in order, makes it easier for them to keep track, they dont like thinking much.

I think its some idea about constant control of the vehicle or similar, its what I was taught anyway just for the tester, dont go skipping gears.

Yep - they like to see you use each gear, up and down.

After the test, drive how you feel comfortable. A combination of engine braking and conventional brakes, whatever suits the situation.

Example, you wouldn't bother faffing about with selecting 5-4-3-2-1 if you need to pull up hard on the highway from 100kph. Slam on the anchors and depress the clutch, ferk what gear its in.

[MITCHAY]

On the topic of skip shifting, my instructor said that skipping was fine. I could only see it as a problem if you can't do it properly. Spose you could always ask before you proceed?

As for changing gears, if you drop/release the clutch too fast, you can shock the drivetrain. Really depends on how fast and what car you're driving though.

[blueprint babe]

My boyfriend taught me to drive his manual Pursuit 250 (oh yeah I got taught in style!) and while I still havent sat my manual licence (yes I'm slack) I feel quite comfortable driving it.
Tips from me, when reversing as the guys have said gently let the clutch out, braking when necessary and "massaging" the clutch so that the revs dont drop and she doesnt stall.
I have strict instructions NEVER to put the car into first until she is at a complete stop, so for example, I'm in 4th, need to slow down for lights, clutch, 3rd, clutch, 2nd, clutch, brakes to a complte stop then into 1st.
But as the other guys have said, if you need to pull up quickly, brakes and clutch, then whatever gear is necessary but i still dont skip ie while the clutch is in I go from 5th, to 4th, to 3rd etc cos it does syncro damage if you miss the gears for example 5th to 3rd or 4th to 2nd is a big no no, ( at least in my boyfriends books!)
Hope this helps, it feels awkward at first if all youve driven is an auto but it'll soon become second nature and you'll really enjoy it.
I have an auto T3 TS50 now and I wish I had of held off for a manual cos I miss it....

[DoreSlamR]

When you get real good, once the car is moving you won't even need the clutch ;)

[Nostalgia]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

When you get real good, once the car is moving you won't even need the clutch ;)

[Feathers]

You'll get a hundred different answers here, so your best bet is to go and have a couple more runs with a driver trainer.
They can teach you the way things have to be done for the test, and then as you become more comfortable/lazy, you'll work out whats best for yourself, your car and your driving style.

I tend to "feather" the clutch when reversing into parking spots and such.
For the amount of time you spend doing it, I can't see too much of a problem.

I learned and did my driving test in one, because Dad said there was no other way to go.

Then I drove an auto for 5 years, until I bought the BA, and had to remember how to drive a manual quick smart when driving it home from the auction centre in peak hour traffic.

Now I have upgraded to a HR licence on a crash gearbox, and actually feel a little lost when I have to drive autos.

[XCSEDAN]

learn to double clutch and use engine braking instead of brakes
also saves lockups when going down gears if you like to drive hard...

[devilracer_01]

Originally Posted by XCSEDAN

learn to double clutch and use engine braking instead of brakes
also saves lockups when going down gears if you like to drive hard...

You sound like me : I love using a manual to slow the car down rather than the brakes and go the double clutch

[XCSEDAN]

Originally Posted by devilracer_01

You sound like me : I love using a manual to slow the car down rather than the brakes and go the double clutch

yeah i love it, it impresses a lot of people! thing is i learnt cause i had to!! my old 3spd manual box would loose the shifter if i didnt double clutch! (stuffed shifter bushes on the shifter arms)

[XR6_661]

Just drive by feeling with a manual...That's what I do. And remember, slow is smooth...smooth is fast!

[ILLaViTaR]

Originally Posted by XR6_661

Just drive by feeling with a manual...That's what I do. And remember, slow is smooth...smooth is fast!

Yeah that was my strongest point when it came to me driving a manual.
My instructor was really really impressed with my gear changes, but I lacked smoothness at take off. Now due to just plain experience in my auto thought coped fine with it yesterday.

[XR6_661]

I find that locating the rev limiter and dropping the clutch works well with take offs.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by XR6_661

I find that locating the rev limiter and dropping the clutch works well with take offs.

If replacing tyres is your favourite pastime. Each to their own I suppose

[3vXT]

Originally Posted by XR6_661

I find that locating the rev limiter and dropping the clutch works well with take offs.

I witnessed an old lady reverse park a car like that once. She was some kind of crazy

[eb91xr6]

when taking off just rev it up to redline and let go of the clutch then you wont stall it.

WARNING it my leave rubber

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by XCSEDAN

learn to double clutch and use engine braking instead of brakes
also saves lockups when going down gears if you like to drive hard...

What exactly is double clutch(ing)?