newbie 5 speed driver

[forreal]

Hey guys i love my new car but im having some problems driving it. I can drive it now but im not good at it. I need help with starting from uphill, and for some reason i keep holding down the clutch too long, but if i ease off like a lil earlier my car jerks and stalls. Any tips/suggestions?
thanks guys

[Mr. Burns]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

practice, practice, and more practice.

[forreal]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

practice, practice, and more practice.

i do man but its been a week, im starting to wonder if i never get the hang of it?? i apperciate the quick replies thanks

[Kor]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

Hey guys i love my new car but im having some problems driving it. I can drive it now but im not good at it. I need help with starting from uphill, and for some reason i keep holding down the clutch too long, but if i ease off like a lil earlier my car jerks and stalls. I know theres nothing wrong wiht the clutch because my dad can drive it perfectly fine. Any tips/suggestions?
thanks guys

Yes I learned to drive 5 speed manual on my jetta too. I stalled for about the first 2 days regularly and the first month on and off. Practice!

The trick is to increase the throttle slowly as you slowly let out the clutch, you have to do them at the same time not one and then the other.

You can try doing it barefoot, that helps, because you can feel from the vibrations when the clutch is engaging.

When you are "easing off" I would guess you are still raising your foot too fast. You really have to raise it slow even once you feel it engaging or even when the car starts to go [b]that doesnt mean you can lift any faster, keep lifting slow [b]. I had trouble with this because my left foot wasnt very coordinated because for all my life I had never used it while driving!

[forreal]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

Yes I learned to drive 5 speed manual on my jetta too. I stalled for about the first 2 days regularly and the first month on and off. Practice!

The trick is to increase the throttle slowly as you slowly let out the clutch, you have to do them at the same time not one and then the other.

You can try doing it barefoot, that helps, because you can feel from the vibrations when the clutch is engaging.

When you are "easing off" I would guess you are still raising your foot too fast. You really have to raise it slow even once you feel it engaging that doesnt mean you can lift any faster. I had trouble with this because my left foot wasnt very coordinated because for all my life I had never used it while driving!

oh wow i never knew about the barefoot thing, ill give it a try next time i drive..again thanks for the quick replies

[Kor]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

You can also try giving it a little more gas, of course that is not the best solution but the car is less likely to stall if you are on the throttle a little when you start letting out the clutch.

Oh one other thing that helped me... when i used to drive an automatic I liked my seat way back so I was lounging, its WAY easier to operate a manual when your seat is about as close as you can get it without being uncomfortable.

[forreal]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

You can also try giving it a little more gas, of course that is not the best solution but the car is less likely to stall if you are on the throttle a little when you start letting out the clutch.

Oh one other thing that helped me... when i used to drive an automatic I liked my seat way back so I was lounging, its WAY easier to operate a manual when your seat is about as close as you can get it without being uncomfortable.

yeah i noticed that too that i have to put my seat like way further up then i do in an automatic...i wanna try that barefoot thing but my dad took my car thanks for the tips

[Mefro]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

Practice is all you need. I bet we all felt at some point we'd never get it. All it took was some too adapt to using the left foot. The hill thing you'll learn once you figure out the point when clutches engage, then its just adjusting with the gas. If you get on a hill and cant figure it out and there are people behind you. Pull your e brake. Then rev it up dump the clutch and let the e brake down.

[Lars]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

Go for a drive to a back road and practice Ive taught 3-4 people how to drive a stick but all it really takes is proper coordination with the pedals and dont rest your foot on the clutch All the way on or All the way off!! I had to relearn how to drive again last winter I was a bit jerky for the first week or so but got better very quick

[forkdork]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

I learned in a neighborhood that was all under construction at the time. Look for those, in the one I learned in there was even a hill so I got all the practice I needed without having to worry about getting in the way of anyone. Theres also turns etc so you can practice those too.

I also sat as close as possible (like right against the steering wheel ) which helped alot too.

[RONDAL]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

imagine swimming with flippers and how you kick your feet. 1 goes down as the other comes up. you want to do it in a fluid motion and find the spot where the clutch starts to pick up.

in all honesty to learn this going in reverse is the easiest way.

[Davetronz]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

I learned in a neighborhood that was all under construction at the time. Look for those, in the one I learned in there was even a hill so I got all the practice I needed without having to worry about getting in the way of anyone. Theres also turns etc so you can practice those too.

I also sat as close as possible (like right against the steering wheel ) which helped alot too.

I did the exact same thing minus the sitting as close as possible to the wheel...

[aussiefishy]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

maybe i can share my little experience.. just to help out newbies

first are u ok with just upshift and downshift on the flat surface roads? i learnt my skill from a amateur autocross driver so i might not be correct... i first learn to read the rpm. step on gas and of course the rpm increases, watch and practice you throttle. when you step ON the rpm goes 1,2 ,3 ,4000 rpm, then falls right? when it falls to from 3500ish to about 2500ish that is when i START release clutch.

2, feel the touchpoint on clutch that is when the clutch engage. you may need to stall a few times, but it is better to have someone with you so that they can restart and tune-back the car for you to practice... you can feel when you reach the touch point the clutch has a slight vibe to it, that is the same time when you car starts to roll. (you may need to have a thin-sole shoes to feel this. i get my first feel with bare foot.

3. right at the touch point start slow thorttle, but keep your feet on the clutch at the touch point (similar to the siimming feet analogy, where the geometry on the feet are flat side by side) at that point what you are really doing is to let the engine's power to be transfer to the wheels, if you release the clutch too fast you will stall (hense why we suggest you to have heavier thorttle)

4.when you feel your car is moving, release clutch from touch point to end --- this can be done faster pace that from end point to touch point

just a 4 step easy pecy for you. i practice my heeltoe and smoothness at edgemont, a circular route with a stop sign on a slight uphill position so you can pracetice you release when on uphill.

doing the uphill thing is simple once you get the basics, but as my friend taught me, basics are most improtant.

you can do 2 dirrerent styles

1. this is for beginners, you use your hand brake as you brake, so left hand on steering, gear already on first, step on clutch, right hand on parking brake, right leg be ready for throttle. do all the steps above until step 2 1/2.
at the point where you feel the car starts gaining power, release the handbrake slowly, and release the clutch from step 3 slower than usual.

2. for experienced , you put heavier throttle and apporach your touch point on clutch faster, then release as uaual.

i do not race for a living and i take good care of my clutch. so this is my opinions on how to do this. hope it helps! also you can PM me i am more than happy to be your passenger!! (of course this board have a lot more members that are much, much more experienced than i do. )


Cheers
Eric

[bart]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

use your handbrake on hills like he said above, pull it to the point where your car will not roll back. then at that point, just pretend its on a flat surface, and try to start taking off, as if the handbrake is off, it will be a little tougher, but once it starts rolling up the hill, just take the handbrake off.

whatever you do, no matter when taking off from a stop, dont rev it to like 2-3k, thats not necessary, i wonder why people complain about clutch slip later

learn to engage the clutch without the gas on flat sections, once its completely engaged and you take your foot off it, then push the gas down.

if you are racing, well thats a different story.

[apoh]

Re: newbie 5 speed driver

i learnt how to drive stick on my corrado. my experience has been that it's easier to learn how to drive standard on a japanese car like a honda or mazda because their clutches are lighter, which makes it easier to feather in.

also the handbrake idea is a good one. useful when you're stopped on a hill and don't want to roll back onto the fool who came too close behind you.. just remember to push the button in and hold it there.

don't give up. keep practicing and soon you'll get it!