So, a buddy tried to teach me to drive manual yesterday

[Jon]

Long story short, it didn't go well.

TL;DR version:

He drove us to a church parking lot in a WRX. He explained what I had to do and, I thought I got it. I had no idea the clutch was on the left side...I always thought it was in the middle. Anyway, stalled first couple times.

The part I'm not getting is flooring the clutch and giving it a tiny bit of gas. To me, it feels very unnatural. It'd make more sense if you could have the clutch in sorta in the middle.

I was able to get it into first without stalling (didn't sound very smooth) then, he tried to get me to go into second. Sounded easy enough. However, I didn't quite have the feel of where 2nd was and shifted right into neutral...RPMs went up to 7000 and I stalled again.

We went through all the gears (in park) so I could get a better feel. It felt to me like when you shift into 2nd, you have to pull the shift lever left AND down simultaneously, not just straight down. It's difficult to describe but, as I was trying to shift into 2nd, (by pulling straight down) that the shift lever was pulling a little to the right on its own.

I was eventually able to get it into 2nd before stalling again.

Anyway, after about 20 minutes, he decided to leave because a cop had pulled into an adjacent lot and some old lady parked in the one we were at.

I'm not for giving up but, right now, it seems pretty hopeless...unless I want to spend big money on a driving school to learn manual from scratch.

He actually suggested I get one of those steering wheels for PS3 to practice on Gran Tourismo...just to get the feel down, if anything. BTW, almost every one of them is pushing $300...at least the ones with the clutch/pedals. They are very rare in the area I live in, too.

Advice/help would be appreciated.

Jon

 

[Rot]

It's harder to learn once you initially trained up on an Automatic car Jon pal...

...That's why I started my lessons on stick gear cars only...

I've been driving them so long It's just natural now...

There is no real secret... it's just a matter of practice and confidence...

xROTx

PS. What you may find useful... is the fact that you should practice in a car you feel COMFORTABLE in... I mean... depends what size your feet are and how long your legs...

SMALL car... large body = not ideal

EDIT: OH... the "clutch" is also important... some clutches are softer and some harder... hence, the "bite" when the gears go in place is different for each car...

I'd suggest finding which one suits you more...

EXTRA EDIT: I tend to keep my foot on the clutch semi-depressed... just above the bite... unless it's a straight road and then I can just just let the gear and car do the driving...

 

[Jon]

It's harder to learn once you initially trained up on an Automatic car Jon pal...

...That's why I started my lessons on stick gear cars only...

I've been driving them so long It's just natural now...

There is no real secret... it's just a matter of practice and confidence...

xROTx

PS. What you may find useful... is the fact that you should practice in a car you feel COMFORTABLE in... I mean... depends what size your feet are and how long your legs...

SMALL car... large body = not ideal

Well, the other problem is that not too many of my friends, at least locally, even have a manual to begin with. The guy I'm talking about lives over an hour away in Columbus.

BTW, I could not imagine learning manual on my first car. It was an '85 Toyota Tercel with no power steering...

Jon

 

[Rot]

Well, the other problem is that not too many of my friends, at least locally, even have a manual to begin with. The guy I'm talking about lives over an hour away in Columbus.

BTW, I could not imagine learning manual on my first car. It was an '85 Toyota Tercel with no power steering...

Jon

That's sorta sucky... mmhh... I can't help you there then...

But I found this: https://axleaddict.com/safety/Easiest-Way-to-Learn-How-to-Drive-Manual

xROTx

PS. Good luck man!!!

 

[aha2940]

It's harder to learn once you initially trained up on an Automatic car Jon pal...

...That's why I started my lessons on stick gear cars only...

I've been driving them so long It's just natural now...

There is no real secret... it's just a matter of practice and confidence...

xROTx

PS. What you may find useful... is the fact that you should practice in a car you feel COMFORTABLE in... I mean... depends what size your feet are and how long your legs...

SMALL car... large body = not ideal

EDIT: OH... the "clutch" is also important... some clutches are softer and some harder... hence, the "bite" when the gears go in place is different for each car...

I'd suggest finding which one suits you more...

EXTRA EDIT: I tend to keep my foot on the clutch semi-depressed... just above the bite... unless it's a straight road and then I can just just let the gear and car do the driving...

This. I also learned to drive on stick gear car (because they are way more popular than automatics down here) but now I drive an automatic. Totally love the auto, but gotta admit that knowing how to drive stick is useful. You never know when you may get a classic Ferrari or Lambo

A trick I used when learning to drive: with the car stopped, put the clutch to the floor, then put first gear. Start to raise your foot from the clutch slowly, and there will be a moment when you feel the car tries to move. It may shake a bit or something, but it won't shutdown the engine. At that moment, you start pressing the gas pedal, while continue to lower pressure on the clutch pedal. The car should start moving with no issue. Practice makes perfect, of course. Hope I made the directions understandable

Regards.

 

[SouthtownKid]

Long story short, it didn't go well.

TL;DR version:

He drove us to a church parking lot in a WRX. He explained what I had to do and, I thought I got it. I had no idea the clutch was on the left side...I always thought it was in the middle.

What the fuck sense would that make? You know you are supposed to do the accelerator and brake with the same foot, right? RIGHT? So you thought you would cross your legs to hit the clutch while you are breaking? Mother of all creatures great and small.

Anyways, my advice would be to keep at it, because I do not think it is legal to possess testicles beyond age 20 if you don't know how to drive stick shift. Somehow, you have escaped notice of the law so far, but I would not rely on luck for something so important.

 

[StevenK]

Long story short, it didn't go well.

TL;DR version:

He drove us to a church parking lot in a WRX. He explained what I had to do and, I thought I got it. I had no idea the clutch was on the left side...I always thought it was in the middle. Anyway, stalled first couple times.

The part I'm not getting is flooring the clutch and giving it a tiny bit of gas. To me, it feels very unnatural. It'd make more sense if you could have the clutch in sorta in the middle.

I was able to get it into first without stalling (didn't sound very smooth) then, he tried to get me to go into second. Sounded easy enough. However, I didn't quite have the feel of where 2nd was and shifted right into neutral...RPMs went up to 7000 and I stalled again.

We went through all the gears (in park) so I could get a better feel. It felt to me like when you shift into 2nd, you have to pull the shift lever left AND down simultaneously, not just straight down. It's difficult to describe but, as I was trying to shift into 2nd, (by pulling straight down) that the shift lever was pulling a little to the right on its own.

I was eventually able to get it into 2nd before stalling again.

Anyway, after about 20 minutes, he decided to leave because a cop had pulled into an adjacent lot and some old lady parked in the one we were at.

I'm not for giving up but, right now, it seems pretty hopeless...unless I want to spend big money on a driving school to learn manual from scratch.

He actually suggested I get one of those steering wheels for PS3 to practice on Gran Tourismo...just to get the feel down, if anything. BTW, almost every one of them is pushing $300...at least the ones with the clutch/pedals. They are very rare in the area I live in, too.

Advice/help would be appreciated.

Jon

The pulling to the right of the gear stick you thought you were feeling is correct - they are supposed to naturally drag back to the centre so first to second is actually down and left just like you say. It's just that its such a light left people who drive regularly might forget it's actually doing it.

Another tip to learn clutch control - if you're very careful on the clutch you can go from neutral, into first, into second etc etc without ever even touching the gas, as long as you're on flat ground. Give that a try.

Last thing is I drove manual for the first ten years I drove and had this idea in my head that auto was for girls. First time I had an auto as a hire car I thought this is great, fuck manuals, and haven't bothered with them since. In short, you're not missing much.

 

[Jon]

Last thing is I drove manual for the first ten years I drove and had this idea in my head that auto was for girls. First time I had an auto as a hire car I thought this is great, fuck manuals, and haven't bothered with them since. In short, you're not missing much.

Yeah, I get that. I just feel I need an upgrade. Something faster than what I have now that I'll keep for a long time. I drive a '13 Auto Veloster Turbo right now...it's a dog, BTW. Headlights suck (I do mostly night/morning driving, too), ride is terrible.

Don't get me wrong, out of all the cars that Hyundai makes, it's probably the best looking. Great interior, too.

Jon

 

[suicidekiller]

I never understand people wanna drive cars with automatic gear shift. Its so much more fun with a manual shift. So good luck on your training OP! You will like it to rev up the engine in first gear to 6,000rpm without having some dumb tool shifting to second gear at 2,000rpm already

 

[Jon]

I never understand people wanna drive cars with automatic gear shift. Its so much more fun with a manual shift. So good luck on your training OP! You will like it to rev up the engine in first gear to 6,000rpm without having some dumb tool shifting to second gear at 2,000rpm already

The one nice thing about my car is you actually can drive it in "manual-matic" mode by pulling the shift lever to the right and either hitting the paddle shifter down or, the shift lever. It's really not meant to be driven this way, though.

Jon

 

[norton9478]

The way I taught my GF to drive stick (who also didn't know how to drive) was to start out going downhill. It is probably the easiest way. then we worked mostly on gradual downhill slopes.

Then we moved to flat ground. Then after a while of doing all downhill and flat, we started doing some hills.

 

[ResO]

Do the exact opposite with each foot, that worked for me when I kept stalling at the beginning. You depress the clutch, start car. Release the clutch progressively as you are progressively giving it more gas. Hope the makes sense and helps.

 

[NeoGeoNinja]

The grass is always greener, and all that.

Here in the UK, Manual is considered the 'norm'. However, this is an instance where I do believe the US has it right. In a universe where we're supposed to be constantly moving forwards as an evolving race, Auto makes more sense to me as the norm, with Manual as the enthusiasts choice. Makes sense.

I only passed my test in late 13 (in my early 30's) and, having wrestled with Manual my whole time in my lessons, I really thought that I couldn't wait to jump into an AUTO, pronto. However, a couple of years on and Manual is more than natural to me and, I'd say, adds to the driving experience overall. Even in a shitty y2000 2L hatchback Peugeot 206 like mine (baller status confirmed). Although, I'll admit, I'm now eying other cars up and the thought of an AUTO, out of curiosity, is tempting...

 

[SudoShinji]

Treat the clutch like it's an egg and release it smoothly and gently while giving it just a bit of gas. After 1st you can switch to all other gears without touching the gas if you get your rpm up to 2 or 3 and just smoothly transition. I would go insane if I had to drive an automatic everyday.

 

[BladeDancer314]

This thread makes me sad.

 

[cdamm]

Treat the clutch like it's an egg and release it smoothly and gently while giving it just a bit of gas. After 1st you can switch to all other gears without touching the gas if you get your rpm up to 2 or 3 and just smoothly transition. I would go insane if I had to drive an automatic everyday.

good advice here.

more advice: get a shitty 80's beater with a stick for under $1k to practice with. when you have the timing down, sell it for what you paid for. This is a better option than chewing up the clutch in your buddies wrx.

 

[Karou]

I think a wrx would probably have pretty tight tolerances, hence more stalling unless you are 'sure'?

isn't 'riding' the clutch wrong? bad for something?
when I'm exhausted and trying to get into fourth from fifth I'll still hit reverse a bit like once or twice a year

getting into other gears should be easier after second??? if you can take off smooth in first you should be more than halfway there? except considering hills especially ones you have to stop on!

 

[famicommander]

My first car was a 1976 Toyota Chinook camper. Manual transmission, no power steering, rear wheel drive, no anti-lock brakes, a blind spot the size of Texas.

Learning to park that thing was a bitch.

 

[BladeDancer314]

I think a wrx would probably have pretty tight tolerances, hence more stalling unless you are 'sure'?

isn't 'riding' the clutch wrong? bad for something?
when I'm exhausted and trying to get into fourth from fifth I'll still hit reverse a bit like once or twice a year

getting into other gears should be easier after second??? if you can take off smooth in first you should be more than halfway there? except considering hills especially ones you have to stop on!

You're so full of shit

 

[Heinz]

I learnt driving manual first, manual all the way any damn day. That is however unless the car has a super heavy clutch, that shit is hell in traffic.

@karou I ride the clutch on hills, stuff that handbrake shit. Worried about your clutch plate!? please...

 

[Renmauzo]

A WRX is a difficult car to start with, with an aggressive clutch and low grab point. Cdamm's suggestion of a shitty beater to learn on is a good idea, and are generally much more forgiving with the grab point due to age/wear/non-performance spec. I hope you stick with it Jon, it feels great to have more control over your driving experience, especially if that is something that interests you.
It's funny, I've driven stick for so long that on the first day I rented a car (and all they had were automatics) while mine was in for tuning, every now and again I would phantom press a clutch that wasn't there and go to shift when there was no shifter. You'll find that while right now it seems daunting and awkward, eventually it becomes second nature.

Good luck Jon!

 

[Endlessnameless]

I was first taught how to drive on a manual but never truly got the hang of it, then my first car was an old toyota corolla which was an automatic. So I have completely forgotten how to drive stick. Trying to get my father in law to teach me but he lives an hour a way and our schedules don't quite match up. IMO if you live in an urban environment with a lot of stop and go traffic a stick is impractical. However I do believe it is one of those life skills that is handy to know.

 

[cdamm]

I was first taught how to drive on a manual but never truly got the hang of it, then my first car was an old toyota corolla which was an automatic. So I have completely forgotten how to drive stick. Trying to get my father in law to teach me but he lives an hour a way and our schedules don't quite match up. IMO if you live in an urban environment with a lot of stop and go traffic a stick is impractical. However I do believe it is one of those life skills that is handy to know.

you never truly forget. you just sort of pick it back up if it's been a while. it's like falling off a bike.

 

[sylvie]

i learned to drive stick briefly after my first car ate the dust, I got a '91 Z24 that was beat to all hell and I loved it. I learned how to drive stick and it was really fun, but the car got fucked up like a day after I learned and it wasn't worth fixing

 

[Karou]

You're so full of shit

go on???

A WRX is a difficult car to start with, with an aggressive clutch and low grab point. Cdamm's suggestion of a shitty beater to learn on is a good idea, and are generally much more forgiving with the grab point due to age/wear/non-performance spec. I hope you stick with it Jon, it feels great to have more control over your driving experience, especially if that is something that interests you.
It's funny, I've driven stick for so long that on the first day I rented a car (and all they had were automatics) while mine was in for tuning, every now and again I would phantom press a clutch that wasn't there and go to shift when there was no shifter. You'll find that while right now it seems daunting and awkward, eventually it becomes second nature.

Good luck Jon!

@karou I ride the clutch on hills, stuff that handbrake shit. Worried about your clutch plate!? please...

I don't know, I just heard ''riding the clutch is wrong'' I don't let it all the way out on hills either...also use more rpms so it goes?

I never said I was an expert???just tried to give the guy some encouragement ? geez!!! so hills and stop and go in a manual...and not grinding on reverse if he does hit the highway don't get consideration?


isn't there more 'room' after second? I drove a dump truck once and the hardest thing was starting then progressively less stress is what I remember?