Whooo hooO! Im getting better at a manual tranni

[mrlindeman]

Yes I know im 22 and just now learning how to drive a stick. haha.

But im getting better. The onlything is im having trouble getting over the anxiety of it. I feel like im learning how to drive period, all over again.

I need to practice my hill grabs. When im stopped on a hill at a light I freak and stall. Im afraid of rolling to far and crunching into the person behind me . Any pointers? Im pretty familier with my clutch engagement point now. :shock: :)

[trdmkii]

one thing that helps on hills....this is what i was told...is to put on your e-brake, then as you start to move release it

[CJSREDPRA]

E-brake method is what you need to use.... Make sure you pull up hard... Look off to the side @ the pavement. If the pavement is moving (ie: the car is going backwards), you didn't pull up hard enough.

The key to this, is to learn where your gas/clutch point starts to engage, then it's time to release the e-brake. And making sure that you give enough gas, so that you don't kill the motor.

Best place to practice, is in a empty parking lot (if possible), driveway or on a street/hill that is not every crowded...

However, if you DO NOT have a functioning e-brake, or it's way out of adjustment, DO NOT practice this on a busy hill!!!!! The person behind you is going to be VERY IRATE @ you when you roll back into their bumper. Example: 8 years ago on a busy steep downtown hill, I had some stupid woman (in a Plymouth Horizon) who did NOT know how to use the e-brake AT ALL, have "problems" starting on a hill. Basically it was too much gas & not enough clutch.. Long story short..... She basically rolled back into me FOUR TIMES!!!! 2nd & 3rd time, I was able to roll back 1 - 1/2 car lengths (thought this would have been more than enough room), and she STILL rolled all the way back into my bumper. 4th time, I backed up 1 1/2 - 2 car lengths...... that was STILL NOT enough room for her & she rolled back into my bumper again :mad: . 5th time, I could not roll back any further (someone was behind me by then), she finally figured it out, but I was able to time it where I was able to move over to the next lane & drove around her. Needless to say, I flipped her off as I drove past her...

Lesson:....... If you DON'T have this down yet, AVOID steep hills, or ANY hill, until you can safely start on a hill w/o backing into someone's bumper.

(Seattle has lots o steep hills, esp downtown Seattle, so I got lots of practice. I've not backed into anybody's bumper the entire time I've driven a manual).

[Tanya]

wow I never even heard about the e-brake method until now, haha
I learned by figuring out the clutch/gas point.
I'm stil not perfect, if I'm on a steep hill, i may roll back about a foot before taking off. But if anyone is dumb enough to be a foot away from my bumper, it will be there fault for creeping up my ass.
It's different when they're farther away though.
It will just take a lot of time and practice, I used to FREAK out when I stalled the engine and I'm still new, learned to drive stick in a '84 Celi GTS when I was 19, but the car went away before I really drove it in the public. Then I got my 1st Supra and basically taught myself how to drive in public.
good luck

[Donn29]

ive used the ebrake for a while now my step dad showed my when he taught me stick in his 99 civic 4 door. i use it now in my 97 suzuki swift, but it shuts the dtrs off... but its pretty easy to start off with out it. timing is key

[supra_toy]

I've use the ebrake on the most extream of hills from a dead stop but most of the time (99%) I can just float the clutch and the gas and just sit there. If I have to sit at a light for example and its going to be more than a coupple of seconds I rev the engine up a little before I let up of the break and engage the clutch that keep the car from rolling back. Sometimes when I bored i "rock" the car back and forth seems to keep people from crawling up my a$$ too :roll: :lol:

will

[CELICA GTS]

Very simple...drive to San Franscisco and practice on those hills...hahha

[BillyM]

I've use the ebrake on the most extream of hills from a dead stop but most of the time (99%) I can just float the clutch and the gas and just sit there. If I have to sit at a light for example and its going to be more than a coupple of seconds I rev the engine up a little before I let up of the break and engage the clutch that keep the car from rolling back. Sometimes when I bored i "rock" the car back and forth seems to keep people from crawling up my a$$ too :roll: :lol:

will

Ow! You just kicked your clutch in the freakin nuts man...

--BillyM

(If I can give one bit of advice for driving a manual tranny-d car, "commit to the shift" clutch-out gas-in at the same time, if it jerks foreward, gas later, if it jerks back, clutch later. You will figure it out.)

[CJSREDPRA]

I'm stil not perfect, if I'm on a steep hill, i may roll back about a foot before taking off. But if anyone is dumb enough to be a foot away from my bumper, it will be there fault for creeping up my ass.

Guess again......... :shock:

If enough damage is done to the car behind you upon impact, it is your fault because you were not in control of your car (ie: preventing it from rolling back). Esp if the hill is steep enough & if you rolled back too fast & caused damage. If anything, the car should NOT roll back at all if done right w/ the e-brake. Start practicing those e-brake starts!!!!!

[CJSREDPRA]

I've use the ebrake on the most extream of hills from a dead stop but most of the time (99%) I can just float the clutch and the gas and just sit there. If I have to sit at a light for example and its going to be more than a coupple of seconds I rev the engine up a little before I let up of the break and engage the clutch that keep the car from rolling back. Sometimes when I bored i "rock" the car back and forth seems to keep people from crawling up my a$$ too :roll: :lol:

will

Ow! You just kicked your clutch in the freakin nuts man...

--BillyM

(If I can give one bit of advice for driving a manual tranny-d car, "commit to the shift" clutch-out gas-in at the same time, if it jerks foreward, gas later, if it jerks back, clutch later. You will figure it out.)

Yep, bye bye clutch lining material. You just shortened the lifespan of the pressure plate lining material... Continously slipping the clutch on a hill is NOT a good thing!!!

[trdmkii]

lol...i think thats how you wear out a clutch in a few thousand miles...I know a kid who ruined his clutch on his car in 8k...lol

[Tanya]

well, again, not everyone is perfect. I know people who've been driving stick far longer than me that still roll the car back a few inches
And I seriously don't think a 2mph bump will do any "serious" damage to anything, lol except maybe a ladybug

I've also "floated" the clutch as well, I've never lost a clutch yet... installed a used clutch from William with my new engine, but the clutch I got with the car I had driven over 32,000 miles on
*shrug*

[canadian_psyko]

Gas on the floor, dump clutch. :P
Not good for anything (blown diff's in the Celica, way too many tires), but fun....
The first standard vehicle I had was a 4 speed s10. I taught almost everybody I knew to rive standard on that....
At first I used to slip the clutch a lot, but the more I drive, the less it happened.

[supra_toy]

I think you misunderstand. I've been driving a clutch car for a long time and have never had abnormal clutch problems.
When I say "just sit there" I mean sit there the instant before I take off not sit there as in just floating the clutch continuously rather than using the break (wheather using the e-break or feathering from the break and gas pedal).

will

[Nick O]

if I'm on a hill and need to be sure I don't stall out (I have no ebrake), I just ease up on the clutch with the brake depressed, until I see the rpms go a little below 1000, then I know the car will move forward and I can accelerate from there.

[canadian_psyko]

The only thing I ever do by rpm is troubleshooting and max acceleration.
Everything basicly by feel.

[Donn29]

same here but its a bit harder to tell when the cluck is engagued(???) in my swift the clucth is a manuel and u get a lot of feedback from it. itll tell u how much the engine and tranny are together. id almost like to put a cable clutch on my supra