one step closer:learning to drive stick

[LazyAzzAzian]

im planning to get a si sometime this month, and i just recently learning to drive stick, just wanted to know any tips that might be helpful for a beginner. i know this is kinda broad...but anything would help, do you think the si would be easy to get use to and what do you recommend doing to get a smoother start into 1st
sorry for the huge post, but thanks for your help

[civic hatch boi]

i think our Si is the easier stick to drive. the clutch and gears are sooo smooth.. i learned on my friend's 99si.. his clutch was very rough and not smooth.. u'll love our car welcome :)

[punkdork]

My biggest problem was trying to let the clutch out at a constant speed. Once it starts to grip let it slip for a bit before releasing futher. Other than that... its all about experience. Try to keep your foot off the clutch as much as possible. Learn when you can brake without downshifting, etc.

[efcee]

someone post the abc's and D's about shifting manual
how to start
how to accel and upshift
downshifting when to
stopping
etc anything all of it woo

[punkdork]

Originally posted by efcee
someone post the abc's and D's about shifting manual
how to start
how to accel and upshift
downshifting when to
stopping
etc anything all of it woo

Uhh... I'll try.

This is my style. By no means is it the ONLY way to drive stick.

Starting the car:
clutch depressed
ebrake on
Gearshift in neutral
Turn the key. Whee!

Starting moving:
clutch depressed
right foot on brake
put it in first
bring the rpms up to 1000-1500 ish
let the clutch out slowly
as it starts to catch, give it more gas to keep the rpms level at 1000-1500
if it starts to die, PUT IN THE CLUTCH
once you're rolling, keep steadily applying the gas and release the clutch pedal

Upshifting
release gas
depress clutch
select gear
release clutch and resume gas

downshifting:
let off gas
depress clutch
select gear
bring the revs up to a little higher than they were before shifting
release clutch (GENTLY untill you know what you're doing)

Stopping:
push in clutch and depress brake

[efcee]

i heard something like your not supposed shift into 1st or something

[punkdork]

Originally posted by efcee
i heard something like your not supposed shift into 1st or something

In what circumstance?

[efcee]

i dont remember i think it was stopping or some type of slowing down

and where is neutral just not in any gear? with the shifter in the middle...?

[MagusDC5]

Dont mis-shift!!!! Even after you're comfortable, dont think you are! Trust me on this one!!

[punkdork]

Originally posted by efcee
i dont remember i think it was stopping or some type of slowing down

and where is neutral just not in any gear? with the shifter in the middle...?

Yeah you don't really need to shift into first unless you are already stopped and ready to go.

Neutral is right in the middle when you can wiggle the stick back and forth.

[LazyAzzAzian]

whoa, thanks for the step by step man, i guess the concept is pretty basic, you just gotta perfect it by experience, thanks for the help guys, much appreicated

[efcee]

id like to give thanks

[snubnose]

I never shift into 1st unless I am completely stopped.

[Burgh]

Useful tip for beginners:

It takes a while to figure out exactly where the clutch begins to "catch" as you let it up. Forget trying to learn it at first. Whenever you're starting from a stop, give the car a lot of revs with the accelerator and then slowly bring the clutch up. It'll keep you from stalling at least.

[chunky]

Originally posted by Burgh
Useful tip for beginners:

It takes a while to figure out exactly where the clutch begins to "catch" as you let it up. Forget trying to learn it at first. Whenever you're starting from a stop, give the car a lot of revs with the accelerator and then slowly bring the clutch up. It'll keep you from stalling at least.

which brings up a good point, when you start from a standstill when you first start out, there are pretty much 3 options, ride the hell out of the clutch, peel out, or stall.

I learned by peeling out all the time. not huge burnouts or anything, just little chirps everytime I started, till I learned to work the clutch better.

[SLOlife]

A trick that I use when stopped on a slope is to use the parking brake.

Lift up on the brake until it barely holds the car on the hill.
Use the clutch as you normaly would but let go of the brake once you feel the car moving.
No backing up, no staling, no burnout just a scared look on the people behind you when you no longer have brake ligths on:D

[punkdork]

Originally posted by SLOlife
A trick that I use when stopped on a slope is to use the parking brake.

Lift up on the brake until it barely holds the car on the hill.
Use the clutch as you normaly would but let go of the brake once you feel the car moving.
No backing up, no staling, no burnout just a scared look on the people behind you when you no longer have brake ligths on:D

This is an awesome technique I use too... only for bigger hills like in downtown seattle. Once the car starts to squat forward let that handbrake go and you're good!

[efcee]

but i think ill be able to get the hang of it

[iR-VTEC2]

This was how i learned

Ride with others that have manual transmissions. Listen to their cars look at what they do. Look at road situations.

Compare results and ascertain the general idea. Then get into a car with a good teacher

No such thing bad student only bad teacher!

Once you have attained the fundamentals. Its all about practice. At first, you will be afraid. very afraid. Do not let the car intimidate you and by all means, forget about what others think (dying out). You do NOT want to panic in traffic. If you die out, calmly start up again and get outta there. Do not try to PANICSTART. You could end up in a gas station "76" ball.....upside down.
Try to drive when there's less people on the road. Attack hills head on. Best way to learn is to be aggressive.

Hope this helps aloha!