Driving Stick Shift

[marshallfever]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Looking forward to it, Thanks Blzer

[AUChase]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

When I'm coming to a stop, I always press the clutch and brake.

I can't stand when people steadily downshift from 5th to 1st when coming to a stop... why put the stress on your' motor and transmission ?

I've got a 09 Cobalt SS and 99 Civic SI.. wouldn't have either one of them if they were automatic... unless I lived in a big city.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Hey marshallfever, I'd like to post a video of what I do, but I would need like two cameras and a way to mount them on my car haha. I'll see what I can do for you, but it will have to be the next time that I drive which might not be until tomorrow or Wednesday.

To the person who recommended just braking in neutral, this is an okay practice because you won't ever have to use your clutch until you want to accelerate again, but you definitely have less control of your car this way because you're not in a gear. If I slam on the brake in neutral, my car would start doing this hitch thing that's kind of saying, "Dumb ***, now you're wearing out your brake too much, get in gear!" When I post a video, I'll show how I "brake by downshifting" I guess. It's really a feel technique above anything else.

Wearing out your brakes is what you are suppose to do. Replacing pads is about 100 bucks, replacing a clutch is about 1000 or more plus your risking your tranny and your engine in the process which is even more money.

Your putting stress on your tranny/engine/clutch when you use that method to stop instead of using what brakes are designed for: to brake.

Plus when you are braking in gear, your wearing out your pads even faster too.

[Blzer]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Well note that I'm not actually just reducing speed by downshifting, I brake in between shifting my gears so I can get down to the next gear and make it seamless. I guess I'll have to drive and know for sure what I do next time, because I feel like it makes sense what I'm doing as opposed to what I used to do when I was first driving stick.

I definitely don't ride the clutch though.

[av7]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

I know that being in gear has resistance, this is how I normally slow down (see the first thread I pointed to for the OP) and this was my explanation for him having awkward shifts from first to second gear. Now, I do kind of ride the clutch when downshifting because I don't want to pop off of it each time, but I'm not riding it to a stop. Even when I brake I don't go on the clutch until I've actually stopped.

As far as I'm concerned (though I don't test it), riding the clutch it is no different than coasting in neutral.

EDIT: Haha whoops I pretty much said the same thing the first time, though I'm simply rehashing my statement to make sure it's clear what I meant.

And I'm telling you its not

[Blzer]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

And I'm telling you its not

Well then I'd like to be educated on the matter. What's the speed difference? Or better yet, what becomes the benefit for riding the clutch to slow down?

Basically the point I was making to the OP was that his friend told him to ride the clutch to brake. I said that you use the brake to brake, riding the clutch would be similar in speed as coasting in neutral. This might not be an exact number by any means, but this is also not a solution to braking (plus it's damaging to your clutch). That was the main point I suppose I was trying to get across.

[peteykirch]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Get a car with a flappy pedal gear box. It's like a manual transmission for idiots.

[bgeno]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Riding the clutch, as far as I'm concerned, is the equivalent to coasting in neutral. I don't see how that stops your car.

Don't ride the clutch. This is a strong advisory.

No its not, theres a resistance while in gear. You can slow your car down with downshifting, you just need more space between you and the zone you want to stop in, breaking allows you to shorten the gap from Point A to Point B for slowing down.

As far as I'm concerned (though I don't test it), riding the clutch it is no different than coasting in neutral.

And I'm telling you its not

I'm pretty sure you guys are trying to argue two completely different topics.

I think Blzer is saying that riding the clutch (simply holding the clutch pedal down) and shifting to neutral are the same in terms of how much they slow the car down. There is no resistance/friction to stop the car with either method. (I'm almost sure this is the case in the two cars I've had with manual transmissions.)

It seems like av7 is arguing that riding the clutch and shifting to neutral are different in terms of the damage and wear they cause to the clutch and transmission. Riding the clutch and braking causes more damage than simply shifting to neutral and braking.

But that's just how it seems to me.

[Blzer]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

So, here's probably the worst and least informative video you'll ever see.



<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BuIcEoCajmQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

EDIT: I noticed playing it back that it turns black at the end. I have no idea why. I'll re-upload it later and see if it does that. Sorry about that.

[marshallfever]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Thanks for the video Blzer cause its a big help. I've just got into not releasing the clutch completely even though i've started accelerating in first gear; Wait a min, watching your video you said braking and clutch. Now when you brake your also easing on the clutch? Example if i'm at 40mph and i see a stop sign and start to slow down, as i'm slowing down with the brake should i clutch or only clutch when i get to about 10mph and come to a complete stop?

Second question, i've heard that the ideal rpm to shift at should be around 4000. Now before hand i can swear i hear my engine whining for a shift around 2500 rpm for first and second gear, but i feel as if thats too soon.

So i tried the 4000rpm route for first gear and it helped my shifting because i was going fast enough to the point that when i went to clutch and shift i didn't slow down enough to look like an idiot in traffic. But is that whining sound demanding a shift at 2500rpm?

[Blzer]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Thanks for the video Blzer cause its a big help. I've just got into not releasing the clutch completely even though i've started accelerating in first gear; Wait a min, watching your video you said braking and clutch. Now when you brake your also easing on the clutch? Example if i'm at 40mph and i see a stop sign and start to slow down, as i'm slowing down with the brake should i clutch or only clutch when i get to about 10mph and come to a complete stop?

As I said in the video, you don't need to clutch unless you're starting your car, you're at a "near" stop, or you're shifting. I believe the example you noted was me downshifting. So I was in some gear, say it was fourth. That would mean I was in fourth for a reason to begin with, say it was because I reached 4000 RPM in third gear. So when I want to slow down, first I'll start breaking. When I feel I will be probably below 3500 RPM in third gear (I'm not positive, check my gauge in the video if you can see it), I will start downshifting. That's when I go on the clutch, because I'm shifting.

Now going on the clutch would be like shifting in neutral, right (speed-wise, that is)? So that means I no longer have any gear resistance on my car, which means I'm more than likely breaking when on the clutch. I want to break enough so that when I ease off the clutch for third gear (since I've downshifted), I won't "shutter" at all and I won't have to brake as hard anymore because of third gear helping me resist more again.

It's very difficult to put into words.

Second question, i've heard that the ideal rpm to shift at should be around 4000. Now before hand i can swear i hear my engine whining for a shift around 2500 rpm for first and second gear, but i feel as if thats too soon.

Between 3500 and 4000 RPM is ideal for my car, some cars are different because of where they red line at. As I said in my video, your first gear will be an exception because it works more as just an accelerator. It technically doesn't matter when you shift there, as long as you can make it as smooth as possible.

So i tried the 4000rpm route for first gear and it helped my shifting because i was going fast enough to the point that when i went to clutch and shift i didn't slow down enough to look like an idiot in traffic. But is that whining sound demanding a shift at 2500rpm?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't going 4000 RPM in first gear sound the same as going 4000 RPM in fifth gear? The only difference would be you accelerate to 4000 RPM in first gear much more quickly, so it will sound as if it's going too high too rapidly.

Don't worry about it, just do what's right for you and stay away from the red line.


EDIT: Watch my RPM gauge in my video if you can see it, it's that most visible needle in it. My 4000 RPM mark is a little past 12:00 to the right side. I guess pay attention to when I shift then; I never look at it, but it looks like I'm hitting 4000 RPM almost exactly for every time except from first to second, where I do somewhere between 3500 and 4000 it seems. When the needle shoots all the way down is when I shift to neutral.

[judgejudy]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

MKV (2005.5-2010) VW's are notorious for not shifting from 1st to 2nd completely smooth unless you grandma your way into it. it has something to do with the DSG, so don't feel too bad about it. also stop by the vwvortex forums if you ever have questions, those guys know their **** haha.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

So, here's probably the worst and least informative video you'll ever see.



<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BuIcEoCajmQ" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="640"></iframe>

EDIT: I noticed playing it back that it turns black at the end. I have no idea why. I'll re-upload it later and see if it does that. Sorry about that.

Sixth generation Civic!

[WDOgF0reL1fe]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Woulda been better if done in the joker voice.

[Blzer]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Woulda been better if done in the joker voice.

Haha maybe next time man. I haven't done that voice since last year lol.