Driving Stick Shift

[marshallfever]

So i got myself a 2007 Jetta about a month ago. I definitely wanted it to be Stick Shift. I just think theres something awesome about driving a car manually and being in complete control of your car.

I had my dad teach me. He's old school though. Back when he drove cars only had 4 gears lol. When he taught me, he taught me the way he knew how to drive, not necessarily the ins and outs and book way of driving. But after a couple days with him I finally got the car under my belt and was able to drive it by myself.

I've watched tons and tons of videos on driving stick but theres nothing like actually getting behind the wheel, I stalled at least 3xs because i couldn't get a feel of my clutch; or better yet the release of the clutch. But now its been a month and i'm in love with it. However i have this one issue i don't want to go to my dad about; First Gear!!!

My goodness, i still haven't perfected 1st gear in terms of shifting to 2nd. You can tell i'm driving stick cause the car shutters back and forth and i feel dumb as hell. I can feel it when the car needs to shift but in first the mph goes soo fast. Around 15mph the rpm has romped over 2500 and its screaming for a shift. Yet when i do it i still shutter. When i take it slow and never completely release the clutch and shift to 2nd its fine. But at that point i'm gong about 10mph and i feel like i'm slowing down traffic even its its for a mere minute.

Any advice? I refuse to ask my dad cause i told him i mastered it and he would be like, really WTF your still having trouble driving lol. Maybe its cause i'm letting my foot off the clutch to fast before i gas it during the shift??? I asked other people but they all say eventually i'll get use to the car because every car is different but its been a month and i want to be a professional driver lol

[Blzer]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Here are some threads right up your alley:

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ing-stick.html
http://www.operationsports.com/forum...echniques.html

[Blzer]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

As for your actual question, think about it like going from a standstill to accelerating in first gear (the hardest standard to driving stick). You find that equilibrium point where you want to start easing off the clutch and going on the gas, right? Well, the same thing applies from first to second then as well.

First gear is simply an accelerator; if you pop right off of the gas while you're in motion, it will feel like someone slamming on the brakes. Ride that clutch to go in a coasting speed as you start shifting, and then when you want to start accelerating in second gear do it just as you do when you first started accelerating in first: ease off the clutch and ease on the gas. It's these smooth, seamless transitions that you have to work on and that you will get better with. It's just about knowing what you have to do mentally, and then you'll convert it into second-nature fundamentals.

So remember, you can't just fly off the gas pedal and assume all will go well. Ease off that gas and go on the clutch when you want to shift, that way you kind of keep the same speed you want. Then going into second, off clutch and on gas at the same time just like when you accelerated from a standstill in the first place. The more gears you go up, the less leeway that you need because your gears won't hinder your speed as much.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Sounds like your dumping your clutch and not easing into it. Every clutch has it catch point and you just have to find the right balance.

Whenever i first learn a new car's clutch, i put a little gas and keeping it steady before lifting the clutch, as soon as you feel it, dont' dump it, ease out of it as you put more pressure on the gas.

Make sure also you are comfortable in your car and your sitting close/far enough to have the clutch hit the ground easily without it straining your leg.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

I really miss driving stick, but would never do it in this city. I'm glad I know how though. Never know when you'll need this skill.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

I really miss driving stick, but would never do it in this city. I'm glad I know how though. Never know when you'll need this skill.

Yeah city driving or a place with heavy traffic, I would hate to drive stick. I'm glad its not bad here in Phoenix. I'm thinking of getting an auto so I can just relax and not think about driving like I do in my Subaru sti.

What gets me when guys want to race in their automatics. Congrats you know how to step on a gas pedal. No feeling like when you get a perfect launch at the track and smashing every gear to the red line.

[marshallfever]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Here are some threads right up your alley:

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ing-stick.html
http://www.operationsports.com/forum...echniques.html

That is really helpful

Everyone should learn how to drive a standard transmission, for these reasons:

1. Cars with standard transmissions get better gas mileage. A nice plus now that gas is more than $4 per gallon.

2. Certain cars, like your WRX, beg to be driven with a stick. I simply can't fathom driving a high-performance car with an auto tranny. You're missing half the fun.

3. You have better control under braking in slippery conditions with a stick due to downshifting.

4. Driving a stick is a hell of a lot more fun than an auto tranny!

The best way to perfect your technique with a stick is to practice. Drive. Start in a parking lot and then work your way to the open road.

A few tips while you're perfecting your technique:

1. Don't ride the clutch. I know people who stood on the clutch as soon as they started braking, even before they started downshifting. That will wear out your clutch in a hurry.

2. Lift the gas a split-second before you shift. This will ensure smooth upshifts and downshifts more than anything. You don't want to over-rev your engine in that short moment in neutral between gears.

Good luck!

Take care,
PK

In my month of driving i've ridden my clutch to brake over actually braking. This women at work told me thats how she brakes and she's had her car for over 5 years without needing to change the clutch. That coming into an exit from the highway she'll clutch vs braking.

Now reading some of the comments, it seems as if i should be braking normally as if i'm driving an automatic car and when i see that i've reached the appropriate speed, i can down shift to that speed. I also tend to always put my car in neutral when idle vs holding my clutch.

But about going from 1st gear to 2nd, maybe i should let off the clutch more easy and accelerate a bit more. I just don't want to shutter cause it makes me angry. So i shouldn't mess with the clutch unless i'm going to down shift and even doing that, it should be an easy clutch right.

[Blzer]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

In my month of driving i've ridden my clutch to brake over actually braking.

Say what?

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.

But about going from 1st gear to 2nd, maybe i should let off the clutch more easy and accelerate a bit more. I just don't want to shutter cause it makes me angry. So i shouldn't mess with the clutch unless i'm going to down shift and even doing that, it should be an easy clutch right.

What is "shuttering"?

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

It definitely takes a while to get used to. I drive a '96 Ranger all through HS and first two years of college. I still sometimes messed it up. I am so glad k learned how to. I got to drive a 2011 Camarro 2SS last week.

[av7]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Say what?

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.


What is "shuttering"?

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.

[bgeno]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

Say what?

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.


What is "shuttering"?

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.

Simply holding down the clutch will do nothing to stop the car, though. In my car, it's the equivalent of neutral.

Also, when I started driving stick in high school, I would hold down the clutch and brake because I was afraid of stalling out. My step-dad asked his auto mechanic about it, and he said it shouldn't cause any problems in newer cars and that it was only an issue in older manual tranny cars.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

That is really helpful




In my month of driving i've ridden my clutch to brake over actually braking. This women at work told me thats how she brakes and she's had her car for over 5 years without needing to change the clutch. That coming into an exit from the highway she'll clutch vs braking.

Now reading some of the comments, it seems as if i should be braking normally as if i'm driving an automatic car and when i see that i've reached the appropriate speed, i can down shift to that speed. I also tend to always put my car in neutral when idle vs holding my clutch.

But about going from 1st gear to 2nd, maybe i should let off the clutch more easy and accelerate a bit more. I just don't want to shutter cause it makes me angry. So i shouldn't mess with the clutch unless i'm going to down shift and even doing that, it should be an easy clutch right.

DO NOT RIDE YOUR CLUTCH! coming from a guy who races high performance cars and has to replace clutches more often than the normal person. That's the fast track of burning your clutch and an expensive replacement. Clutches are designed to switch gears not brake, that's what your brakes are for. From a highway, go neutral, coast and brake. Brake pads are a fraction of the price to replace.

I understand you don't want to "shutter," but that part of learning the balance of how much pressure you put on the gas. You are shuttering because you are not putting enough gas right after your clutch hits that "catch point."

[marshallfever]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

What is "shuttering"?

What i mean by this is when you go back before going forward or a bad shift i would call it.

Ok so i'll only use the clutch for down shifting and up shifting. When slowing down i should just brake right. My dad had told me every time i brake i should clutch, but that looks like its not necessary anymore with these advance cars right; only clutch when up shifting and down shifting.

And about my "shuttering" I just have to apply more gas and let of the clutch slowly. I'll do some more practicing since i'm off work until this Thursday. I'll try to keep myself in first and second until i can truly learn it.

Thanks fellas

[Blzer]

Re: Driving Stick Shift

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.

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.

[Blzer]

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.