First Manual Transmission Questions

[Shaney]

I recently just got my first manual car, happens to be a S650 with the 3.73 gear ratio. When I first got the car I was learning how to drive manual and that’s where my question stems from.

When I first got the car and was driving I typically had a resistance like pulling feeling getting into 2nd from 1st. Now while I’m driving the gear seems to click into place like the rest of the gears in the mt82, without the feeling I first experienced. Is this normal from breaking in the car, or does this not happen as I’m properly shifting now, or is something off with the transmission? Car only has 716 miles so my experience is a little limited and the change feels so drastic that I don’t know if I’m shifting better or if something is wrong.

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[CrazyHippie]

Probably a combination of the car breaking in and you getting more comfortable with shifting it. I doubt that you need to worry - Drive it like ya stole it!

 

[GrabberBargeCaptain]

As you've become acclimated to the car you've probably subconsciously realized when you can easily slot into first gear.

There's also the mechanical break in aspect of it, some cars i've owned it took a few tens of thousands of miles for the notchier transmissions to smooth out!

But mostly its the former.

 

[sk47]

Hello; Good for you. Some pointers for longer clutch and throw out bearing life.
1. When at red lights, stopped for any length of time and other such situations practice putting the transmission into neutral and foot off the clutch. This helps in at least two ways. Keeps the rotating parts from spinning on the throw-out bearing only. Also prevents the possibility of the clutch disk from being slightly engaged when stopped.
Shift into 1st when light turns green.
2. Do not ride the clutch when cruising. It is OK to keep your foot on the clutch when shifting up thru the gears from 1st to 6th. Once in whatever top gear you plan to cruise in take the foot off the clutch pedal and put it on the floor.
3. Do not use the clutch to hold the car in place on a hill by slightly engaging it. Use the brakes.

4. Enjoy one of the rites of passage.

 

[Bitten in '69]

Sorry but that advice is outdated. Remaining in gear at a red light allows you to quickly move away if something bad happens. With car-jackings becoming more and more common, being ready to go is good defensive sense. Oh, and if behind a car, always leave room to steer out.

Also, the car has 'hill holder' so holding with the clutch is no longer an issue.

 

[RTFM]

2. Do not ride the clutch when cruising. It is OK to keep your foot on the clutch when shifting up thru the gears from 1st to 6th.

It is OK unless you want to practice how to ride the car on a track, where braking hard is the norm. Thus keep your left foot on the dead pedal between gear shifting where it will be handy for balancing your body and holding your braking position under Gs.

3. Do not use the clutch to hold the car in place on a hill by slightly engaging it. Use the brakes.

I would use the handbrake.

 

[sk47]

Sorry but that advice is outdated. Remaining in gear at a red light allows you to quickly move away if something bad happens. With car-jackings becoming more and more common, being ready to go is good defensive sense. Oh, and if behind a car, always leave room to steer out.

Also, the car has 'hill holder' so holding with the clutch is no longer an issue.

Hello; I suppose if carjacking is the issue you may be correct. I was thinking in terms of parts wear, in particular the clutch.
I also understand the leave an escape route idea. I live in northeastern TN. Most know better than to try to carjack in my area. I and most others have a solution for that.

I have driven some new cars with hill hold feature. it only holds a few seconds at most in the cars i have driven. A handy feature to be sure. I was referring to a habit I have seen done by a few others admittedly before the time of "hill holding". I have seen drivers hold a car in place on a slight grade by lightly engaging the clutch just enough. That maneuver works fine but wears out clutch material.

I am intrigued with the new hill hold feature. I wonder if it will hold up or become another expensive to repair tech. I am old school. I like a parking brake lever I can use with my hand. But your points are well taken.

 

[ice445]

Hello; I suppose if carjacking is the issue you may be correct. I was thinking in terms of parts wear, in particular the clutch.
I also understand the leave an escape route idea. I live in northeastern TN. Most know better than to try to carjack in my area. I and most others have a solution for that.

I have driven some new cars with hill hold feature. it only holds a few seconds at most in the cars i have driven. A handy feature to be sure. I was referring to a habit I have seen done by a few others admittedly before the time of "hill holding". I have seen drivers hold a car in place on a slight grade by lightly engaging the clutch just enough. That maneuver works fine but wears out clutch material.

I am intrigued with the new hill hold feature. I wonder if it will hold up or become another expensive to repair tech. I am old school. I like a parking brake lever I can use with my hand. But your points are well taken.

Hill hold works great. It holds a little longer than I'd like on this car but I believe it just uses the abs pump to do it. Gives it something to do to stay working since most people will rarely activate it through normal driving..

 

[sk47]

It is OK unless you want to practice how to ride the car on a track, where braking hard is the norm. Thus keep your left foot on the dead pedal between gear shifting where it will be handy for balancing your body and holding your braking position under Gs.


I would use the handbrake.

Hello; I do agree with your take and likely should have been more clear my comment was about normal driving and while accelerating from a stop to highway speeds. I do, in fact, take my foot off of the clutch as often as i can. Sometimes during shifting in a sequence of gears.

Not sure to me the OP intends to go on a track, but you likely have good advice if such is in the future.

I also use the handbrake in my current car. A thing is some newer cars do not have one.

 

[sk47]

I do, in fact, take my foot off of the clutch as often as i can. Sometimes during shifting in a sequence of gears.

Hello; A new comer to a clutch has a lot of new things to coordinate. If i am casually driving I can be careful enough to not have pressure on the clutch pedal when shifting. if i am pulling hard in say second, third or fourth gear I try to get my foot off the pedal altogether. I do not want the clutch to slip at all under strong acceleration.

 

[Shaney]

Thanks for all the advice

 

[sk47]

It is OK to keep your foot on the clutch when shifting up thru the gears from 1st to 6th. Once in whatever top gear you plan to cruise in take the foot off the clutch pedal and put it on the floor.

Hello; had to make a couple of trips this week. Drove 341 miles. I paid attention to my clutch foot work. Seems I have the habit of completely removing my foot from the pedal when rowing thru the gears. Must have broken myself from leaving a foot on the pedal over the decades.

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