I'll be learning to drive a manual / stick / standard soon.

Post #255,153 by Meerkat 5/11/06 7:53:15 PM Reply	I'll be learning to drive a manual / stick / standard soon. First off, why the hell can't you just call them manuals? :) Like it's not automatic, so it's manual, right? Anyway. A good friend of mine drives a manual, and keeps hassling me becasue I don't know how to drive it. I don't doubt I can learn to do it - it's just breaking 18 years of automatic-driving habits is not going to be easy. And I hope I don't break his car else it'll all end in tears... Two out of three people wonder where the other one is.
Post #255,155 by broomberg 5/11/06 8:00:41 PM Reply	Couple thing to remember Stopping at lights on an uphill angle is not fun. Give yourself LOTS of room between you and the car in front of you since early on you will tend to jump when releasing the clutch. When you spend a day driving a stick, and then go back to an automatic, you will be on autopilot concerning clutching. This is NOT the moment to discover the brake is not the clutch. In that case, I hit the brake so hard I smacked my head against the steering wheel.
Post #255,168 by imqwerky 5/11/06 10:01:59 PM Reply	You forgot the #1 rule: If you can't find it, grind it! :-D
Post #255,172 by Andrew Grygus 5/11/06 11:47:02 PM Reply	You can't really say you drive stick . . . . . until you can shift both up and down without using the clutch, AND without grinding gears. Actually you can't grind gears, they're in constant mesh (except 1st in real old boxes, and reverse in any box). The grinding sound you hear is the striking dogs that latch a particular gear to the third motion shaft. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #255,206 by drewk 5/12/06 8:38:41 AM Reply	Oh, I dunno about that My Cavalier with the tiny little 4-banger is doing about 4k rpm at 12mph in 1st. It's doing 1k rpm at 12 in 2nd. I can't do that one in either direction without chirping the tires. Sure, I could practice, if I didn't have to pay for the new tranny when I was done. === Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link\|http://DocHope.com\|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats]. [link\|http://DocHope.com\|http://DocHope.com]
Post #255,239 by folkert 5/12/06 10:12:48 AM Reply	Did that years ago. My Dad made me learn how to. The car I was driving had a clutch. It popped the Clutch Cable through the Firewall. He wouldn't come get me, let me replace the damn thing (with the part from the parts car I had in the garage), until I didn't need it. I did so well, in fact, I discovered properly man handling the gear shift would propel the car forward due to the lube resistance against the first gear, without grinding. Finally when the car got upto about 2 MPH the stick would just slide right in. All at Idle engine speed. It only takes about 15 or so seconds, except on a hill. I'd stop the engine, then on light change, start the car in gear. Same thing with slowing down. I use the hand brake to provide additional drag on the car for slowing quickly... 1-3 clicks depending. Its all a matter of knowing the tricks to do it properly. It also helped I worked in a Semi-Tractor and Trailer repair facility and another Logistics firm. Some trucks came in with failed clutch releases, or no brakes or other things that made starting or stopping easy. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* Freedom is not FREE. Yeah, but 10s of Trillions of US Dollars? SELECT * FROM scog WHERE ethics > 0; 0 rows returned.
Post #255,254 by Andrew Grygus 5/12/06 11:57:29 AM Reply	You must have had synchro on 1st. The synchro rings can provide enough power transmission to get you moving. If you don't have synchro on 1st you have to use 2nd for that. Basically you have to learn just how much pressure you can put on the gear lever before you overcome the spring balls and the striking dogs engage. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #255,176 by pwhysall 5/12/06 1:50:27 AM Reply	Re: Couple thing to remember Stopping at lights on an uphill angle is not fun. s/fun/hard/ Come to stop, dip clutch, apply handbrake, select neutral. Ready to go, select 1st, raise clutch, release handbrake at bite point, off you go. Give yourself LOTS of room between you and the car in front of you since early on you will tend to jump when releasing the clutch. Just be gentle, and think "smooth smooth smooth" and it's fine. The main thing with changing gear in a manual is to remember not to rush it, and to select your gear before you execute your manoeuvre. This means that changing gear as you go round a corner is bad, because you've got the drivetrain only half-connected in a situation where you want maximum control, plus you can concentrate on going round the corner. When you spend a day driving a stick, and then go back to an automatic, you will be on autopilot concerning clutching. This is NOT the moment to discover the brake is not the clutch. In that case, I hit the brake so hard I smacked my head against the steering wheel. snigger point laugh Although my left leg makes all manner of twitchy movements when I'm driving a spit automatic, I've never mistaken the brake for the clutch. Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
Post #255,178 by Meerkat 5/12/06 2:14:28 AM Reply	It'll all be flat (and quiet!) roads to start with. And I'm using 'Hmm... why don't I get a Polo GTI* next year?' as incentive. I'll report back ... if I don't break the gearbox, crash into anything, or whatever :) *Yes, I want the Golf GTI. No, I don't really want to spend that much money. Two out of three people wonder where the other one is.
Post #255,186 by static 5/12/06 3:02:43 AM Reply	What's wrong with your BlueBird? "Insert crowbar. Apply force."
Post #255,396 by Meerkat 5/13/06 10:42:59 PM Reply	Still works, but it's old. Bit bored after 5 years of it. Two out of three people wonder where the other one is.
Post #255,465 by static 5/15/06 3:19:58 AM Reply	Ah. I realized hours later that that was probably it. All of my car upgrades were because they were getting on a bit. Wade. "Insert crowbar. Apply force."
Post #255,198 by boxley 5/12/06 8:23:39 AM Reply	handbrake my arse the only time you need that is when executing a bootlegger turn and parking. You just use your left foot on both brake and clutch releasing both when you want to go. My neighborhood is all sharp hills and sharp turns. thanx, bill Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 50 years. meep
Post #255,213 by admin 5/12/06 9:00:42 AM Reply	Ar. Another thing I do, which is technically incorrect (probably) but sometimes a lifesaver: I don't disengage the gear if there's someone behind me. I let the car drift backwards a few feet, then engage to go back up, over and over, to make the idiot behind me realize that I'm driving a manual and that I might need that 5 feet behind me as slippage when it's time to go. Otherwise the idiot will come up right behind me and I've got no room for mistakes at all. And here's a special Bite Me to morons who follow cars closely on slippery hills in the winter, too. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #255,224 by pwhysall 5/12/06 9:45:23 AM Reply	5 feet slippage? Handbrake for you, sunshine. Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
Post #255,226 by admin 5/12/06 9:48:52 AM Reply	Never used one. And trying to learn would cause more problems than it solved. The 5 feet is for safety, not for skill. I'm more than capable of sitting at a light on a hilll for an extended period of time without moving backward at all, and without using a handbrake (ya pansy). I prefer the room in case I screw up, though. Anyone who goes on and on about proper following distance while moving (like you) should realize this. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #255,230 by pwhysall 5/12/06 9:55:36 AM Reply	You can't control the space behind you. You can, however, control the space in front of you. And holding a car stationary with the clutch for extended periods of time is just cruel. Ya meanie. Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
Post #255,232 by admin 5/12/06 9:58:24 AM Reply	No, but I can make my needs known. 9 times out of 10 the ass behind me gets the clue. And who said anything about holding it stationary with the clutch? That's what the brake is for. Hand brakes are for parking, not driving. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #255,234 by pwhysall 5/12/06 10:02:23 AM Reply	Footbrake in queue = antisocial The current trend for eyeball-searing brake lights means that if you hold your car on the footbrake, you're tattooing the retinas of the driver behind. I find your faith in the ability of other drivers to get any sort of clue very touching. Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
Post #255,241 by admin 5/12/06 10:19:36 AM Reply	You have the oddest ideas sometimes... I've got a retinal disorder that causes me intense, long-lasting afterimages from fairly dim lights (monitors, windows on cloudy days, etc). Brake lights don't bother me in the least, so I have no idea what you're going on about. I'd much rather know the car in front of me is stopped than have to guess that it might have its handbrake engaged. Empirical evidence of the reactions of drivers behind me shows that they can get a clue. Or at the very least they get nervous that the car in front of them is slipping back, and they stop creeping forward clue or no. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #255,242 by pwhysall 5/12/06 10:23:13 AM Reply	I don't rely on lights to work out whether a car is stopped. I look at whether it's actually moving or not. There's enough cars on the road with their brakes and indicators wired up the wrong way round (or not at all, which is always good for a laugh) for me to distrust such ephemeral indications of movement or not. And FWIW, the advanced motoring groups in the UK advocate handbrake/neutral whilst waiting in traffic, without exception, on the basis of safety (if you get rear-ended, you want the handbrake on to hold the car where it is - the footbrake may kick up, you won't have your foot full on it (because no-one ever does except in an emergency and not even then, hence EBA in Mercedes and other cars) and doesn't hold the rear wheels as hard, and the drive-train disconnected to save damage to the engine) and courtesy (people with normal eyesight get dazzled by high level brake lights). So no, it's not an odd idea at all. Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
Post #255,244 by folkert 5/12/06 10:34:06 AM Reply	Also, footbrake casuing lights to go on == Yo-Yo effect and eventualy stopping of traffic due to over reactions of Brake lights. Casual drivers (ones not really realizing that there ARE other drivers on the road, especially Site-seers with cell phone in hand) are what cause me great anguish. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* Freedom is not FREE. Yeah, but 10s of Trillions of US Dollars? SELECT * FROM scog WHERE ethics > 0; 0 rows returned.
Post #255,262 by boxley 5/12/06 1:01:32 PM Reply	you dont have those brake lites on sunshine the fuckwit behind you may assume that you are moving and plow into your ass. He doesnt know you have a stick.I suppose when driving a auto you put it into park at every light. thanx, bill Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 50 years. meep
Post #255,289 by pwhysall 5/12/06 6:51:39 PM Reply	You make no sense Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
Post #255,229 by jbrabeck 5/12/06 9:55:21 AM Reply	Wot's a handbrake? Now I have a parking brake in my car... A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. (Herm Albright)
Post #255,218 by pwhysall 5/12/06 9:13:02 AM Reply	Complete crap. Unless, of course, burning out the retinas of the driver behind with your high level brake light is a life goal. Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
Post #255,263 by boxley 5/12/06 1:03:33 PM Reply	makes up for the highbeams theyre shining into my dash Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 50 years. meep
Post #255,395 by Meerkat 5/13/06 10:37:57 PM Reply	Must admit I've never noticed this problem. Maybe my windscreen is just too dirty :) Retina-searing rear foglights, on the other had, really really annoy the crap out of me. Mostly because 99% of Sydney drivers use them for fashion, as opposed to fog. Two out of three people wonder where the other one is.
Post #255,412 by pwhysall 5/14/06 4:47:36 AM Reply	Do you ever get fog in Sydney? I thought the weather there varied between "hot" and "really hot". Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
Post #255,440 by Meerkat 5/14/06 8:32:41 PM Reply	A few nights a year, if you're (un)lucky. Two out of three people wonder where the other one is.
Post #255,231 by admin 5/12/06 9:55:39 AM Reply	Just don't think TOO smooth. My biggest problem when learning to drive a stick was giving it enough gas when starting out. I was forever stalling the damn thing until someone clued me in. Of course, I had to teach myself how to drive one out of necessity. That was a fun week. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #255,233 by pwhysall 5/12/06 10:00:39 AM Reply	Ar And if you're driving a diesel, remember it needs a bit more loud pedal at low revs than a petrol does. Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
Post #255,267 by Another Scott 5/12/06 1:24:18 PM Reply	Eh? My 1.9 liter 5-speed manual Jetta TDI (turbo diesel) will accelerate from a stop at idle without stalling (when lightly loaded). It needs just a tiny bit of throttle action if there are 4 people in the car. It took me longer than it should have to realize it accelerates much smoother if I don't give too much of the loud pedal. Most diesels have most of their torque at much lower RPMs than gas engines. What's your counter example? Thanks. Cheers, Scott.
Post #255,292 by ben_tilly 5/12/06 7:49:55 PM Reply	Air brakes are fun too, for the unprepared :-) The first time my sister drove one, her husband said, "Don't forget, when trying to stop, feather the brake." But he didn't say why. She wanted to stop. She put her foot on the brake. She wondered why she wasn't stopping... Cheers, Ben I have come to believe that idealism without discipline is a quick road to disaster, while discipline without idealism is pointless. -- Aaron Ward (my brother)
Post #255,158 by boxley 5/11/06 9:01:07 PM Reply	advice deja vue [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=56099\|http://z.iwethey.org...w?contentid=56099] thanx, bill Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 50 years. meep

Welcome to IWETHEY!