Joined Aug 2010
B!tch Please
Forum Thread
How hard is it to learn to drive a manual car?
March 12, 2013 at
03:54 AM
in
Autos
How hard is it to learn to drive a car with a manual transmission? I'm looking to pick up a beater for less than $2,000. I've been looking around lately on the internet and it seems that manuals are always cheaper because most people can't drive them and as a result there's less demand. Also I would assume that manual cars are in better condition than automatics because their owners usually take better care of them. Realistically speaking, how quick would I be able to learn the basics in order to drive it home if I bought one?
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drivingriding "sticks" and that it's lotsa fun once you get the hang of it!Gigiddy...
Gigiddy...
Most of the advice here, I agree with so I'm just gonna put my two cents in on how much I loooooooove driving stick and that it's lotsa fun once you get the hang of it!
It doesn't hurt to learn how to double clutch, to let you accelerate quickly, especially out of turns. You push the clutch, shift to neutral, release the clutch, tap the gas pedal slightly, push the clutch again, shift into the gear you want, then release the clutch again.
It doesn't hurt to learn how to double clutch, to let you accelerate quickly, especially out of turns. You push the clutch, shift to neutral, release the clutch, tap the gas pedal slightly, push the clutch again, shift into the gear you want, then release the clutch again.
Why double clutch? most cars have synchronizers that eliminate the need to double clutch, some people say double clutching wears transmission and some say it doesnt. dont get me wrong, its good to know in an emergency downshift situation to me, but nothing more. I just dont think its something you should be doing all the time
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OP,
Can you drive solely with your left hand? If you can't, then it may be difficult to shift and drive at the same time. The hardest part when learning to drive a manual is learning to balance the clutch and the gas. You have to balance the two.
Pushing on the gas too much while not letting go of the clutch will cause the engine to rev really high, not move much, and can burn your clutch if it's done too often. Letting go of the clutch too soon while not pushing the gas enough will cause the car to skip and the engine to stall.
I think for most beginners, it's best to rev the gas slightly and slowly let go of the clutch. As you get better, you can be really quick. Also, going from first gear is the hardest since it's usually the biggest gear. For the other gears, it's pretty easy.....it almost slips into gear by itself no matter how quickly/slowly you let go of the clutch.
Although it's not recommended to do often, I've found that if you start from 2nd gear when you're at a stop, it can be slightly easier to get the car going and is less likely to stall.
the linkage got jammed up, and I would have to pop
the hood, fix the linkage, get back in and start driving
again
I had a 63 Chevy Nova wagon that had the same problem - usually in the worst part of town
One was a 3 speed on the column, and that wasn't as
easy as a 4 on the floor
the linkage got jammed up, and I would have to pop
the hood, fix the linkage, get back in and start driving
again
It's actually a fail safe, some/most cars if you mis shift into to low a gear you will blow lifter arms or wherever pressure can be released. Cost a few bucks but cheaper than new tranny
Speaking from cars I've dealt with. Seems as a fail safe/protection instead of detonation
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