Comments on: How to drive a manual transmission

By: irrinelay

irrinelay — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 03:20:46 +0000

god resource Continue also

By: patrick

patrick — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:47:34 +0000

@Mark — I agree. Engaging/disengaging the clutch for short periods of time shouldn’t do anything harmful.

I never use the hand brake because I find that foot brake works fine. I use the clutching action when I am in a stop-and-go situation on a hill when the hand brake would be ridiculously complex as you point out

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:00:33 +0000

Patrick, what i do is when im stopped at a light is wait to the light turns green, lift my clutch foot to where the clutch will hold me on the hill, and then gas it when i can go.. the MOSt i have my clutch engagned is 5-10 secs mostly 5 secs on normal lights. I do not see how this could hurt the clutch because mostly you are using idle engine and u are also holding the car on the hill with foot brake most of the time. I don’t see how this is any different than the hand brake, becuase with hand brake you gas it while engagin the clutch longer. HOW is that ANY different.

By: stick shift wisdom « Lar’s blog

stick shift wisdom « Lar’s blog — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:57:48 +0000

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By: patrick

patrick — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:55:39 +0000

To everyone … thanks for the spirited conversation…

I have never used to parking brake at all. I have never found it particularly useful. Clutch+Gas Pedal = 2 things to operate (1 per foot).

Brake+Parking Brake+Clutch+Gas Pedal = way too many things to coordinate (especially as a beginner driver)

Now If I am stopped at a red light yes I do use the brake and do not feather the clutch. But when navigating the hills of San Francisco. you are paused so briefly that using the parking brake is foolish.

Plus, I can handle getting from the brake to the gas pretty easily, so the parking brake (when it works is of little value)

By: S Dub

S Dub — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:03:39 +0000

Marshall is an idiot - first, downshifting through all your gears will burn clutch at a much faster rate, since each time you engage or disengage the clutch you burn it slightly. Second, when the light changes and you’re coasting, is it really that hard to put the car in 2nd and continue? No. There’s no difference. Furthermore, if people have problems with you slowing down to a red light, that’s their problem - we’re not NYC cab drivers. If they want to accelerate to the red light, they can do it on their own time. Second, when you’re downshifting to stop, you’re using much more gas matching revs and driving at higher revs.

As far as the starting on a hill, the parking BRAKE method is for amateurs - but a lot better than the “gas and break method” the author seems to be advocating… But anyways, the second method is sound. But to respond, first, holding your clutch pedal in does not “throw out a bearing” - there’s no bearing it’s a hydraulic system. Second, sitting in gear, with the clutch fully depressed with one foot and the brake with the other is the way to start on a hill. While holding the brake, start to release the clutch and when you feel it engaging release the foot brake and add gas as necessary - you generally won’t roll back, if you do it properly you won’t burn excessive clutch, and you won’t need to rely on an emergency brake which will burn your clutch JUST as much as your regular brakes will, it won’t work if your parking brake is not functioning, and you look like an amateur - keep your hands on the steering wheel where they belong.

By: Omar

Omar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:04:18 +0000

Have driven stick shifts on & off for around 30 years, and found that it helps if the engine is well tuned, and the clutch and shift linkages properly adjusted. Also, the peculiar characteristics of how a car feels & responds can vary. Once one gets to know the car, it will become second nature. Would also help to get some coaching from an experienced driver to check your habits. However, even some brand new, well-tuned late-model cars can prove awkward to drive, as is sometimes found by the experts at Consumer Reports.

By: John C.

John C. — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:09:19 +0000

Andy is right, but it’s not just a trick, it’s the correct way.
Use the hand brake if you have to keep the car still for more than a few seconds while going up a hill, eg. when traffic is stop & go, or if you are making a left turn and have to wait for traffic to pass from the opposite direction.
If the car stalls, then it’s foot brake, hand brake, clutch in, start engine, engage first gear, gas pedal & ease clutch out until car tries to move, release hand brake while controlling gas & clutch so that the car does not stall or lurch forward.

By: John Doe

John Doe — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 02:14:18 +0000

I’ve found in my 5 years driving a manual transmission, that if you engage the clutch just far enough the car won’t roll back. Keeping one foot on the clutch and the other feathering the gas pedal should work just fine on uphill roads.

By: patrick

patrick — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:09:27 +0000

A number of people have commented about using the emergency parking brake.

It may be in general a good idea but … a few things colored my experience:

First, driving a car with a broken emergency brake cable that wasn’t getting fixed (i.e. NO parking brake!)

Second, the parking brake doesn’t work when you are in a situation that is stop and go. For example, going through San Francisco when you get (almost) to the top of a hill and are waiting your turn at a stop sign. You need to inch forward as each car ahead of you goes.

Third, parking brake does not work when you need dynamic amount of breaking. Specifically, when going up a hill with ice and snow on it. You want to actually try to keep the car moving slightly forward. A straight up wheels locked situation will just result in sliding backward.

Fourth, once again under ice and snow conditions. If you start sliding using the clutch and gas — then all you have to do is apply more gas and less clutch. Relying on the parking brake leaves you nothing extra if the friction between the tire and road is not adequate for the parking brake (ice/snow) where with clutch and gas you have the entire power of the engine to hold you on the hill.

Fifth, I have never burned out any clutch this way. But admittedly I don’t have to do hill driving on a daily basis.

Sixth, with regards to coasting “pissing off other drivers” — that is their problem, not mine and I refuse to make other people’s problems mine.

@Marshall — how would you know how many years of experience I have ( its >20 years btw) … and at a certain point who cares? and my experience based on what you have said easily matches.

@Pete — no idea if my ideas work on big vehicles .. I am not a commercial driver.