Hey I have a few questions about driving manual. I'm a beginner at it. I've only been driving it for two days...so I was wondering if I'm doing it correctly, and I'm pretty sure I'm not...
Sometimes I do good, sometimes I don't. I think I am hurting the clutch when I drive, and I don't want to do that.
What I do is rev it to about 2k-3k rpms (sometimes a little higher by accident) and then release the clutch slowly (i've found the engagement point already). Usually I'm good at this when I'm on flat surface...but it still takes me a good 3-5 seconds before i start moving. How do I do this more quickly like right at the second? I try to do it quickly but sometimes when I do it I'll either stall or do a little peel out burn out. And I roll back a lot going uphill from a stop. Any advice on how to go up a hill without too much of a rollback (I roll back enough to hit the car behind me but fortunately this has not happened) This is probably one of my worst problems...hills
When I shift to another gear the car boggles and jolts...so I know I'm not doing it right...sometimes it's smooth sometimes it's not. Any advice here also? Is what I'm doing hurting the clutch?
How long does it take usually before you have to replace the clutch? And if my clutch goes out, will it be covered under Honda warranty (i'm thinking it's not).
I stalled a lot the first day so my prelude took a beating...
I think those are my only problems so far ... I practice everyday to get better at it ... but just wanted to get some advice
Sorry for the amount of questions ... but thanks for taking the time to answer them (if u do)
BTW, I'm new here (as you can see by these questions haha) ... I drive a 2001 Satin Silver lude ... so just wanted to say whats up!
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2K1 Satin Silver Metallic
5 Speed Base
dont worry too much , the stock clutch can take a good beating, and no the clutch is not covered under warranty ...
i learned to drive stick on my 01 lude as well, practice makes perfect...
when on a hill , just dont think ur on a hill and drive like its just a flat road, usually ur nervous and thats what causes u to roll back a little and u give a lotta gas.. most of us have been through what ur experiencing just have fun
Ok, starting off like that is murdering your clutch if you do it that way every time. 2k-3k is way to high to start if you're just driving normally. Since you already found the engagement point, what you have to do is bring the clutch to that point and then start giving it gas as you slowly let off the clutch... your rpms should start out pretty low and you shouldn't really get above 2k or so until you're completely off the clutch.
Until you get better at starting off smoothly from a hill, you could use the ebrake. What you do is pull the ebrake up while you're stopped, so that way when you start off you won't roll back. Once you feel the car sort of fight to move let off the ebrake and go. You really should practice on a hill with no cars around you so you don't have to do that, though.
I roll back a lot going uphill from a stop. Any advice on how to go up a hill without too much of a rollback (I roll back enough to hit the car behind me but fortunately this has not happened)
Try using the parking break. When you feel your car is moving forward, put more gas in and relase more clutch just like you would on flat land. Eventually, you can do it without the parking break and let the car roll back a bit and go, but this takes practice.
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Rides on H&R Sports and KYB AGX.
Now with OEM lip, Mugen sides and rear and Apex'i World Sport!
ebrake is good until you get the feel for where the engagement point is
once you got that engagement point memorized, try without ebrake. Lift quickly to that point and then slow ur foot down and proceed as you would normally. What usually causes people to roll back is because they take forever to find the engagement point, slowly lifting up on the clutch. If you can memorize the engagement point, then you'll be able to minimize the lag between the green light and when you start moving.
Good way to memorize the engagement point:
sit on a flat street/parking lot. Put the car in gear, and slowly lift up on the clutch. The car will move as the clutch starts to engage, stop, and then clutch back in. Do this over and over without touching the gas pedal. Slowly lift up, and when you feel it move/engage, then press down on the pedal again. If you stall then you lifted up too far. Just get that engagement point memorized on a flat road, test yourself by having a friend say go at a random time and see how long it'll take for you to get moving. Once you get that down, then try the same practice on a slight hill, and gradually try steeper hills. If you spend a day or two doing this, I guarantee big big improvement.
I know exactly how you feel, I learned to drive stick on my Prelude also. When I was learning, I only would take the car out at 1:00 in the morning so there would be nobody else on the streets...hehe
I agree with what's been said already. Learning the engagement point just comes with seat time. When starting out from a dead stop, you don't need to rev the engine that much - maybe up to 1.5k before slipping out the clutch. Eventually you will learn to bring the clutch up almost to the engagement point before you apply the gas. Hills ARE scary when you are starting out! That was my biggest fear, rolling back into someone. Again, it all comes back to knowing the engagement point - you will learn to let the clutch out faster and hit the gas faster.
Changing gears...I suspect you are giving it too much gas and letting the clutch out too fast. If you are not racing, you don't need to rev it too much when upshifting. Just a little bit of gas will do.
i think the best way to learn the engagement point is to go to a decent hill. slow to a stop but balance your clutch so you dont move. then start moving and stop again. keep doing that and try getting a feel that way. the e-brakes a good idea too for when your near people. try to engage the clutch at the lowest point you can with the lowest rpms. eventually you could probabbly move a little bit just with idle and not touching the pedal. itll be awhile before you start out fast because you have to get the balance point right. also you have to let your rpms drop everytime you shift gears. dont keep them at the same level when you shift thats one reason you jolt (besides letting it out too fast) your causing wear on your tranny by dumping it every time. youll learn how much approx you drop every gear and sometime soon you wont even need to look at the speedo/tach, or listen to the engine. youll get the feel.
ive always found this to be true. no clutch/manual transmission is the same. it will take a u a few minutes to get used to it. if ur learning it may take u a week or it may take u a month. its just using ur head and thinkin and making stuff become habit
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Originally posted by Outlawgirl Mr. Penishead is big but sooooo cute. How did he get that big??
you've only been driving for 2 days. A week or two later, you'll get the hang of it. It just takes time to get used to. I had the same problems like you too the first week. Later on, it was breeze. Good luck and welcome to board.
Yep it's pretty much just the old saying: Practice makes Perfect. I'm 16 and I just got a 99 Lude. Luckily I didn't have to learn on it. I learned to drive a manual on my dad's 87 Porsche 944 Turbo. I just went to parking lots and practiced starting. At the begginning I stalled a bunch and was a bit discouraged, but I practiced. I just kept starting and then stopping and then starting again. I still have a little fear of hills which is a problem because at my school there's a pretty big hill and cars get backed up at it. So I plan to go to the hill before school starts and hope there's no cars and just keep going up it from a dead stop. That's the main thing and the best advice anyone can give you. Just keep at it and practice, you'll get it. I personally have never tried the e-brake method, but have heard it all over and I think it's a pretty good idea if you are going to be driving on city streets and you are not yet fully competent at a manual.
No one have mention this so I guess I will. Pulling the e-brake is a good idea, but you gotta do it right. Step on the clutch and shift to first with your right foot still on the brakes. Pull the e-brake with your right hand while holding down on the button and hold it there. Let off the brake and slowly gas the rpm to about 1.5 and let the clutch out while releasing the e-brake slowly. By the time you start moving you have release the e-brake all the way down.
After you get a hang of driving on a hill you won't have to do that anymore. If you want, you can always learn to heel toe and not have the problem with sliding backwards anymore.
I just got my lude a few weeks ago I had the same problems on hills.
All you got to do is when you on a incline keep you foot on the brake put the car in first with the brake in let off the clutch about 1/3 of the way (or just pass the engagement point) when it is time to go quickly take you foot off the brake and push the gas since the clutch is out disengaged some what the car will not roll back that much. It will take some practice but it is not that hard to do, and if some jack ass pulls right up to you bumper use the e-brake to be safe.
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Brian
"I thought this caution was fruitless; and, cheering myself with the reflection that there was a time allotted for me to die as well as to be born, I instantly cast off all fear or thought whatever of death" ~ Olaudah Equiano
When I shift to another gear the car boggles and jolts...so I know I'm not doing it right...sometimes it's smooth sometimes it's not
When you car dose this it is because you letting off the clutch to fast and not giving it enough gas. If it starts to jolt back and forth simply press in the clutch and try again.
What I hate about driving a stick uphill is say your driving uphill (about 50 to 65 degree hill) and in front and back of you there is traffic and there is a stop sign in coming up...and as you slow down to let the car ahead of you stop u have to switch into a lower gear (saying 2nd) then when that car in front of you have moved you need to move into 1st gear to get going, BUT THE DAMN GEAR BOX LOCK YOU OUT...so you end up having to hold on the brake and make sure your car is at a complete stop so you can switch back into 1st...holding up traffic for about a sec or 2(but still too long)...well that is what I had to deal with everyday when going to my college campus which is up in the hills...but overtime i learned to spool up the 2nd gear( which i burn the clutch more) to get going...
Yup that what I HATE MOST...really kills my CLUTCH
Hey thanks everybody for all the advice! I think I got getting out of first down ... I don't rev as much as I did earlier in the week. I took the advice about letting the clutch out 1/3 of the way and then giving it gas and it works sooo much better. Still having trouble on the hills but improving I guess...
Thanks again for the advice ... keep it coming
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2K1 Satin Silver Metallic
5 Speed Base
if you give it a week, you will get use to the feel of the car and driving a manual...i just got my prelude like two weeks ago and i learned on it and it didnt take me long at all, once you get passed your nervousness and stuff, you will do fine....plus youve only been driving two days....so dont sweat it....plus your clutch can take quite a beating
Originally posted by XxPreLuDeBo1xX What I hate about driving a stick uphill is say your driving uphill (about 50 to 65 degree hill) and in front and back of you there is traffic and there is a stop sign in coming up...and as you slow down to let the car ahead of you stop u have to switch into a lower gear (saying 2nd) then when that car in front of you have moved you need to move into 1st gear to get going, BUT THE DAMN GEAR BOX LOCK YOU OUT...so you end up having to hold on the brake and make sure your car is at a complete stop so you can switch back into 1st...holding up traffic for about a sec or 2(but still too long)...well that is what I had to deal with everyday when going to my college campus which is up in the hills...but overtime i learned to spool up the 2nd gear( which i burn the clutch more) to get going...
Yup that what I HATE MOST...really kills my CLUTCH
Lol. No offence but roads are not as steep as 50-65 degrees.
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This is probably one of my worst problems...hills
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