Tips on driving my first stick car.

[Viking]

Ok ladies and gentleman My Si is going to be my first manual car........Im kinda worried about learning the muscle memory and foot work to safely drive this car!!

So does anyone have any tips on learning stick. How should i expect the car/tranny to behave. My biggest fear is having to stop on incline and having to start again with someone right behind lol. I'v heard of using the e-brake to hold the car at the stop until you engage the clutch enough that the car starts to pull away.

[SIchodelic]

Originally Posted by Viking

Ok ladies and gentleman My Si is going to be my first manual car........Im kinda worried about learning the muscle memory and foot work to safely drive this car!!

So does anyone have any tips on learning stick. How should i expect the car/tranny to behave. My biggest fear is having to stop on incline and having to start again with someone right behind lol. I'v heard of using the e-brake to hold the car at the stop until you engage the clutch enough that the car starts to pull away.

Once you start practicing a little bit, I find that just relaxing and not thinking about it too much helps getting out of 1st gear more smoothly. When I look at the tach when taking off, I tend to not engage as smoothly. Feel it out haha

[thinkinblue613]

I'm also a newbie with stick shift... But I only stalled the car ONCE compared to numerous other times before.. lol But I've been practicing on my bro's Prelude, which he doesn't like but has to I guess... I really can't wait till I can actually go out whenever I want to and practice because since its his car, he has to be there and all that.. So I guess I will have to wait.

[Viking]

its gonna be hard for to not think about rolling my car back into someones bumper if i can't get the clutch out smooth and not peel away from the stop sign lol.

[thinkinblue613]

Originally Posted by Viking

its gonna be hard for to not think about rolling my car back into someones bumper if i can't get the clutch out smooth and not peel away from the stop sign lol.

It's really not hard after you practice. But even not thinking about it being an incline helps. IMO, when you release the clutch slowly, press the gas a ton more than you do but at the same time, keep releasing the clutch.

[Aver]

I find that its just about getting to know the car.. when im on a hill i lightly press the gas and then let the clutch out slowly until i feel the car start to pull the smallest amount.. or until it wont move on the incline.. just find some slight incline that is on a less traveled road and practice.. just dont hammer the gas down and let the clutch out fast..

[letsgoflyers81]

I'm a noob at driving a manual car as well. I don't have my Si yet but I've driven a handful of cars to prepare myself, including RedSIinPA's Si. The easiest way I've found is to quickly move from the brake to gas and rev the car to about 1000 RPM and then ease off the clutch. The first time I took a car with stick out on public roads it was a 2000 Corolla and I ended up and a VERY steep incline at a red light with a car maybe two feet behind me. I did that and didn't slide back at all. Some people use the e-brake to help them when starting out but I felt it was just one more thing to coordinate with everything else and wasn't worth it. Just find some hills where there's no traffic and practice until you feel comfortable. If you can find a parking lot with an incline, that'd be a great place to start.

[Si-aficionado]

Once you get the handle in the foot pedal, driving stick will become second nature, it's not hard at all. I too learned on my own. One thing, if the hill is too steep and you need to stop while the car is on, you can use the emergency brake while you are stopped, give it some gas and release the emergency brake as you do so the car doesn't go back.

Obviuosly always start with a level street; here, brand new cars should start to pick up speed as you slowly release the clutch without even giving it gas yet. This is a great advantage because you kinda get the feeling on when you have to press the gas pedal. When coming to a complete stop, I almost always put it in neutral before stopping, this helps when learning so you won't stall all the time when you stop..

[organiz3d_chaos]

just floor it and dump the clutch

[Hankey723]

Once you get the hang of it it will become just a routine thing to do with no trouble at all ...

[Tom1222]

Originally Posted by Viking

its gonna be hard for to not think about rolling my car back into someones bumper if i can't get the clutch out smooth and not peel away from the stop sign lol.

Learn how to slip the clutch. On even ground "slowly" let off on the clutchpedal without giving it any gas. You will feel the clutch engage and the rpms drop. That's when you start to slowly giving it some gas and at the same time letting go a bit further on the clutchpedal. Once the car starts rolling you can let go of the clutchpedal all the way and accellerate at your hearts content Once you got first gear down the others are very easy.

Just give yourself time. Every manual transmission is a bit different and even a seasoned pro sometimes stalls out an engine. It's no big deal.
There is a lot of advice out there but really the only real advice is:
Practice, Practice, Practice!!! it really does make perfect
or at least it will make you more confident

Yes, On the hill you can pull up on the Parking Brake and then slowly release it once you engage the clutch and there is power to the wheels.
Eventually you will not need that crutch and it will become second nature.

On a positive note. This Si is one of the smoothest and easiest Manual transmissions I have ever driven and it's very easy to learn on.

Good Luck to you and remember. Practice, Practice, Practice!!

[Tom1222]

Originally Posted by organiz3d_chaos

just floor it and dump the clutch

Don't listen to him, he works for Michelin or Goodyear

[LunchBoxed]

I'm gonna say the same thing everyone else has, but it's true. With practice comes confidence and once ur confident u won't worry or even think about what ur doin' while u drive. Manuals become second nature, then when u get in an auto it'll feel wrong. I've even accidentally did some two foot driving and stomped the brake in an auto (doesn't look or feel too smooth at all ) cause all I've ever driven is a clutch.

One piece of advice: The Si is short on torque at low rpms, so be extra careful on them hills at first...It's easier to stall out on a hill in a car with low tq.

[foolio_67]

My friend taught me how in his car, we did maybe 4-5 starts on flat and then went to a steep hill. The hill was completely empty and my friend had his hand on the emergency brake. It gave me a really good feel of where the clutch engages and how to just feel it. You should get a friend to help you out with that, it worked really well for me.

[redrocket]

Is it bad to hold down the clutch for more than 3 seconds? My dad holds down the clutch for an entire stop light at times, I try to tell him it'll wear it out. Am I wrong or right?

Also, when I turn the steering wheel, the car makes a odd noise like plastic twisting when I'm moving slow in 1st gear.

[BATANG CITY JAIL]

just apply a gas most of the time and dont be shy stepping on that clatch too..

[CaliGuy]

It's funny I've driver manual for so long that I can't really help. I can explain what I do, but to me it's just automatic. I don't think about it...

I suggest starting practice in an empty parking lot. Hills were scary for me at 15 (when Ifirst drove a manual). I just gave lots of gas and let off the clutch slowly.

One good thing about the Si is the DBW actually lets you let your foot off the gas and clutch in 1st and the car will move forward similar to a automatic. This could be of great help on slight inclines for you. Steeper inclines you might still roll back, but it will be slower...

[BATANG CITY JAIL]

^^^ nope... once you let go of that clutch and that gas in first gear..your car will jerk off and dead..... if you running ..yeah you can let go both as long as your moving.....all the manual car do that...

[CaliGuy]

Originally Posted by BATANG CITY JAIL

^^^ nope... once you let go of that clutch and that gas in first gear..your car will jerk off and dead..... if you running ..yeah you can let go both as long as your moving.....all the manual car do that...

Ok, bro, not to start a war here, but unless my si is funky it DOES move forward, with no jerking in 1st if you let off the gas and clutch slowly, and I don't recall any of my other manuals doing that...

If you meant something else I appologize, your english is a bit hard to understand sometimes (truly no offense intended).

[BATANG CITY JAIL]

can you think of someting else besides my writing?? aint say im going to fight you over that... if you fully let go of the clutch and gas while sitting still it will shut the engine off... but if the car is moving even if its 2mph and you let go of the clutch and gas it wont shut the engine.. and you didnt say anything about moving it slowly.. you said -----One good thing about the Si is the DBW actually lets you let your foot off the gas and clutch in 1st and the car will move forward similar to a automatic. This could be of great help on slight inclines for you. Steeper inclines you might still roll back, but it will be slower...
yeah it will do that but you dont let go of the clutch all the way you hold it befor it cuts off and it will lean the gas of it thats y its moving... and all the manual do that...