Stick Shift Driving

NYC Driving Lessons

Maintaining a Stick Shift Car

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Maintenance of a stick shift car usually revolves around two things that are exclusively separate from an automatic car. I’m not going to talk about the synchronizer because I feel like it is in the same context as the gears. A synchronizer makes sure you can switch gears without any grinding. If you have a problem switching gears or hear/feel a grinding noise, it may very well be your synchronizer that needs to be replaces.

Clutch Maintenance


The best way to maintain the clutch is to make sure that your driving habits are not prematurely wearing it out. Here are a few examples of bad habits. On a hill, you want to hold yourself still by balancing the clutch and gas as you await a light to change. This is definitely not worth it. If you want to avoid holding the foot brake or rolling back,  just use the emergency brake to hold you there for launch.

Gas can also be an issue that may go unnoticed. Too much gas can add a little more friction, meaning more wear on the clutch. The car only needs a little bit of gas and maybe an increase at the right time to get going. Holding onto the clutch too long while giving a lot of gas will add most of the wear to your clutch. Now there’s nothing that you can do about how long you hold the clutch because no matter what, you have to hold it until the car is moving at a certain speed to avoid stalling. What you can do, is decrease the gas to make the wear of you riding that clutch for the short time frame that you are, less damaging.

Now if you’ve successfully managed to preserve your clutch, it’ll last you anywhere between 5-10 years, or even more depending on your location. The best way to tell if you need a new clutch is to test where it catches. If it starts to catch really high, then it’s pretty worn. It’s the same concept as having to step harder on brakes to make stop the car because the material is worn. You can also identify a worn clutch if it begins to “slip”. Meaning if you give it a lot of gas, it will rev the engine, but not move the car, almost as if you’re revving the engine in neutral. A good way to test for slippage is to put the car in a high gear at a low speed and really floor the gas. The car shouldn’t really be going anywhere if you’re at a low speed in high gear. If the engine races, then you definitely need to replace your clutch.

Handling Gears

Gears shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The metal that gears are made out of are extremely durable and can withstand a lot of punishment. Most stick shift cars today will last you a lifetime without any problems with your gears. Gears can wear down, also causing slippage, but a worn gear will result in grinding noises when slipping. It’s really not pleasant and needs attention.

Make sure you get into the habit of clutching completely down before switching gears to avoid damaging your gears.

I just had to replace my clutch a few months ago. That’s a pain in the ass for a stick shift driver, but it lasted me about three years. Considering all the lessons I give with it, that’s a pretty good lifespan if you ask me. It ran me about $500 for me 2003 accord. Not bad when you consider the price difference in maintaining a stick shift transmission vs an automatic transmission. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below.

Preparing to Drive Stick Shift

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Stick shift and automatic follow the same rules of the road. However, there are a few differences in stick shift driving that may have you feeling awkward.


Stick Shift Key Points

  • Having comfortable footwear is essential for handling the clutch
  • Seating position is important. You might have to move your seat up
  • Use the ball of your foot on the clutch to push it down
  • If you need to adjust your foot on the clutch, put the car in neutral first
  • Push the clutch down all the way until it hits the floor
  • Don’t lean your heel on the floor. Keep your foot lifted
  • The gas is more sensitive initially, until the clutch starts engaging

 

Stick Shift Preparation

The first thing you want to do before you even get into a stick shift car is making sure you’re wearing proper shoes. Sneakers work best. Often times, people will have a hard time with boots, flip flops and dress shoes. The clutch pedal itself is very awkward, so proper footwear is important.

The next most important thing is seating position. This is very important because of the clutch. You want to make sure you can go down on the clutch all the way until it can’t go anymore comfortably. Make sure you have your other foot down on the brakes when you go down on the clutch, just a good habit for safety. When pressing down on the clutch, use the ball of your foot. Get into the habit of having your foot lifted the entire time instead of resting your heel on the floor as you use the clutch.


Simple Things to Look out For

For a beginner driving stick shift, sometimes you will need to adjust your foot position on the clutch. If you find yourself holding the clutch down in an awkward position, just pop it out of gear and into neutral, adjust your foot and you’re ready to go!


When starting up on the gas, you will notice that the engine is extremely sensitive and will rev quickly. This is because the engine is not engaged to anything and has no force to pull yet. The more you come off the clutch,  the more friction, meaning the engine (gas pedal) will become less sensitive.

Driving manual transmission on open roads is not as dangerous for beginners as one would think. Traffic laws, distancing, etc is all the same on the road. Starting and stopping will be the main issue. Follow these few simple steps and make stick shift driving an easier task.

 

To learn more about a manual transmission, you can check out the stick shift wiki

Stick Shift Driving Lesson: Hill Starts

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Hill starts have to be the hardest skill to tackle for new stick shift drivers by far.  If pulling off from a dead stop wasn’t hard enough, add the pressure of rolling back and the feeling of losing control of the car………….Now that’s stressful for any beginner.

 

Key Points for Hill Starts

    • Don’t panic. Panic will get in the way of your concentration and create more room for error.
    • Don’t hesitate! The more you hesitate, the more time you allow for the car to roll back on a hill start!!
    • Come off of the clutch quickly into the friction point, but do not come off the clutch fully!
    • Hold your foot on the clutch at the friction point long enough for the car to pick up enough speed to avoid stalling.



Panic

Panic is probably the number one thing that makes hill starts for a beginner so hard. The idea of losing control and the sensation of “falling back” coming together make concentration really hard. The best way to eliminate the panic is to find a wide, clear hill with very little traffic and practice.

The last thing you want to do is probably going to be the first thing you’re going to do out of reflex. Slamming on the gas and popping of the clutch is the worst thing you can do. Giving the car excessive gas won’t help stop the roll back because the clutch isn’t engaged yet. Popping off the clutch quickly will engage the clutch quick, but the clutch to gas ratio is out of balance so the car will jolt forward and the wheels will probably skid.

 

Hesitation



Hesitation is the second reflex to get rid of. Since adding excess gas and popping of the clutch made the car jump forward uncomfortably, now there is hesitation. The second to last thing you want to do is to come off the clutch VERY slowly while increasing the gas excessively. You’ll quickly notice that no matter how much gas you give it, the car will not go anywhere. That’s because the clutch isn’t engaged so the car can’t go anywhere.

 

Starting Smoothly on a Hill

Getting a smooth hill start with a stick shift car takes time and practice. The time to learn it can be cut down drastically with the proper techniques to practice.

The key is to come off the clutch into the catch point quickly and without hesitation. The catch point is the point of release on the clutch where the car starts to react (move, shutter, etc). Once at the friction point, you should hold your foot there until the car gains some speed before letting the clutch go completely.


The gas is very important in this picture. Gas should be applied before reaching the friction point so the reaction of the car at the friction point is more efficient.

Don’t worry so much about giving it a lot of gas or too little at the moment. As you get better, you will naturally find the right balance of gas. For now, just focus on climbing the hill with little to no rolling.

You can check out more about Hill Starts at this site for a different opinion.

Quick. Catch. Hold……Success!

 

Stick Shift Driving in Extreme Weather

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Driving stick shift in heavy snow, rain or wind can be dangerous if not done correctly. If driven  correctly, a manual transmission car can be more effective than an automatic car in extreme weather.

 

Down Shifting

Downshifting can be very helpful in slick conditions. For example; if the road is snowy and you find yourself going down a hill, downshifting gently and progressively is an easier way to slow the car down than stepping on the brakes. Stepping on the brakes can possibly cause the wheels to lock and for you to lose control.

Granted, if you downshift too abruptly, you can also cause the wheels to lose traction and control. The trick is to be comfortable with the clutch and the gear box.

 

Pulling Off

Pulling off in severe weather is generally easier in stick shift vehicles because you can control the acceleration to a higher degree in a manual car. Just letting off the clutch slightly until the car begins to react can help you crawl out of snow and ice more effectively than releasing the brake in an automatic car.


While there are advantages to driving stick shift in extreme conditions, there is still a bigger learning curve than automatic driving. Being proficient in stick shift driving is the first step before being able to handle extreme conditions more effectively.

The advantage is definitely there. It’s up to you to learn what it takes!

Stick Shift Driving Lesson: Engine Braking

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Engine Braking



Engine Braking is an out dated tactic for the most part. Now that most cars have power brakes, applying the clutch and simply braking is simple and effective enough to come to a stop from any speed.

Engine braking does have a purpose though, When slowing down drastically, but not completely stopping, it can help. This is where driving a stick shift car has it’s advantage. The lower the gear you are in, the more responsive the car is when you step on the gas. When we slow down to make a turn and downshift, it is a much better alternative to stepping on the brakes and then downshifting when we complete the turn. Engine braking is an advanced tool, but one you will naturally start doing when you get better. Why? Because it’s much smoother.


Sometimes, engine braking becomes practical in extreme weather situations. If the road is icy, slamming the brakes might make the car slide. Clutching down a gear while releasing the clutch slowly might be just what you need instead of the very sensitive brakes. Even though power brakes and new technology have made engine braking a thing of the past, it can be used effectively and comfortably. Play around with engine braking a little and see how it feels.