Exactly my point.

 

Pick a gear, like 3rd, and stay in it. There is no need to row down through the gears to approach a stop light, especially if you aren't good at downshifting, and there is no need to coast in neutral.

Your friend is right and wrong. You never NEED the clutch to get out of gear, but you SHOULD use it anyway. The trick to getting out of gear without using the clutch is to give some gas, apply some pressure on the shifter and then let off the gas. Right as you let off the gas it will slide right out of gear. I wouldn't recommend making a habit out of doing this. The transmission is not designed to be operated with the clutch engaged. Just my .02

 

Nice guide. The one part I disagree with is if on level surface, stopped, your foot should not be on any pedal. The first time you get rear-ended while first at a busy intersection stop light will change that thinking right away.

 

I can down and upshift without the clutch, and it's smooth as butter, but it's not fast, doesn't save any time or gas, so just drive normal.

 

[QUOTE=DarkVeil]


Also, one last question. A guy at work told me that you should never need to clutch-in to flick the gear shift into neutral. Is that really healthy for the car? I always clutch-in first because I'm paranoid, but I'm just wondering.

QUOTE]

It's not a bad thing to do. I do it every once in awhile when I'm feeling too lazy to push in the clutch. If you can put VERY little pressure on the shifter and it comes out of gear than its not gonna harm anything. If it requires pressure than there is too much pressure on the drive train to let the shifter out of gear, so push the clutch in. Don't force it. I'm generrally able to just let of the gas slowly and put a little pressure on the stick and you'll feel the shifter release.

 

wow, i'll sleep better after reading this!!!!!!!!!

 

^^ I’m with you...
The proper way of driving a stick? **** if you need to ask the simple response for you is Automatic.

 

I don't know about you, but I prefer to keep my foot on the brake.

-djb

 

You guys cant be serious? Whether you have your foot on the brake or not, when you get rear-ended, and your first in line, you are GOING into that intersection whether you like it or not. You mean to tell me, that you have your foot pushed down as hard as possible on that brake pedal at every intersection you stop at? A tiny bit of pressure on your brake pedal is not going to stop a 35mph car hitting you in the back and hinder it from throwing you into the intersection.

 

Straighten your panties up.

I put my foot on the brake so if somebody taps me, I don't A) get shoved into an intersection or B) get shoved into the car in front of me. I do this for the same reason I take my car out of gear when I'm at a stop light. I didn't say I press down as hard as possible. What was it you called someone earlier in this thread? Was it "tard?" Better look in the mirror.

You CAN minimize your forward motion if your foot is on the brake already if somebody hits you, even if you're hit at full speed, and your reaction time can be decreased greatly if your foot is already there. You can't hurt anything by having your foot on the brake, and it can only help if somebody hits you. My way, if someone hits me at low speed, I'm not going anywhere. Your way, you're moving forward. It's called being a safe driver and guarding yourself against the idiots on the road - you might want to look into it.

Oh, the irony - the guy lecturing about driving a MT doesn't think it's a good idea to take precautions when stopped....

-djb <-- checks his rearview mirror occasionally when at a stop, too *gasp*

 

rofl @ threads like these. If you need to read a tutorial on how to shift then you obviously shouldn't be driving a manual.

 

when I see someone coming up fast behind me when stopped at a light, I clutch and brake and shift to 1st so I can move forward to (possibly avoid) any sillyness. Most crashes here happen right after the rain starts and people dont adjust their following distance to compensate for the oil that comes up from the road.Low speed crashes can sometimes be avoided by inching forward.

 

Same thoughts here.

 

Ok so most of us don't need the guide. Good. BUT it obvously did stir up some conversation and make people think about driving well, which can't hurt. My absolute FAVORITE thing is when someone posts something, just trying to be helpful, and 12 asshats jump all over him because they "already know" and or "don't need" his post. Seriously...just read it and move on instead of flaming.

 

Stopping at a red light with the clutch pressed in for say 30-45 second with the engine turning 800rpm isn't very much wear on the TO bearing. Not like the wear it gets from resting your foot on the clutch while you drive down the highway at 3000 rpm for an hour or two. People wear them out by riding the pedal, not by using it as intended.

 

Thank you, im simply trying to help those who are learning or in the process of, if youre a track monster and a know-it-all, simply move on. I created this thread on G35driver and I had positive responses. This forum is seriously worlds apart from G35driver, and not in a positive way either. Im almost glad I dont drive a Z

 

I suspect that the ratio of MT:AT for Z's is the same as AT:MT for G's. That's why the difference in attitudes toward another "how to drive an MT" thread.

 

ever heard of brake boosting?

 

thats only for turbocharged cars, and just wears your brakes faster

 

And idiotic to be doing unless preparing for a race.