meeno

ok here's the deal...

i will most likely be getting a 6mt z soon, and i wanted to be sure that i would be able to drive it home the first time stall-free. keep in mind i only have five minutes total experience driving stick...i know how it all works but i guess i just need some tips that are particular to the z...

the reason i'm so worried is because i am co-purchasing this car with my dad...if he sees that i can't drive it properly on the test drive, it will mean 5at for me

my biggest concern is getting it rolling...if anyone can give me step-by-step detailed instructions that would be greatly appreciated.

please help me out!!

The Brickyard Rat

iTrader: (1)

Clutch in & car in first gear (on level ground)

-Slowly release clutch untill you feel the car start to move

-push down on gas pedal (about 1/4 to 1/3)

-release clutch.

You really should get practice before having to drive off the dealer lot. How about asking your dad if you can rent a stick if you don't know anyone who has one. I would think he would appreciate your wanting to learn.

ares

iTrader: (2)

5 minutes of stick experience, not to be negative but theres no way youll get it going without stalling atleast a few times.

I had 6months of stick experience, my dad had many years(20years ago). we both got in, went to drive and... stall. unless your 5min was on a similair sports car a brand new clutch on the Z is not at all forgiving.

best you can do is rev high, 2000RPM or so, and slowly release the clutch. that may cause some bounce, but you wont stall.

Id try to explain it to your dad, your not born with the skill, gotta practice. how will you ever learn if you dont have a stick shift?

LaoSiFu

iTrader: (97)

Nothing harsh but practice driving stick before purchasing the car. You don't want to make yourself look like a fool burning your clutch all the way home. and esp. in traffic. That is my opinion

DB19

Go test drive some other stick shift cars before the Z if you don't have a friend that can teach you on theirs. I learned while test driving a BMW 325i, Acura RSX, and Audi A4 before test driving the Z and didn't stall it once. Although my starts were a little jumpy.

dchengmd

My advice: keep the heel of your left foot on the floor as a pivot in order to let the clutch out smoothly and in a controlled manner.

I've seen way too many people try to actuate the clutch with their entire left leg, only to have the car lurch and stall because they let the clutch out too fast.

meeno

I did the same...

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....ick+drive+test

So say I rev to 1K...All I do is let out the clutch very very slowly...correct? How long should it take from the time my foot is on the floor to the time th clutch is completely out?

THANKS!! Im one step closer to the Z

SHO-TIME

iTrader: (9)

i recommend you take some classes b4 you pick up your z.

Jetpilot718

1000rpm with your level of skill, and you will most likely stall it. Pull around 1500-2000 at first, and be quick on the clutch so if it starts to shake and stall, nail it back in (the clutch that is, not the gas!) and try again. That type of "stall" isnt as bad for the engine as a full on, engine shuts off stall.

TakeiteZ

hey... well actually what people said is right, the Z is not forgiving when it comes to stalling, but, i've noticed that if you're quick enough that you can catch it a lot by quickly pushing the clutch in...

here's what i did out of the dealership:

put the car into first with the clutch all the way on the ground, with your left heel planted on the carpet...

the accelerator is sensitive so lightly keep your foot on it, revving to about 1,750-2,000... and slowly, and i mean realll slowly, start releasing the clutch. Since the clutch is kinda long, it'llbe a few mm before you actually feel anything. Then, when it starts to initiate, you'll see the revs drop, so even it out, a little more gas with a little less clutch. dont fully release the clutch at any time before you've got it going becuse it pops easily...

also, when shifting to 2nd... if you shift slowly and let the revs drop and then let the clutch go too fast, it will jerk a lot and your VDC will probably kick in. what i did was when shifting just push the clutch all the way in, shift quickly and then take your foot off the clutch in a fluid, swift motion so it catches 2nd gear right around 2k (considering you do the shift at ~4k)

good luck, i had a few hard times on the hills but the clutch is a little weird to get used to.

im not a pro driver at all... just giving you some tips because i had a tough time at first too

o snap its eric

iTrader: (5)

Best way i learned was not to watch your RPMS. Its better to "feel" your car. But i would suggest not to bring your RPM over 2k. Watching your RPMs is just gonna get yoyu scared. If you a noob at stick its garrenteed that you stall so you might as well burn your clutch and stall and get a feel of your car/clutch rather than burning cluth and stall without knowing how your car is and just go by looking at your RPMS and not knowing how your car works.

billdo

iTrader: (3)

This is seriously ridiculous, trying to get online coaching on how to drive a stick. I had 5 years experience driving stick and 2 years on a motorcycle (still a clutch), and I feel I am very lucky to not have YET stalled my Z in the 2 days I've had it. And I'm still pretty sure it's going to happen soon.

It's also dangerous, because if you freak out and pop the clutch and push the gas to far for even a second you will lurch potentially very far forward before you get to the break. Hopefully you don't total the car and others on the lot if that happens.

Via con Dios man

yobri

iTrader: (2)

If you can wait, get some more practice with MT... the Z doesn't have the most accommodating clutch in the world, well at least not compared to virtually all non to semi-sports car clutches (RSX, Celica, Prelude, etc.).

[According to your dad] If your driving skill level is contingent upon which transmission that you will have to get, then you will most likely be leaving the dealership with the 5AT. Your best bet to not stall is to ride the clutch a little longer than usual (until you can be sure that you are properly engaged)... not good from a wear standpoint, but is your best bet at your level of experience with your seemingly short timeframe to learn (and with the Z, at that).

Bertg

Do you have any friends that have a manual transmission car? Don't sweat it though. Once you're comfortable with getting out of first gear, the rest is a piece of cake!

meeno

I understand that no matter how much you read, you still need practice. I am just getting some advice from others before I try it...the advice thus far definitely will get me going much faster than if I just went to drive with no help.

Most likely I will be getting some sort of lessons

But until then, here are the steps to correctly launching if I'm not mistaken:

-Clutch in, 1st gear

-Rev to 1.5K, and keep it steady

-Now the part thats getting me, Lets say I slowly let out the clutch smoothly and evenly, without adding any more throttle, I should be moving, correct?

thanks

Bertg

-Now the part thats getting me, Lets say I slowly let out the clutch smoothly and evenly, without adding any more throttle, I should be moving, correct?

Yes, the car will be moving! If you think you're going to stall, push the clutch back in, give it a little more throttle and let the clutch out again.

billdo

iTrader: (3)

Sorry if I came down on you a little hard in my first post. By your willingness to ask for advice you just might have the head to safely learn to do this.

The first stick I ever drove was the first car I ever drove which was a Porsche 944. I stalled it like 2 times and then the really cool friend teaching me said,
"don't even touch the gas. Just let out the clutch slooowwwly."

I let it out ever so slowly and we started to move. You will move with no gas! The way an automatic moves when in drive without pressing the gas peddle. It's the idle speed. That is the time to apply the smallest amount of gas you can imagine and then let out a little more clutch, give the slightest amount more gas and let the clutch out a little more, and repeat.

I bought a 600cc crotchrocket motorcycle before I barely knew how to ride a bike. Know what I did? I had the dealership deliver it to my house (using the excuse that I had no motorcycle license yet - hehe) and then learned on small streets instead of killing myself by riding it home.

Do yourself a favor and take the pressure off yourself by having your dad drive it home and then learn the starts on side streets.

And take it slow and use your head.

yobri

iTrader: (2)

Good advice from billdo.

If you do decide to drive the car back from the dealership yourself, stay away from hills like the dickens!

dvlad

driving a stick is really easy. Don't let everyone confuse you.

1.Depress clutch.

2.Raise RPM's to 3500rpm

3.Side step clutch

4.Off you go.

5.Get new RE040's in 3 months

The Brickyard Rat

iTrader: (1)

3500 RPM..............nope