learning how to drive

[shadowspecter]

YEAH!!!!!
I'm starting to learn how to drive...I already know how to drive an automatic car, so now I'm about to learn how to drive a manual one. My parents are teaching me, but I think they are keeping some info away from me on how to fully use the stick shift...but anyways can some of you that uses a shifter tell me when your suppose to shift? My parents told me when to shift, but they never told me why...So can you guys/ladies help me out?

[johnny]

Press that pedal and don't let go.

[Harkoliar]

ignore johnny thats the best way to the hostpital [img]tongue.gif[/img] of course thats tempting as well.

i tried teaching my gf once on how to drive.. manually.. my first and last time.. because i was already nearly screaming since we were going straight towards a cliff! good thing my hand was on the handbrake. after that experience.. im leaving it to the professionals to teach her.

oh yeah for tips on manual..
- try to control the clutch handling..
- try to get the "feel" of the car when you are going to shiftup.. or just look at the REV Timer. Just make sure it doesnt go to the red mark.
- its all about experience.. just practice (safely of course) till you get it right.

ps: what i mean about the "feel" is how you feel your engine running at that current speed. if your engine is having a hard time.. then go to the next gear. cheers!

[Intrepid]

With enough experience it is possiple to change gears without the clutch so long as the revs are near perfect, well you probably shouldn't do that while youre learning it is a bit dangerous, for the gearbox anyway.
Yeah i lernt when i was about 10 on an old kingswood ute, that was a coulum shift, now that is intresting.

[Skunk]

Originally posted by shadowspecter: YEAH!!!!! I'm starting to learn how to drive...I already know how to drive an automatic car, so now I'm about to learn how to drive a manual one. My parents are teaching me, but I think they are keeping some info away from me on how to fully use the stick shift...but anyways can some of you that uses a shifter tell me when your suppose to shift? My parents told me when to shift, but they never told me why...So can you guys/ladies help me out?

I tried to answer your question twice - but it always sounded more complicated than it really is - but then I found this:

http://www.2pass.co.uk/gears.htm

which is fairly self-explanatory. Although I would also add that the object of the game is to keep the rev counter down vis a vis your speed, so that your engine is working as efficiently as possible; in that way burning less fuel and keeping the engine cool.

[ 01-09-2004, 12:04 PM: Message edited by: Skunk ]

[Rataxes]

Gears work in pretty much the same way in bikes as they do in cars, and the reason you shift between different gears depending on speed and terrain is exactly the same. Just think of your legs as the engine.

[ 01-09-2004, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: Rataxes ]

[Paladin2000]

I have never bothered much about the RPM meter most of the times. From my personal experience, when the engine starts to run a little "tight", it is about time to shift up.

If you slows down the car and the throttle "feels" a little "weak" (you have to apply a lot of pressure to move the car), it is time to shift down.

Learning to play around with the clutch is a little bit tricky. If you release the clutch too soon, the engine will stall; if you let it go too late, the engine will sort of "rev" louder but the car is hardly moving.

Anyway, I think there is no substitute for good old hands on learning. Remember, each car has different clutch setting. Some cars have "tighter" clutch, which means that you only need to release the clutch a little to get the car going.

Whereas some cars have "looser" clutch setting, you need to release more clutch before you can put more pressure on the throttle or the car will "rev" louder without moving.

[ 01-09-2004, 01:35 PM: Message edited by: Paladin2000 ]

It also depends on how powerful the car you are driving is, how the gear ratios are stacked, and how much low-down/midrange torque (pulling power) the car has and then this all depends on how the gear ratios are stacked, a car with a short ratio gear box would require earlier and more frequent gear changes than a car with a longer ratio box. A car with a sharp sudden power delivery such as many turbo charged cars would often require more frequent gear changes to keep the turbo on boil and the engine in the power band than a big lazy V8 which has a very wide power curve. Confusing ?

It is not something you can be told how to do as such, you just get a feel for the car you are driving and know when to do it based on these things, more simply however change up if the engine is getting a bit loud and coarse and the revs are getting a little high (unless you are really wanting to be giving it some ) and change down before the car gets to the point when it can no longer accelerate comfortably in said gear. You will just get the feel of how you drive a manual car smoothly.

No offence, but you haven't really learned to drive until you can drive a manual, 'tis much more rewarding, the control you have over the car is far greater. But then all this can be spoilt by nasty gear boxes and nasty clutches, still I wouldn't worry about those at this stage. Good luck.

[ 01-10-2004, 10:13 AM: Message edited by: Hesperex ]

[B_part]

Interesting question: when shift and why? Here's my 2 cents:

As someone pointed out, it depends on the car and the gear ratios, but every car has an optimal torque power at a certain rpm. You must know your car to know exactly where it is (in mine it's about 2500 rpm), but the trick is that if the engine is too "noisy" (and only your ear can tell you that), it's time to go one gear up. If the car doesn't respond when you press the pedal, it's time to go down.

[Simplicistic explanation of how gears work starts: skip it if you get bored, but be sure to read at the end, there are tips from my experience]

If you have a bike with gears, you are going to easily understand what I am about to say. If you don't, well, it's gonna be a bit more difficult.
Anyway, changing gears means changing the number of revolutions your wheels do per engine cycle. upper gears mean more turns, lower gears less turns. Since every engine cycle can give you only a finite amount of power, upshifting means you will put less power in a single wheel turn, but your wheels will turn more (=you go faster). [This is not completely true, but it's true enough]

This explains why you can start moving only with 1st or at most 2nd gear: upper gears cannot put enough power into the first wheel turns, and the engine stalls because it cannot turn anymore.
Also, if you start to go fast, you will need to upshift: going at 36 kph means moving at 10 meters/sec. No matter what, if your wheels have a circonference of 1 m, they will need to turn 10 times per second. suppose your 1st gear has a ratio of engine cycles/wheel turns of 50/1 and your 2nd gear of 25/1 (I'm making numbers up). at 30 kph, in 1st gear, your engine will be at 3000 rpm (500 rpsec), in 2nd at 1500 rpm. (Different noise, different fuel consumption, but also different torque).

[End of explanation]

But in practice what should you do? experience will come, just bear in mind that you should downshift every time you want more power, and the gear you are currently using gives you an rpm under the optimum.
And also:

1)Before passing a car, downshift one: that will give you more torque and allow you to accelerate faster, thus completing the manouver faster.
But be sure to watch your speed: if you are already fast enough, keep your current gear - downshifting would not give you more torque.
Example from real life: Fiat Punto 1.2 16V
I'm at 90 kph, 5th gear 2000 rpm. Optimal torque at 2500 rpm. Downshift to 4th gear 3000 rpm, floor the pedal, upshift again at 110 / 120 kph.
I'm at 100 kph, 5th gear 2500 rpm. Optimal torque, just push and go.

2)When you are braking. Downshifting one or more will ease your brake - the engine resists the increase in rpm, thus acting as a brake.

3)Before a turn.
When turning, you need to slightly accelerate - no, I'm not joking, this helps a lot to control the car. Braking during a turn is dangerous - you might lose control.
So downshift one: this way you can benefit from the engine-brake effect that will help you slow down. Also, having more power during the turn will allow you to better control the car.

4)You are cruising along at constant speed. try to keep the gear that gives you optimal performance or slightly under that. this way you'll spare fuel.

[ 01-10-2004, 06:48 PM: Message edited by: B_part ]

That was a pretty good explanation, sort of what I was saying only much more clearly put.