Tips for driving manual (and having fun with it)?

[Nacho98]

My Stang is my first manual. Never had anyone to show me how to drive manual, and just kinda figured it out on my own when I had to drive drunk friends' cars, etc. Thus, I know the basics, but my experience has been quite limited. Tell me what you think about my practices below or chime in with some tips:

1) Coming to a stop sign/red light--If say I'm cruising in 4th gear, I usually just use the brakes (car has brakes, may as well use 'em) to slow the car down and then once the engine RPMs drop to around 1000 or I get close to stopping, I'll push in the clutch and either pop it into neutral right as I'm stopping (long light) or down to first (short light or when I know I'll be moving again quickly).

2) Shifting to second gear from first--My car has 3.27s, so 2nd gear comes up pretty quick, but I feel like it's the worst shift. It feels like the slowest, most time-consuming shift. The shift is smooth, but it actually feels like the car literally loses speed during this shift. I usually shift around 3000 rpms, maybe a bit less when doing normal, non-aggressive driving. Any tips? Seems like shifting from 3-->4 and 4-->5 are instant, but that 1-->2 shift is a dog for some reason.

3) Downshifting--I most often need to do this on freeway clovers when going from one freeway to another. I'll almost always come into the ramp in 5th, but I of course need to slow down to like 25 and get it into a nice low forward gear to get ready to speed up and merge to the next freeway as I come out of the clover. If I just downshift to fourth coming into the ramp at say 1500 RPMs, the car of course lurches and slows down and is pretty jerky, and that shock is horrible for the tranny/drivetrain, I realize. So usually what I do again is I use the brakes and wait until the engine is down to like 1000 RPMs and then just shift softly into 4th or better yet 3rd as I'm going around the ramp, and the car doesn't jerk and all is well--but I think this is where I should be learning to heel-toe and rev match? Should I be coming into that ramp in fifth and at like 1500 RPMs or whatever, push the clutch in, shift into 4th, and then blip the throttle to get the engine to about where it would rev to if I put it into fourth before letting out the clutch? Or should I just keep doing what I'm doing since the engine gets down to like 1000 RPMs anyway when I come into the ramp in 5th?

4) I want to start having some fun with the car. So far I've just been putzing around like a grandma getting used to a clutch again. I was cruising in fourth the other day at maybe 40 mph on a two lane road and just punched the gas. I didn't downshift or anything, but just leaving it in the gear it was in and punching it brought a smile to my face the way the car just started pulling instantly, unlike the lag you get in an auto as it downshifts before it starts going. But I want more--I want to really see what this car can do, so I want to drop her down into 3rd or even 2nd and just nail the throttle...again is this where I should be pushing in the clutch, shifting into the gear I want, and then blipping the throttle to rev match before letting out the clutch? Then since I want to nail it, as soon as the clutch is out just punch the gas hard and smile?

Thanks, my biggest concern right now is making sure I'm downshifting properly and getting that 1-->2 shift to be more enjoyable. I've been reading a lot and I really want to be able to come out of curves in the right gear to pull hard out of them without lugging the engine, and I think being able to downshift properly is what will really open up the can of worms on how fun the car can be.

 

[94RedGt]

U should practice downshifting for coming to stops or red lights, not saying coasting to a stop is bad but its always nice to know that you are in the correct gear for the speed that ur going in case u have to suddently get out of the way or if the light changes. The first day i drove my first manual car(little miata, fun little cars but no balls) my brother who was with me told me to downshift for slowing down, engine braking wont put that much stress on your drive train, it helps slow u down without having to use the brakes until u are near the light. I do this with mine, while everyone else is hitting their brakes im camly downshifting from highest to lowest and slowing down at a good rate of speed, u also get those pops if urs exhaust is loud wich is nice .

Dont worry about downshifting that much, revmatching or using heeltoe is not really necessary, i just go from 5 to 4 to 3 without touching the gas and its all fine, modern trannies have syncros for that reason, just let the clutch out easy so u dont smack all that stuff down there. About the 1 to 2 gear slowlyness well not much u can do there , if u want it to be faster then throw the shifter down faster, if ur using stock shifter then be carefull when shifting hard , slaming the stick too far will put some strain on ur syncros , well its what i have heard anyways, u should get an aftermarket shifter if u wanna be safe on that side, they have stop bolts that u can adjust to stop the shift were it will engage and thats it.

All i can say is take care of ur tranny, and i would not recomment shifting the car into 1st if ur still going well over 10 miles, u dont wanna end up like me were i cant even shift into first anymore even when the car is at a stop, i have to shift it to second first then slowly put it in first or it will grind pretty bad, my 1st and 2nd gear syncros are toast, when downshifting into second my tranny will pop out of gear, the stick comes out of second so fast that it will knock u out if u had ur face in the way.

 

[g36 monkey]

If I am down shifting to scoot along, I hit the gas while the clutch is in then let the clutch out, and she's ready to go.

All my friends wonder how I downshift so well. It's a way to impress people who don't know what their doing ;p

 

[Woody6799]

Shifting is never as smooth as you want, my Mustang is my 4th manual and I still find myself with rough shifts and things from time to time. The key is just driving... alot. You will get used to it without a doubt. 1-2 maybe feel rough at 3grand but look for the sweet spot... shift higher, shift lower, find the best you can. Also. try starting in 2nd from a stop, feather the clutch a little more but see if you like that better, just bc you have five gears doesnt mean you have to use all of them in sequence. Rev matching is key on down shifting, just takes practice and thought but it will def make your ride smoother, especially on the clovers, keep in mind your ability to skip gears here... 5 to 3 is not uncommon. Overall it just takes practice, you will get it all down.

 

[98BlackGT]

when you downshift you want to rev match, not just put it in a lower gear and let the clutch out, g36 monkey pretty much explains rev matching in his post 2 up.

 

[bigkeeko]

As someone from a country where generally only disabled people drive automatics I find this thread interesting to say the least.

Obviously now theres more tiptronic boxes in luxury cars than ever but I`d say about 98% sit their test in a manual car and go on to buy one. Everyone drives manuals here from 17 year old girls to old grannies.

I take it in America when you do your driving test you learn in an automatic? Or can you learn in a manual?

 

[Woody6799]

you can test in anything you want lol Manuals are increasingly uncommon bc most people dont take the time to learn them or complain about having to do more while driving. Shifting gets in the way of eating, drinking, texting, talking on the phone, and yelling at the other drivers in America! On top of that, there is quite a crowd that probably shouldnt even be driving autos lol

 

[g36 monkey]

So right.

I will say that when you do your driving test, the official is already more impressed if you start out in a manual, and will generally cut you some slack if you make a small mistake. However if you stall, you have to try again some other day.

But yes, we are a lazy people ;p

 

[bigkeeko]

Ok, cool. I often wondered why Americans had an obsession with road legal `bumper cars`. Personally I don`t see the point of learning in an automatic because if you learn in a car with a manual box it becomes second nature. Anyway, to the OP, practice buddy. just keep using it and before you know it you`ll be left foot braking and double clutching. Nah, I`m kidding about that bit.

Kudos for the switch though

 

[rz5.0]

Never down shift to first. First is only if you come to a full stop.

 

[OnyxCobra]

it's good that you keep the car in gear while slowing down, putting in the clutch and just using the brakes coming to a stop isn't really the proper way to do it. As for down shifting, it's something that will come easier once you get more comfortable with the car, as is driving the car harder. If you aren't rev matching then I really wouldn't bother down shifting, yes the trans has synchros but it's still extra wear on your clutch.

 

[Mustang Mark]

There is some good info here and a lot of bad info so take it with a grain of salt... but anyway here is my take:
The 1-2 shift always sucks, there is a big gap between there ratios of first and second, after a while you'll get used to it though.
When coming to a stop I normally put it in neutral or push the clutch in and only use the brakes. Engine braking causes more wear on the clutch and the syncros, I'd rather replace brake pads than replace a clutch and rebuild a transmission.
when just cruising at speed I always try to keep it in the highest gear possible without lugging the engine.
When trying to accelerate I wouldn't want to let the rpms fall below 1500 npi mod motors don't really start to pull till about 2200 Anyway.
Always try to Rev match for a down shift. After a while you'll learn when your rpms would be for any given gear at any given speed, it just takes time and practice. Heck I tought my dad how to drive a stick at 43 years old.
most of all have fun with it.

 

[Mustang Mark]

Only think of first as your "starter gear" you will only need it to start out and get moving, but after that you only have to use it again when you come to a complete stop

 

[Nacho98]

Thanks guys, I have another question.

Once in a while when upshifting, I do a half-assed job and end up stuck in neutral and the motor revs up. Today this happened going from first to second when pulling away from a light (don't ask me how, guess I didn't pull it ll the way down into second and it got sucked over to neutral), so as the rest of traffic pulled away and I stayed calm while my car was slowing down and pissing the guy behind me off, I calmly pushed the clutch all the way in and tried to shift it into second like I wanted to, and it ground the gears. Tried it twice, with the clutch fully engaged, and it wouldn't do it--it would only grind the gears. But, it let me put it back into first instead and then get moving again.

What's up with that? If the clutch is in, is there any reason I shouldn't be able to choose any gear I want? If anything I could see there being some kind of lame safety that wouldn't let you put it in too low of a gear, but it was the opposite--it would let me put it in first, but not second.

This has happened a few times on 1-->2 or more commonly 2-->3 shifts.

 

[Mustang Mark]

Sounds like the syncronizers are worn in the trans. A fluid Chang could help with that.

 

[g36 monkey]

First is hard to put into usually when you are rolling with the clutch in. I believe its impossible to throw it in Reverse with it moving.

Mark pretty much nailed it.

 

[MadStang]

My Stang is my first manual. Never had anyone to show me how to drive manual, and just kinda figured it out on my own when I had to drive drunk friends' cars, etc. Thus, I know the basics, but my experience has been quite limited. Tell me what you think about my practices below or chime in with some tips:

1) Coming to a stop sign/red light--If say I'm cruising in 4th gear, I usually just use the brakes (car has brakes, may as well use 'em) to slow the car down and then once the engine RPMs drop to around 1000 or I get close to stopping, I'll push in the clutch and either pop it into neutral right as I'm stopping (long light) or down to first (short light or when I know I'll be moving again quickly).

2) Shifting to second gear from first--My car has 3.27s, so 2nd gear comes up pretty quick, but I feel like it's the worst shift. It feels like the slowest, most time-consuming shift. The shift is smooth, but it actually feels like the car literally loses speed during this shift. I usually shift around 3000 rpms, maybe a bit less when doing normal, non-aggressive driving. Any tips? Seems like shifting from 3-->4 and 4-->5 are instant, but that 1-->2 shift is a dog for some reason.

3) Downshifting--I most often need to do this on freeway clovers when going from one freeway to another. I'll almost always come into the ramp in 5th, but I of course need to slow down to like 25 and get it into a nice low forward gear to get ready to speed up and merge to the next freeway as I come out of the clover. If I just downshift to fourth coming into the ramp at say 1500 RPMs, the car of course lurches and slows down and is pretty jerky, and that shock is horrible for the tranny/drivetrain, I realize. So usually what I do again is I use the brakes and wait until the engine is down to like 1000 RPMs and then just shift softly into 4th or better yet 3rd as I'm going around the ramp, and the car doesn't jerk and all is well--but I think this is where I should be learning to heel-toe and rev match? Should I be coming into that ramp in fifth and at like 1500 RPMs or whatever, push the clutch in, shift into 4th, and then blip the throttle to get the engine to about where it would rev to if I put it into fourth before letting out the clutch? Or should I just keep doing what I'm doing since the engine gets down to like 1000 RPMs anyway when I come into the ramp in 5th?

4) I want to start having some fun with the car. So far I've just been putzing around like a grandma getting used to a clutch again. I was cruising in fourth the other day at maybe 40 mph on a two lane road and just punched the gas. I didn't downshift or anything, but just leaving it in the gear it was in and punching it brought a smile to my face the way the car just started pulling instantly, unlike the lag you get in an auto as it downshifts before it starts going. But I want more--I want to really see what this car can do, so I want to drop her down into 3rd or even 2nd and just nail the throttle...again is this where I should be pushing in the clutch, shifting into the gear I want, and then blipping the throttle to rev match before letting out the clutch? Then since I want to nail it, as soon as the clutch is out just punch the gas hard and smile?

Thanks, my biggest concern right now is making sure I'm downshifting properly and getting that 1-->2 shift to be more enjoyable. I've been reading a lot and I really want to be able to come out of curves in the right gear to pull hard out of them without lugging the engine, and I think being able to downshift properly is what will really open up the can of worms on how fun the car can be.

1) unless you're road racing just push in the clutch and put it in neutral and release clutch as you brake.

2) shift speed will come with practice. I've been at it for so long I've been asked if my car has a tiptronic transmission lol. You just gotta practice practice practice. also unless you like burning fuel you really shouldnt have to be above 2000rpms to upshift.

3) this is another thing you'll get with practice and understanding. I may road race but I almost never heel-toe on the street. you'll become used to the gear ratio length and where your rpms will be. for downshifting on the street I just rev match versus heel toe downshifting. as you drive just take note of your rpms and use them as guidelines for downshifting.

4) yup rev match and go.

Just a note: the way the pedals are set up stock for 94-04 makes heel-toe downshifting near impossible. there are pedal modifications needed to increase the ease of heel-toe. but at your stage just get some practice rev matching first. Good luck and have fun!

 

[MadStang]

Never down shift to first. First is only if you come to a full stop.

this is true for t5's not t45's. I get first in mine with ease heel-toeing.

First is hard to put into usually when you are rolling with the clutch in. I believe its impossible to throw it in Reverse with it moving.

Mark pretty much nailed it.

if his car is a 98 he has the t45, it shouldn't be that difficult, BUT if you don't rev match just right you'll buck. reverse is impossible to put in if you're moving more than 5mph forward. there are no synchros so you'll just grind the teeth off of the gear cluster.

 

[MadStang]

oh and don't be an idiot like me, I've had the flu for the past week, TWICE I forgot I was in gear with clutch in coming to a light when I stopped I let out the clutch and stalled my car. I hate being sick/retarded.

 

[Nacho98]

Sounds like the syncronizers are worn in the trans. A fluid Chang could help with that.

Is it possible I just wasn't putting the clutch in all the way? I swear I was because I was calm when it happened and just did it nice and slow, but I just talked to the old man about it and he said to him it sounds like I think I have the clutch all the way in when it's actually not.

Far as I recall when this happens I've got the clutch all the way to the floor, so I don't know if my old man is right on that or not. He said when he has driven it he's never had any tranny/clutch issues whatsoever, dealer also said tranny/clutch were spot on and solid, so I'm not sure.