racerx

The '05 is my first stick, RWD, and V8 so lots of new experiences
My friends taught me the basics on a Civic and a Rodeo, but this car feels nothing like them. I've driven it for a couple of months and get better each time - like I don't stall anymore ...or unintentionally peel out...or mistake 3rd for 1st and wonder why the heck am I not moving from a complete stop?...hahaha!

Fuel Economy
1. What's the best RPM to shift at - between 2 and 3K?
2. When going constant speed - should I stay at 2k RPM or less?

Probaby have more questions later...thanks in advance! :drive:

Kluski

1. What's the best RPM to shift at - between 2 and 3K?

Shifting around 2k is fine for general driving. You can watch your "Fuel Economy" gauge on the message center also if you want to be that particular.


2. When going constant speed - should I stay at 2k RPM or less?

Less. At lot of roads allow me to do only 40 mph. At that point I shift into 5th. It puts me around ~1200 - 1300 (I think). And it cruises fine. If I start to go uphill, I have to shift though. But going on flat road is fine. Again, if you have it, watch the "Fuel Economy" gauge on the message center. If you hear the car boggin down, then you ned to downshift. It won't hurt the car to try different things.

And a trick I learned here early on that I never knew before helps me. I was told to let the clutch out real slow in first gear. And DON'T use any gas. Let the torque pull you. It goes slow, but it won't stall out. It has helped me learn where the clutch lets go.

Galaxie

Chris, I agree about the clutch trick

It was a good learning experience and helped me get much more used to stick shift. The best thing is to go in a parking lot and let out the clutch in 1st and then shift to 2nd without touching the gas at all. It would be a great way to learn how to work the clutch.

Here is a link that explains some of the basics as well
http://store.learn2.com/basket/compaq/drv_stck.asp

stargirl66

The Civic is a great car to learn on, it's shifts very smoothly. It is definitely very different from the Mustang which has a much shorter throw, something I'll have to get used to when I get my car. You've got good advice already, hang in there and it will be second nature soon enough. If you live in a hilly area, be sure and practice going uphill from a stop (preferably with no one behind you!). That can be tricky if you don't have a good feel for your 1st gear.

I haven't really paid much attention to RPMs when I shift, but really go on engine noise and feel, and my clutch has got me past 200,000 miles. (and hopefully many more since my Civic will be a winter beater and grocery getter.

freebass55

That's pretty impresive. 200,000 miles on one cluch.

PonyLover

Sorry to go off topic a bit here but, about how many miles is normal for a cluth?
I currently has 70,500 miles on my 2000 ZX2 and will be taking a long trip this fall and would hate for it to go out mid trip. (will be going from Ohio to Florida)

Kluski

I had a 95 Mustang V6. The head gasket blew at 130K miles, and I sold her. The clutch was still working fine. I am not sure the limits though. I drove some highway, the DC traffic, the Pittsburgh hills. So it had its different terrains.

racerx

Thanks for the tips guys - and H PPY EASTER too!
I rode with a friend of mine a couple of nights ago in his '04 Mach1 and we were challenged by a Cobra - for a stoplight to stoplight race. He took him with his superior shifting skills.

I seem to be have 4 problems that need work:
1. From a complete stop at a light and making a turn, I seem to be keeping it in 1st too long and noticed that my RPM's are over 3k, by the time I shift to 2nd, so it's a little rough - How can I smooth this out?
2. Downshifting for engine braking- still haven't mastered this I seem to be at too high and RPM when I drop to a lower gear - I guess I should use the brake a bit then downshift?
3. Backing out slowly..or even just driving slowly to park...ok to use the clutch a bit? I know it's not good to 'ride' the clutch, but it's a very short distance.
4. Coasting in Neutral...say towards a red light that just turned green...since I'm moving, should I put in in the same gear I was, or probably 1 lower? I know to never downshift to 1st.

Sonic05

1. I do the same thing. I have a tendency to keep both hands on the wheel when making a turn, so I don't shift untill I'm out of the turn. Habit from drving an auto I guess. I have reciently gotten much better about it, and now drive my auto with one hand on the wheel to break the habit. (when "shifting")

2. Unless you are doing it for fun, I recommend just putting it in nuetral and using the brakes. Brake pads are MUCH cheaper than a clutch/trans. Don't forget about those poor syncros. Just my opinion.

3. Slipping the clutch to park is fine. Heat is the real problem when slipping the clutch, and parking isn't going to do anything. It's also low rpm, so wear is minimal.

4. Depends on your speed, and how fast to want to accelerate.

Hope that helps a little. Really, you should be taking it slow and easy. No point in trying to do anything fancy while you are learning. Only seat time will really help, and you will quickly learn the shift points so you can make the car do what you want. And Happy Easter!

Mustang Ricky

There are a lot of variables; your driving style, the specific power train, highway versus city miles, extent of racing abuse....
A passenger car that is well cared for can easily see 90,000 miles. Abuse can take it out much sooner.

foxhtn

You should never have to replace your clutch with normal driving. The worst thing you can do to a clutch is ride it. When you ride a clutch, you are taking to long in realeasing it. Let your foot come off the clutch in a smooth motion. You will know when you are riding it, because it smells like burnt rubber. If you keep on riding it, you will burn it out. Other than that, keep driving. They can usually stand quite a bit. :drive:

foxhtn

racerx.......... see if I can help you out here. First off, sounds like your doing good. With a little practise you'll have it mastered. Your going to fast between gears. slow down. Forget about that tack. Don't even look at it. Right now it's your biggest enemy. You should be driving and shifting by sound. Try this as a rule of thumb. For every 10 mph shift a gear. In other words 1st gear.......shift at 10mph, 2nd gear ......20 mph, 3rd gear.............30mph, etc. That'll take the roughness out. Same thing when your gearing down, do it by sound. If your car sounds like it's reving to high, it probably is. It should sound smooooth! Sounds like your winding it up a little to much between gears. After you do a lot of driving and get use to it, [sound experience] look at your tack then. Same when leaving a light or stop sign, when you get to 10 mph, then shift. Does'nt matter if your going around a corner or not. You should see a big diff.

If you want some clutch practise, park, or stop on the shoulder of a hill. Then start off. Give your car a little more gas than usual. The steeper the hill, the harder it becomes. When you can take off, on the steepest of hills, without rolling backwards, at all, you've master it.
Answer to your 4 questions: [1] to late shifting. try the 10 mph thing
[2] your right...... going to fast. try it by sound. don't rev to high [3] that's no problem.
[4] you should never, ever, coast to a light, or stop sign in neutral. That's a bad habit. If your just about stopped, just push your clutch in and go to 1st. If your doing a couple mph then use 2nd gear.

Hope that helps. Good Luck! And Stay Safe!

PonyLover

Thanks for the info Merlot and Mustang Ricky.

One question I have. I have a bad habit of when going down hill or coming to a stop I hold the clutch in. Is this excessive wear?

Is it important to push the clutch to the floor when changing gears?
Opps guess that is two questions.

I honestly don't know if I am driving it correctly.
I have not smelled rubber burning.
I do not drive it hard. Sometimes
I generally shift early 1st until about 10mph, 2nd to 20mph 3rd to 30 4th to 35 mph then I shift into 5th at 40mph. I try not to let the rpm's hit 30k before I change gears.
I do alot of mixed driving.
I try to keep the rpm's at around 20k for anything other than highway. At highway crusing at 65 it is generally a little above 30k rpm's.
Alot of times when I come to a stop sign I kinda roll through it. I don't come to a complete stop so when I take off I take off in second rather than first gear.
It is a 4banger so not alot of hourse power, but it is sporty enough to get in trouble if tried


I actualy learned to drive a stick when my husband bought me a 98 Mustang in 98. Oh man was I nervous. My dream car and I didn't know how to drive it I was afraid I would mess it up. But the next morning he took me to the park and there was no turning back. I actually didn't kill it for a month until I came to my first hill. :angry: Killed her three times before I took off. :bang: Before then I was very good in avoiding hills with stop signs. On this day I went down a road that I hadn't been on in a while and sure enough they had installed a stop light right in the middle of the hill and just my luck as I was coming to the light someone pulled up in the cross lane that triggered the light and a cop was coming from my opposite direction so I new I could not run it. :nono:

Sorry for the long post.

Any more info would be greatly appreciated.

Kluski

I am not sure if it is excessive wear. I imagine so. It is definetely unnecessary. I put the car in nuetral and coast the last part of the stop (with my foot of the clutch).

You do not need to push the clutch in when slowing down. Keep your foot off it. If you go too slow the car will start to slightly shutter. That is the indication you need to downshift (or push the clutch in).

No. In the beginning of this thread I mentioned trying a trick. Put the car in first gear, and slowly let the clutch out without applying the gas. You will feel the car pull and eventually move. After doing this trick for a while, you will get the feel of when the clutch catches. That point is how far you need to push the clutch in.

Judging by feel only, I think it is about 1/3 of the way in and it catches.

viper5470

you should never, ever, coast to a light, or stop sign in neutral. That's a bad habit. If your just about stopped, just push your clutch in and go to 1st. If your doing a couple mph then use 2nd gear.
[/b][/quote]
Im new to stick too why is it a bad habbit to coast to a light

Zc527

idk dude, but I am 13 and can drive a stick perfectly :drive:

Kluski

I am not sure of all the reasons, but I have heard it is because you are not in control of your car. For instance; say you are about to be in an accident where you can avoid it if you accelerate. If you are in neutral, you can't avoid it, but if you are in gear, you just hit the gas.

I have even heard some people say it is illegal to coast for that reason.

I am not sure, but I still do it.

foxhtn

Angie,
Answer to your 1st question. yes. It's hard on everthing. get your foot off that clutch driving downhill. If you have your car in gear, and you have your clutch depressed [pushed in] it takes the pressure off your drivetrain for the gear your in, thus, creating a lack of proper strain for your driveshaft, and universal joints. Actually, if you listen close enough, sometimes you might hear a very slight clanging, or clunking noise when you first push it in. If you push it in not to far with a little pressure, and hold it there, that is called riding the clutch, and you will tear it out in no time.That is hard on the throw-out, or release bearing also. When your coming up to a stop sign, or light, and doing a couple miles an hr. then just push the clutch in so your car does not start to buck or jerk, and come to a stop.

Answer to 2nd question: yes! if not and you hear a grinding noise, that is filings coming off the teeth of the gears in the tranny. You have to push it in far enough for the syncronizers to work.
The reason you don't come to a complete stop, is your afraid to use the clutch starting off. [ stalling ] Don't. Bad habit! you can ride the clutch by doing that also.

If you find your stalling, just give it some more gas when taking off. sounds like you've just about got it. Don't give up now. Once you can drive a standard, you can drive anything.

Hope this helps Angie.

Scothew

Since the guys have pretty much covered it all, my only tip is: Start saving for a new clutch

PonyLover

I must be doing something right I guess.

I had the 98 Mustang for two years no problems.

This 2000 ZX2 I've had since new, now 5 years old no problem yet I guess.
I guess if I was doing something wrong It would had showed by now?

May be taking car on long trip this fall from Ohio to Florida and was just curious about life span of the clutch, as I would hate for it to go out mid trip. Car has 70,500 miles so I guess it would make it there and back.

Again thanks for all the info guys.

I love the manual trans. I have bad knees but will not give up my fun