I consider myself a newbie sicne i learned the stick shift wrong. I think i got most of it (downshift slow, but at least i can do it), etc

My two main problems are these:
1) I feel like burning the clutch when i go from stop to moving on 1st gear. I know i'm releasing the clutch too slow, but ifi release too fast its either a car jerk or car stall. I saw my firend (who has track experience) test drive my car, and he was so smooth.
2) my first--> second gear transition is jerky. Any tips? my other shifts are smooth, just 1->2 is funky.

 

What you should do is go to an empty parking lot and do the following...

While the car is on, clutch in, shift into 1st and SLOWLY (extreme emphasis on SLOWLY) let the clutch on until the car starts moving. Continue to let the clutch out until its fully out. Now clutch in, stop and repeat over and over again until you know where the clutch engagement point is. Never touch the gas pedal in this exercise. Just clutch in, shift to 1st and SLOWLY clutch out. When the car starts moving is your engagement point.

After you feel comfortable with this, add the gas pedal into the mix. As you're SLOWLY letting out the clutch, SLOWLY step in the gas pedal. Repeat this over and over again until you can get the car moving quickly without burning your clutch up.

Do the same thing but in reverse.

I hope this helps. This is how I've learned and how I taught my wife to drive stick. And yes I taught her on my S2000.

 

lol

if the car jerks or wants to stall, just give it more gas

it takes practice to get these things right.. so take your time and drive more, you will get the hang of it

-joe

 

practice practice practice

also, i found driving bare foot makes it easier to learn

 

Its' okay to be smooth and slow but just don't slow the stroke between engage / disengagement. Too much and you'll risk glazing the clutch. Glad to see another shifter in the house!
I guess I cheated by learning on a dirt bike first. Let go too quick...hold on. too slow, kick again.

 

There is a transition point where you will feel the clutch engage. Once you get used to the height at which this occurs you'll get smoother at engaging the clutch.

I agree with mav, just go to an empty parking lot and practice engaging the clutch over and over again. Once you get that set, practice on a incline to see if you really got it.

Keep practicing, it'll soon be second nature.

 

Think of it this way, It not clutch, then gear then gas. It's all one big thing all at the same time. Let the cluth let its' self out, all takes some getting used too.

 

Right! Practice is the key to your friend's smooth driving. Go to a parking lot and instead of using the gas, just let go of the clutch and hold it there as the car starts moving. The car will naturally move if you "catch" it correctly. Practice going to that "area" and then try giving gas. That's how I practiced.

 

Lots of practice. One way to feel the point of engagement is to go to an empty parking lot and let the clutch out without giving any gas. This has the added benefit of not burning the clutch.

 

The drill from Mav is a good one. I wish I would have done that when I taught my girlfriend how to drive my Civic in 1981. She ruined my clutch!

Also, for quicker and smoother shifts across the board, use your hand to put just a little pressure on the shifter in the direction you want to go just before you engage the clutch (12 o'clock for 1-2, 3-4 and about 7:30 for 2-3, 3-5). Once you start to engage the clutch, the shifter will almost move itself to the next gear. Never grab the shifter with your whole hand like you are trying to squeeze the juice from an orange. Use either fingertips or your just your palm. ALWAYS take your foot all the way off the clutch after each shift.

Once you get the engagement point from Mav's drill, it will become second nature, and you will be on your way. Remember: Smooth is faster than fast.

Good luck. Congratulations on becoming a sticknick!

 

ok well i have a prob also every time i take of from a stop i tend to give to much gas and i sometimes end up spinning i do know how to drive a stick but i still need some work on my speed shifting...

 

How do you know when it's the engagement point? HOw does it feel like? is it "obvious"? will i just be able to figure it out based on the drastic change of the way car moves?

What about the 1-->2 transition? The only way i can do it w/o a jerk is wait like 1.2 seconds before i let go of the cluthc, and this seems too slow.

 

I drove a manual Honda Civic for 8 years and don't remember
the 1->2 'jerky' clutch. If you're in Neutral and both clutch plates are moving
at exactly the same RPM then theoretically you can 'power shift'
without pressing the clutch.

Maybe you're releasing the clutch too fast and not letting off
on the gas pedal... you need to let the RPMs go down between gears
while UP shifting....

I remember shifting out of 1st at 3000 RPM, and 2nd would start at at 2500 RPM....

 

I tried that. And the time it takes me to get it smooth for 1-->2 seems longer than the others (gear ratio diff more drastic on 1-->2?) For me, the only way to get a smooth 1-->2 is step clutch, shift, and wait 1 second, then release. Feels akwardly long compared to others. For others, i do wait a little for RPM to drop, the wait is more realistic.

Same w/ releasing cluthc. if eel like burning it the slowness that i do it.

 

have somebody who can do it show you.. i think there is still a bit of "newbie" in your techquie and it's hard to show you over the internet

-joe

 

The engagement point is the point when the car starts moving. You just have to remember to SLOWLY release the clutch, I mean as slow as moving your foot up centimeters at a time in the beginning.

1->2 jerk is probably caused by not giving it enough gas as you're releasing the clutch.

 

As suggested, do it bare footed. Absolutely.

Wrap your toes around the clutch pedal. Feel it. Become one with the car and the clutch. You have absolute control!

Turn off the AC. Turn off the radio. Roll the windows down if you can't hear the engine. The engine tells you its shift points. Listen. Feel it.

(Too bad there isn't a sixth gear when it reached its shift point in fifth!)

There is a Zen-like quality to the whole process.

 

Yeah, get someone to show you ASAP..... I believe, but you'll have to check yourself,
that a worn/burnt clutch is not covered under Honda warranty...
as it is a 'replaceable' part subject to wear and tear similar to brake pads. Don't know
if gears (teeth) are or are not covered under the standard warranty since it is not
an item that has wear and tear like brake pads.

 

^ You're absolutely correct, the clutch is a wear and tear item, not covered by the warranty. However, a few dealers might give you a good will repair if you blow your clutch in the first 5,000 miles and are honest with them that you're a stick shift newbie. However I wouldn't bet on it though.

 

Mav's advice on not using the gas is spot on. You have to learn the clutch engagement point. There is only that narrow range of engagement in which throttle application can effectively load the drivetrain with power from the engine.

Throttle application too early prior to appropriate clutch release and your rpms go up too high and you need to excessively slip the clutch to compensate. Throttle application too low and the engine bogs down and you risk stalling.

You have to let the clutch out and apply throttle simultaneously.

As to 1st to 2nd shift, that's always the worst as that's the biggest differential between gear ratios. The secret here is to wind that little puppy up a bit

Finally, it never hurts to spend a little time understanding just what's going on beneath the hood. Mechanical empathy in this digital age is always in short supply.