Driving a manual

Dragonknell911 · 10-29-2006, 10:17 PM

So who here drives a stick? I've been driving one for a long time but i'm sorta wondering about a few things....

If you drive a stick, when you start to brake, do you take it out of gear first or do you start braking first?

Do you take it out of gear around corners? Or do you just slow down and keep it in gear?

Rafster · 10-29-2006, 10:58 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Dragonknell911

So who here drives a stick? I've been driving one for a long time but i'm sorta wondering about a few things....

If you drive a stick, when you start to brake, do you take it out of gear first or do you start braking first?

Do you take it out of gear around corners? Or do you just slow down and keep it in gear?

I don't drive a manual daily (unfortunately), but when I get to drive one, I usually just slow down, go from gear to gear until I'm in 1st. Then when I'm stopped, I put it in Neutral.

I do not take it out of gear around corners....

Peace,

Rafster

Quattro · 10-30-2006, 12:13 AM

my daily driver is a manual.

Quote: Originally Posted by Dragonknell911

If you drive a stick, when you start to brake, do you take it out of gear first or do you start braking first?

It depends on why your braking. If your just slowing down then I leave it in gear. If i'm stopping then I take it out of gear while braking.

Quote: Originally Posted by Dragonknell911

Do you take it out of gear around corners? Or do you just slow down and keep it in gear?

again it depends on the corner. my most of the time I will take it out and probably go down a gear

Dragonknell911 · 10-30-2006, 12:53 AM

But if you guys are slowing down, but still moving, you downshift?

Rafster · 10-30-2006, 12:54 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Dragonknell911

But if you guys are slowing down, but still moving, you downshift?

I do...

Dragonknell911 · 10-30-2006, 12:56 AM

Well I get ~40 mpg the way I drive, however this winter im noticing considerable wear on my clutch

DJiK · 10-30-2006, 12:59 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Dragonknell911

So who here drives a stick?

I've been driving/owning only stick AWD cars for the past three years.

Quote: Originally Posted by Dragonknell911

When you start to brake, do you take it out of gear first or do you start braking first?

Just downshift. I always advise for it. Downshift consecutively down until second gear, then coast/break below 10MPH in neutral
Lately I've been practicing heel-and-toe braking. Earlier I got very fond of double-clutching and rev-matching. (If you don't know what these terms mean, Google them -- you won't be disappointed.)

Quote: Originally Posted by Dragonknell911

Do you take it out of gear around corners? Or do you just slow down and keep it in gear?

I never take the car out of gear, but there's a difference in which gear to take the corner, It depends on the speed, the corner radius, and the road grip.
If I want to speed out of a corner, I usually downshift to a lower gear right before the turn. The gear I choose is the one which gives me the least toque in my highest-toque-band. For example: If my car's toque peaks between 3,000 and 4,000 RMP, I choose a gear that would give me revs in the low 3,000's.
In contrast, if I just want to have a nice "Sunday drive," then I keep the car in the gear that won't drop below 1,500RPM at the apex of the corner.

Dragonknell911 · 10-30-2006, 01:05 AM

Haha I double clutch all the time, I had no idea what that was called. Yeah, I cant stand even the slightest 'lurch' entering gears, it gets me everytime

Rob Withey · 10-30-2006, 01:17 AM

Am I the only one that is genuinely scared by this thread?

Never ever take it out of gear and coast at any speed above 2nd gear. If you need engine braking you don't have it. If you need to put your foot down and go quickly you can't do it. As my driving instructor always said, a car out of gear is a car out of control.

W3bMa5t3r · 10-30-2006, 01:51 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Dragonknell911

So who here drives a stick? I've been driving one for a long time but i'm sorta wondering about a few things....

I do, and have for 15 years... The past 6 have been with a '96 Cobra and now a '98 Cobra...

Quote:

If you drive a stick, when you start to brake, do you take it out of gear first or do you start braking first?

As others have said, depends on why you're starting to break. Just slowing down, No. Coming to a stop, it depends on how fast I need to stop.
Fast? yes once I've slowed the car down to the lower RPMs for first gear, then it's outta gear and come to a stop.
Slow & can take my time... downshifting, till I'm approaching the lower RPMs for first gear, then I take it out of gear and come to a stop.

Quote:

Do you take it out of gear around corners? Or do you just slow down and keep it in gear?

Again, as others have said... depends on many factors for the turn, but in everyday, good weather, normal road driving... I slow down, downshifting to a suitable gear for the turn, and normally accelerate out of the turn.

/edit: And Rob... lol You're right... The only time it's good to have it outta gear is when you're rolling down the street with a great Magnaflow Magnapack Exhaust system (or similar) and give a few nice 'pats' on the gas to say hello to a passing muscle car..

.. or to scare the local rice staring your car down..

XC-C30 · 10-30-2006, 07:20 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Rob Withey

Am I the only one that is genuinely scared by this thread?

Never ever take it out of gear and coast at any speed above 2nd gear. If you need engine braking you don't have it. If you need to put your foot down and go quickly you can't do it. As my driving instructor always said, a car out of gear is a car out of control.

no, you're certainly not the only one!

I ONLY take it out of gear when parked. when I have to slow down, or when braking, I just shift back till 2nd. When stopped completely, I put it back in 1st.

Dragonknell911 · 10-30-2006, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Never ever take it out of gear and coast at any speed above 2nd gear. If you need engine braking you don't have it. If you need to put your foot down and go quickly you can't do it. As my driving instructor always said, a car out of gear is a car out of control.

Quote:

I ONLY take it out of gear when parked. when I have to slow down, or when braking, I just shift back till 2nd. When stopped completely, I put it back in 1st.

Will I guess you both have plently of reason to be worried, since i honestly spend about a 1/4 of my time driving, coasting out of gear. Seeing as I drive over 400 miles a week, thats alot of coasting..

Maybe I fail to see the severity of this, but I don't exactly see the trouble with coasting whenever I can.

XC-C30 · 10-30-2006, 07:38 AM

driving out of gear is the same as constantly holding down the clutch. It's a good way to end the engine's life early.

@dragonknell: It's not because you drive alot, you KNOW how to drive. I'm not saying you're wrong, but you're giving a reason as why you should know what's best.... "because you're driving 400miles a week".... that doesn't make sence

Dragonknell911 · 10-30-2006, 07:59 AM

I wasn't justifying coasting by saying I do it alot, i'm simply saying that I do it alot.

Quote:

@dragonknell: It's not because you drive alot, you KNOW how to drive. I'm not saying you're wrong, but you're giving a reason as why you should know what's best.... "because you're driving 400miles a week".... that doesn't make sence

I really do not know what you are saying,

Quote:

driving out of gear is the same as constantly holding down the clutch. It's a good way to end the engine's life early.

and I can not find anything relavent online that disproves or proves what you are saying.

Dragonknell911 · 10-30-2006, 08:05 AM

bugbyte are you gonna step in and make things clear or just make sure our little discussion doesn't turn into a fight ?? =))

btw: I can find nothing now that says there is anything harmful about drifting in neutral with a manual tranny. The only thing I have found many times is that people think it is unsafe, in the event that I need to accelerate quickly to evade something.