What NOT TO Do (Manual Transmission), and WHY!

[Nate4641]

Originally Posted by StickMon

Guilty of this. I need to stop fondling my knob.

I may give the advice, but it doesn't mean I'm not guilty of it either lol

[Aries326]

Great thread! Wish I knew before what I know now. On a hill, I'd balance the clutch and gas instead of placing the car in neutral and using E breaks. My wife is the one who taught me how to drive a manual.

[Steeler]

Originally Posted by StickMon

Guilty of this. I need to stop fondling my knob.

Try resting your right hand on your wifes/ girlfriends/ significant others knee....saves wear on the synchros

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by Aries326

Great thread! Wish I knew before what I know now. On a hill, I'd balance the clutch and gas instead of placing the car in neutral and using E breaks. My wife is the one who taught me how to drive a manual.

I don't think I'd admit something like What do you mean by balancing the clutch and gas though? Do you mean rocking the car on the hill or lightly holding down the gas pedal while burning out your clutch?

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by dbarton62

Try resting your right hand on your wifes/ girlfriends/ significant others knee....saves wear on the synchros

My wife's only been in the car once for a 3 minute ride when i first bought it. The only time I have a passenger is if I'm driving my daughter to soccer practice. After reading that I noticed I do fondle the knob as well. Now I rest my hand on the leather padding next to the e-brake.

[Lightning87]

this thread has to be on a Murica forum haha . in europe we all ( at least the most of us) learn how to drive stick allthoug you see more and more automatics/semi-auto's over here .

[elerner61]

Many years ago while testing driving an Audi 5000 Quattro, the salesman was a great guy and we were quickly trading jokes. He noticed I kept my hand on the stick often and started slapping it. I think I had sore knuckles by the end of the ride and that was the end of that habit.

[Aries326]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

I don't think I'd admit something like What do you mean by balancing the clutch and gas though? Do you mean rocking the car on the hill or lightly holding down the gas pedal while burning out your clutch?

Yes! Exactly that. Balancing clutch with the gas on a hill. Good thing we don't have any hills around here and I've only done it a few times in the Honda Civic.

Yes, it is true. My wife taught me how to drive manual when I was going to school. It was in a Nissan Sentra. My first car with manual was my Honda Civic. I still have it.

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by elerner61

Many years ago while testing driving an Audi 5000 Quattro, the salesman was a great guy and we were quickly trading jokes. He noticed I kept my hand on the stick often and started slapping it. I think I had sore knuckles by the end of the ride and that was the end of that habit.

If a man slapped my hand I'd punch his face.

Originally Posted by Aries326

Yes! Exactly that. Balancing clutch with the gas on a hill. Good thing we don't have any hills around here and I've only done it a few times in the Honda Civic.

Yes, it is true. My wife taught me how to drive manual when I was going to school. It was in a Nissan Sentra. My first car with manual was my Honda Civic. I still have it.

That's hilarious. Well hopefully you pick up some good pointers and then teach her how to really drive a stick as others said Still can't believe I've been doing some silly things all these years too.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

You've never sat in traffic after a long/tiring day at work and think "I wish I had an automatic?" If not, then give it another 20 years. You'll probably change your mind when you're 60

Oh God, really? I sit in 15 - 20 miles of Northern Virginia traffic every day and have never thought "I wish I had an automatic." I'm over 50 and have over 1 million miles under my belt, almost all of it in a manual transmission'd car (and motorcycles). The first automatic vehicle I every bought was in 2009; I bought my first car in 1978. In fact when I take the auto to work maybe 4 times a year, my right leg gets tired from having to keep it on the frickin brake pedal. NickyC and I think exactly alike, well except the own a car thing... I need to go to the store and buy food and stuff.

When you've learned on a manual, took your driving test on a manual, and drive a manual for a living (I did for awhile), driving a manual in traffic (or at anytime) is just second nature. Driving an automatic is actually odd to you; and a complete pain in the ass (even before Bluetooth ).

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by Aries326

Great thread! Wish I knew before what I know now. On a hill, I'd balance the clutch and gas instead of placing the car in neutral and using E breaks. My wife is the one who taught me how to drive a manual.

Don't all E85 / E86 Z4's have hill assist as a standard feature to prevent the car from rolling back on a hill, and making hill starts with a manual shift much easier?

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

Don't all E85 / E86 Z4's have hill assist as a standard feature to prevent the car from rolling back on a hill, and making hill starts with a manual shift much easier?

Does it automatically kick in? I've never noticed mine and I even rock my car once in a while waiting for my garage door to open (yes, I know it's bad for the clutch). Pretty sure I've let it roll back about 20 feet once in 1st gear with the clutch pressed all the way in.

EDIT: Just did some searching and it looks like this may have been added in 2006, but there's not much information out there about this "hidden" feature.

[Nate4641]

Clutch has to be fully pushed in for the hill assist to work. As soon as you start slipping the clutch and the switch is tripped, the brake lets go.

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

Does it automatically kick in? I've never noticed mine and I even rock my car once in a while waiting for my garage door to open (yes, I know it's bad for the clutch). Pretty sure I've let it roll back about 20 feet once in 1st gear with the clutch pressed all the way in.

EDIT: Just did some searching and it looks like this may have been added in 2006, but there's not much information out there about this "hidden" feature.

Yup - at least on my car, hill assist engages all by itself when I stop on a hill and apply the brakes. I take my foot off the brake and the car stays rock steady on the hill for about 5 seconds, after which it disengages and the car will roll back. And my car is a 2006 so it may be taht it wasn't included on cars before that.

[yousefnjr]

^^ pretty sure this is a 2006+ thing, my old 2004 didn't have it

Surprised yours gives you 5 seconds, mine holds for about 1. Just enough to get on the gas and go

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by yousefnjr

^^ pretty sure this is a 2006+ thing, my old 2004 didn't have it

Surprised yours gives you 5 seconds, mine holds for about 1. Just enough to get on the gas and go

Well to be honest, I didn't time it, but its definitely more than one second on my car.

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

I don't think I'd admit something like

I've known more women who drive manuals than men. There's a far higher percentage of women who knows how to drive a manual in the general populace.

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by The HACK

I've known more women who drive manuals than men. There's a far higher percentage of women who knows how to drive a manual in the general populace.

My response was a joke since 99% of car forum members are men, but I don't really know the answer to that question. I actually only know 1 female who can drive a manual transmission (my wife). Small sample size, so I don't think you can base the answer on personal experience. Just in general, I would've thought more men knew how to drive stick because cars are more of a hobby for men than women. To me that's like saying more men know how to use a sewing machine than women do (just an example of another dying art form). Anyway, this was the only statistic I could find. Do you have another source? Now I'm curious.

https://www.google.com/insights/cons...1&grouping=gen

[trevor]

Originally Posted by SCHMOUPE

Funny how we all end up with exes with bad manual driving habits! I had a few of those stories as well.

Well we would like to hear some of them.. lol

[trevor]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Oh God, really? I sit in 15 - 20 miles of Northern Virginia traffic every day and have never thought "I wish I had an automatic." I'm over 50 and have over 1 million miles under my belt, almost all of it in a manual transmission'd car (and motorcycles). The first automatic vehicle I every bought was in 2009; I bought my first car in 1978. In fact when I take the auto to work maybe 4 times a year, my right leg gets tired from having to keep it on the frickin brake pedal. NickyC and I think exactly alike, well except the own a car thing... I need to go to the store and buy food and stuff.

When you've learned on a manual, took your driving test on a manual, and drive a manual for a living (I did for awhile), driving a manual in traffic (or at anytime) is just second nature. Driving an automatic is actually odd to you; and a complete pain in the ass (even before Bluetooth ).

I am under 25 with over 3 million miles under my belt.. hmm

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by trevor

I am under 25 with over 3 million miles under my belt.. hmm

That would mean you drive, on average, ~350,000 miles per year since you started driving at the ripe age of 16.

While it's possible, it's inconceivable. That means, since you started driving, you drive on an average, 1,000 miles per day. Again, while it's not impossible, it's unlikely even if you're a truck driver. It would mean you spent on average, 15 hours a day driving.

I drive more than your average 'Murkin, since even my shortest commute I drive ~35 miles to and from work. Even so, it would take me most of my adult life to accumulate 1 million miles...Much less 3.

While I understand you're just trolling, I failed to see what that F30 guy said that deserves some ribbing.

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by The HACK

That would mean you drive, on average, ~350,000 miles per year since you started driving at the ripe age of 16.

While it's possible, it's inconceivable. That means, since you started driving, you drive on an average, 1,000 miles per day. Again, while it's not impossible, it's unlikely even if you're a truck driver. It would mean you spent on average, 15 hours a day driving.

I drive more than your average 'Murkin, since even my shortest commute I drive ~35 miles to and from work. Even so, it would take me most of my adult life to accumulate 1 million miles...Much less 3.

While I understand you're just trolling, I failed to see what that F30 guy said that deserves some ribbing.

He probably made a math error and meant 300,000