You can gas it at any time. You just have to balance it with the clutch for a smooth take off. As you are starting out, go easy on gas.

 

my first time driving anything was my dad's v8 mustang with a performance clutch. i'm a small person and had a hard time holding it in so i popped the clutch alot. 1st is tricky but once you get it's like 2nd nature. try letting the clutch out, and when you start to feel the car stall and go under 1,000 rpm give it gas.

 

just practice, you'll learn it pretty quickly and then the fun begins!

 

put the rpms to about 1000rpms and hold it there, and then let the clutch out. the more time you spend slipping and feathering the clutch, the sooner you'll need a new clutch.

 

And thats a new clutch in there right THT? so its still in the breaking in process but shouldnt cause too much damage, if any.

 

Brand new 5th gen clutch. Today was a much better day. Smoother launching, no stalls, and chirped once.

 

I had my 5 speed maxima for a month already. I keep stalling the car 'cause I’m afraid to burn the clutch. let it go too quickly and add very little gas.

Does anyone know how much is it to replace a clutch in our cars and how often do we have to do it?

 

About $200 for parts. Labor will vary. OEM clutches last a good long time.

 

You keep stalling/ jerking, there'll be more to worry about than replacing the clutch. You burn the clutch if you ride it often and hard.

 

Do you guys ride the clutch when in reverse? When I'm backing up, it's all clutch work. Is this normal or am I wreaking havoc on my clutch?

 

I usually ride the clutch, start reversing back and give some gas but at the right point come off the gas and just clutch. If I'm going father cutch till engaged then gas only.

 

..bump

 

After reading through the post since the last time I posted in here, many are suggesting many clutch-wearing procedures that once you get the hang of it, you should stop doing. Basically, you need to find the fine line between slipping the clutch and making the ride smooth. You need to drive with as little clutch slippage as possible, without sacrificing ride quality. Those M5 driving vids really teach a lot, and I suggest every MT owner on the .org to take these into serious consideration. I'll try to find the link.

 

HERE WE GO!!!

http://www.standardshift.com/videos.html

Take in everything this guy says, and practice it. One suggestion for THT though, don't worry about this stuff now, get comfortable with the clutch, and when it is second nature, try expanding your driving skill with these. It doesn't hurt to have these ideas in the back or your mind, though...
Many also believe a double clutch is unnecessary, so practice it if you like, and although I can do a double clutch fairly easily, I stick to single clutch, REV MATCHED downshifts for everyday driving.

 

great, now, just like me, you're getting used to driving a 5spd maxima, which used to be auto.

 

Yeah I just drove my friend's '95 V6 Mustang 5-speed. Only the second time I've ever driven stick. Never stalled it once...drove it as though I've driven it my whole life. I'm guessing that a 4th gen 5-speed would be a similar driving experience as far as difficulty goes. If anything, probably easier because his transmission was kind of f'ed up when I drove it

 

Just my word of advice here. The speed of letting the clutch out really means very little. The smoothness of letting it out means much more. You can take two seconds or 1/4 second to let it out. The largest problem I've seen with people learning is that when they start to feel the clutch grab they start to let it out. Basically, they are very smooth until it first grabs and then they let it pop. You really have to be *consistent* upon letting it out.

Gas is a crutch. If you can't do it without gas you need to change your technique. The advice about using only the clutch to learn is great.

Be careful on that new clutch. They really should be broken in for 1,000 miles or so before being hard on them. Given the choice I'd let it stall out before revving it high or starting in second.

 

just curious, i'm still gettin the hang of it as well, but my car isn't smooth when i change gears (like in an auto). do you guys have any advice for that?

 

Actually even my auto isn't perfectly smooth. It still noticeably throws me a little during the 1-2 shift.

As far as smoother shifts with a stick, I'd say just work on how smooth you let out the clutch. Sounds like you're letting it out too quickly.

 

If my girlfriend can do it, so can you!

 

go to driving school you won't skrew up your or anyone else's car

 

What's wrong with this picture?

 

maybe the fact that i have an ACT stage 1 also doesn't help the smoothness of my ride, but i'm also sure because i'm still learning how to drive stick.

also, do you guys ride the clutch in first gear sometimes at slow speeds? i know you're not supposed to but i find myself doing it when i have to go up a curb to my driveway or when i'm pulling out of my garage.

 

I ride the clutch in stop and go traffic.

 

Who says your not suppost to? I do it when I'm in traffic and people move a few feet every couple of mintues. I usually try to wait till there is a rather large gap then move up, but just clutching it should be fine.

 

oh whew, okay thanks. i just thought that i read that you should have your foot off the clutch as much as possible.

 

idealy yea, but worst thing would be riding the clutch and givig gas on/off in stop and go, that will burn it up fast.

 

I broke down and pushed the accelerator to the floor today. At 6K, I shifted and barked the 1-2 shift. That was fun.

 

Not till the clutch is broken in. . .

 

Sounds like you got it down. Keep on doing that, you'd need a whole new clutch assembly soon

 

I know, I know...but it'd been over a week since I had seen experienced WOT. That and I had to prove to my coworkers that the car was significantly faster than when it had the slushbox.

 

when i take off from a light i rev to 1500 and let the clutch out half way. when its green i just slowly let it out. also when in bad traffic i leave the clutch down and let it out with gas to get moving. are these considered riding the clutch?

 

At my job I drive alot of customers cars in and out the shop. The hardest and scariest part is starting from a dead stop from a hill. I have to adjust to so many different cars they all have a different clutch engagement I have to be very carefull some of my coworkers are to scared to drive a custmores car and they make me do it being I have the most expirence but I still get nervous everytime I have to drive it up.

A good trick for cars your not familiar with and not hit the car from behind on a hill, what I do is I hold the Ebrake up but not all the way just enough to keep it from rolling back and still go forward. Then ease off the clutch and give it gas untill you hit that sweet spot then let go of the Ebrake and move on forward....

 

Bringing back an old thread, Sold my auto '96 for a '98 manual and just started driving a manual. I can get off the from a stop fine but i'm afraid of prematurely wearing the clutch so i tend to let off early sometimes.
The guy in the M5 videos was saying to rev to about 1000-1100rpm then ease off the clutch, this seems like the best way to do it. M5 has a much torquier engine no doubt, so question is where do you 3.0 guys rev to when making a moderate launch? My main concern is not too wear out the clutch too early. Is it okay to get some groaning sound from the clutch while taking off or does that mean i'm riding it too much?

 

In normal traffic I rev to around 1-1200rpm to pull off from lights.

It is good practice to try moving the car without the throttle. Both forward and reverse only use the clutch to get moving. A few sessions of this in parking lots will do wonders for your feel and muscle memory.

Most times if I am on level ground or coming out of the garage or something like that I only use the clutch.

 

Riding the clutch is when you basically use the clutch pedal as a gas pedal. You hold the gas constant and feather the clutch to control your movement and speed. Riding the clutch is also prolonged slipping of the clutch.

You basically want to be on the clutch as little as possible. SOmetimes you need to slip a little more such as parking on hills or other situations but for the most part you want the clutch fully engaged as quickly as possible.

After 2 years i can now get my car moving with barely any gas at all. Of course this isn't my Max but my Mustang which has a lot more torque. During normal driving i never find myself blipping the gas to over 1100RPM to start unless i want to show off, race, etc.

 

Anyone know any good driving schools that teach stick shift in the Brooklyn/Queens area? Also what are their prices. There's this place by me that charges ~ $37 for 45 minutes, driving a Plymouth from the late 80s/early 90s. I don't have any friends who are willing to let me learn on their cars.

 

I just bought my 5 spd maxima a few weeks ago.. and I'm driving standard for the first time. Here is my advice...

Go somewhere where there is no traffic and a slight hill and just try to start over and over and over and over again. You'll get a good feel for where your clutch grabs and you'll get better in no time at all!! I'd say it's better to rev it a little and have your rpms go up, rather than to stall.

I hope this helped a little bit...

 

You have to keep in mind that everyone learns to drive stick differently, and that each individual car and clutch is different. Many others have already mentioned this, but it really is the feel of the clutch-to-gas that you have to master. First gear is the hardest to get down pat.

You definitely want to go out where there are few if any cars at all. I learned on off-roading tracks with my uncle's tacoma, and my first car was stick (87 ford tempo with an easy clutch). It will take you a few weeks to get starting and stopping down pat to the point where you no longer think about it. You should focus on fluidity- not rpms, since your car may shift better at a different point than someone elses.

It sounds like you may be pressing the gas a little too much too quick. Let off the clutch slowly, press on the gas slowly- when the clutch grabs, continue slowly with the gas and let off on clutch. You want to keep the car from bucking (if it does you let the clutch out too soon) and the rpms increasing too much (if it does you gave too much gas). Practice on finding a happy medium. It only took me about 15 minutes to get used to my boyfriends clutch on his 99 se-L (his maxima is way more fun to drive than my '99 auto). But since you are driving stick for the first time-- give it a few weeks- you'll get it!

Hope this helps...

 

anyone else find the 4th gen gas pedal to be too sensitive?