What's the best way to learn?

[eckostyle]

I was just wondering what the best way to learn how to drive a manual transmission is. Both my parents drive automatics, and frankly im bored of them. I want to learn to drive standard. Any tips?

[turbo_equiped]

Any friends know how to drive a standard? Maybe they can help you. Its not that hard to drive a standard. You just gotta know the basic concept, and then its all practice.

[XylathaneGTR]

Originally posted by turbo_equiped
and then its all practice.

So true.
I took drivers ed w/ a standard, and having a teacher w/ a thick russian accent yelling at me to drive down 17th on a busy saturday night during my first time ever touching a manual transmission, can help also.

[Rockski]

GRIND IT UNTILL YOU FIND IT

[FiveFreshFish]

Before you go practice, check out this link so you what parts of the transmission you're wrecking.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission.htm

[Rockski]

the best idea (that ive come accross) was just take it easy at first and learn to shift from a stop to fist, worst part (fopr me)when starting, then work your way up the gears, as soon as you get from first to second, the rest are easy. while your still learning your probably gonna ride the clutch alot (or mayby thats just me) but down shifting will come, and whatever you do, this probably only happened to me, when you put it in park/pull the hand break, dont forget to take it out of gear.... i had that problem many a times


have fun with it

[cycosis]

go test drive a car with your rents, and learn on that

thats how i was taught
thank you sunridge mazda

[cycosis]

Originally posted by Rockski
GRIND IT UNTILL YOU FIND IT

IF YOU CANT MAKE IT, RAKE IT!!!

[1badPT]

LOL i learned to drive manual in the few hours following my purchase of my first manual transmission vehicle. I played ridge racer in the arcade a lot and i guess it was realistic enough for me to figure it out when i got in the car. Just had difficulty with getting going from a stop and getting going when stopped on an incline.

[turbo_equiped]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish
Before you go practice, check out this link so you what parts of the transmission you're wrecking.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission.htm

hahah for sure.
and make sure you have enough money to get those parts fixed, it you learning on your car or something.
lol

[turbo_equiped]

Originally posted by 1badPT
LOL i learned to drive manual in the few hours following my purchase of my first manual transmission vehicle. I played ridge racer in the arcade a lot and i guess it was realistic enough for me to figure it out when i got in the car. Just had difficulty with getting going from a stop and getting going when stopped on an incline.

ahha yea i guess.
the hardest part is starting up. It was for me too as well. Thats when "practice" kicks in. Cauz you need to let go the clutch slowly and push down the accelerator slowly. And this has to be done simultaneously, i thought this was the hardest part at first. The car kept on stalling and all. But once you get used to it, with lots of practice its a piece of cake and really fun.

[Rockski]

thats what i said (stop to go) , but said in a better way

[Go4Long]

my recommendation(it's 2:30 in the morning...like I care about spelling) is to learn on an older transmission to begin with, not because of the damage that you will do to it, but more because there is a lot more clutch feel to older clutches than the new hydraulic units that they put in most cars now, so you can actually feel the clutch engaging from a stop, rather than the new ones where it's like almost there...bang...stall...etc.

[ww667]

K men i was just doing the same thing (yea yea i'm on automatic)
So what i started with trying mowing from standing position it is just to understand how to skide a cloch, when you want to have some fun just get it in the first and in the same time relece a clutch and slam on gas !!!!!! LET IT BURN !!!!!!
So ok now go get 5 min off and get back to stop first gear start stop first gear start (moving) Well one more good thing to do is to try starting up on some small hill ore something as the car will start to rool back and i can bet that you will frek out trying to get it going without roling back a bit. well any way it is all about the practise.
So what i am saying is -
Go rent a car ith manual
Go out of a city or in some residental area (i went to some loading docks)
Preactise from standing to moving in first (that is hardesest)
Spin them a bit !!!!!! Let em BURN !!!!!
Have fun doing that.

[sputnik]

once you have the concept down... test drive cars (alone) that are manual for practice.

[ex1z7]

Well. . . I learned to drive standard on the opposite side of the car (australia) at night, with 1 headlight, on the other side of the road, on a track... Took me like 20 minutes to get shifting down. Theres a few tips you need to think of when you're driving - I've learned

Firstly, get an old car, I learned on an 89 pintara (stanza) and that thing took some heavy abuse from me

Learn to feel the car, if its rattling and shaking cuz you're in 4th doing 15kph .. shift down ..

When you start off, start in first, clutch in all the way - turn key, rev the engine a bit for fun then let the clutch out till you hear the engine change from a barely working to a dull roar (that or that was just my car) (turn your music off, too) then slowly and lightly press the gas .. once you hear the car start revving up (not to like 5000 rpm :P) start letting the clutch out slowly till the car starts rolling a bit, then more gas, less clutch.. till you move.

at this point if you let the clutch out completely without moving at a decent speed - you'll bunny hop or stall. If you start in third/fifth thinking its first - you CAN move without stalling - but you have to dance with the clutch, which'll wreck it in the long run

Once you figure out how to get moving in first, it'll be revving pretty hard around 20kph, maybe less depending on whether or not you're flooring it. put the clutch in all the way again, shift to second, let the clutch out slowly and get back on the gas - it wont be as hard as from a dead stop but you can still bunny hop.. get going faster till the rpm is higher and the engine sounds like it's gonna cry - shift to third..

When you're slowing down, left foot on the clutch, right on the break, both together pushing down, so you dont stall.. you'll need to shift down, do one gear and try going again - if it rumbles, shift down again.

As far as starting on an incline, if you have the e-brake on till you've reversed/gone forward - it wont roll, given its up enough. soon as you start going enough to make it not roll back/forwards - let the e-brake up.

Hope that helps, if anyone else wants to correct/further this go ahead :P

[Shaolin]

I taught my sister how to drive a stick.. she drove my car..

i took her out to a parking lot at night, taught her how to shift, friction point etc.. after she could shift into 2nd and go into 3rd, I taught her how to uphill start until she got sick of it. I taught her for about 2.5 hours.. I think we spent probably an hour and 15 minutes mastering the uphill start.

After that, it was just doing it.. to me the uphill start is the toughest, so i drilled it into her until she got it everytime..

hope that helps.

Oh if you don't have a parking lot, use your driveway. Tried to teach my mom how to drive a stick.. she gave up after 20 minutes.

Edit: I learnt by taking a brush up course at AMA.. i think it was a 2 hour course.. after that I bought my car and had to drive it.. just takes practice.