i will pick up my RX-8 tomorrow and it is a 6-speed. I am somewhat afraid, since I have driven a stick maybe five times my entire life. Can you guys give me a run-down of the best/efficient of learning? My dad said he will be teaching me, but he's not that great


thanks!!!

 

I learned on a stick and when I taught my kids I had them practice starting the car from a dead stop in a parking lot without touching the accelerator--engine at idle. That teaches clutch control and when you have that down you are most of the way there.

We have many guys on this board who know all about speed matching of downshifts and heel and toe etc., but the RX-8 transmission works very well if you just shift firmly without rushing it.

 

I tried starting the car WITHOUT touching the gas--just SLOWLY coming off the clutch, and when that happened I felt the car moving ahead--but it was almost like it was jerking. Did I do something wrong??

thanks for any advice guys

 

TM - that's how I was taught, I know it's the correct way - but it was a nightmare for me. It took me forever to get it, and it led to a lot of embarrassing stalls when I first started driving. (I too bought a MT car before knowing how to drive it)
Since that was more than 15 years ago... I think I learned a few things since
Anyhow, I teach people differently. A little clutch slipping early on is not going to harm things IMHO. I teach people to watch the tach (or listen to the engine) and try and keep it constant at 1500-1600 RPMS, and play with the clutch. (in and out etc) The main thing is getting the feel for the gas pedal and instinctively using it to get the RPMs constant. Once they start getting it in gear without any problems I tell them to work on keeping the amount of gas lower and lower on the clutch engagement.
Funny thing is, the first week I got the 8 I had to retrain myself - I actually think that this is probably a really hard car to learn to get into first without slipping the clutch a little. I know I was originally letting it out at 1500 + RPMs, took me about a week to get the rpms down to just above idle when it engages. But then again I am coming from my MT SUV which has about 1 mm of clutch play left on it The 8 feels substantially different!

 

I think with this car if you are idling around 1k Rpms it's hard to let the clutch out because I always feel that there is very little power around that mark. I've only ever owned one vehicle that was automatic so this was a very easy thing for me to do. But as far as starting out on this vehicle and being a new MT driver, I would say that this is easier to learn on than a lot of vehicles.

I learned on a 5 speed Aerostar and that thing was horrible to learn on, just horrible.

 

femto- that's some small chemistry. Why not yoctochemistry? Anyway, if the clutch engagement isn't smooth, the car will start jerking. Happens to me sometimes on normal starts. I just put the clutch back in and try it again. I don't know exactly why it keeps jerking like that, but it's happened to me many times, and I haven't damaged anything yet.

 

it's due to the gearing. the car is jerky at slow speeds.

If you engage the clutch at lower rpms, it will smooth it out.

What you should do is use a bit of clutch to get going, once you're over 10 mph, you can let off completely and it should be smooth as you slowly increase.

given time you'll get used to it.

 

Think what your feet are doing and the sensations/vibrations that are happening. After awile it gets instictive and you will be dancing on the pedals.

 

hehehe


Great, thanks for all the advice guys!

 

I just thought I should throw in my 2 cents. My first standard trans. was a 99 CIvic Si. I never drove standard in my life, and bought this brand new right off the lot. Test drove it with the salesman on loop 610 in Houston Texas. For those that dont know, this is a very BUSY highway. I know everyone will scream at me, but it was easiest for me to give the engine a bit more gas then needed to ensure I didnt stall it if I let off of the clutch to quickly. I do have to say though, that it takes no time at all to learn, I eventually got the hang off it, and a busy highway full of 18 wheelers is good incentive to shift right!!! The hardest part is from stop to go, once you get this, youre on your way home.

 

I learned how to drive stick this past November on my friend's Spec V. The next time I drove stick was in May when I went for the test drive. The third time I drove stick was later that week after taking my car off the lot. I say the best way to learn is to just keep doing it. Don't automatically take the car out somewhere you might run into a traffic jam, cause you might stall a few times in traffic. But the more you drive it, the better you'll get. I've had mine for a month now and don't have any problems any more. Hope that helps. You'll be ok. BTW...congratulations on owning the 8!

 

I let a buddy drive my 8 the day after I picked her up. He hadn't driven a manual in over 6 years. He said the 8 had the "easiest" clutch he'd ever driven. I offered a test drive to his wife and she said it's been way too long since she had driven a stick, and she was taught on a gravel road... it prevented her from "jerking" cause the gravel would give way and the tires could spin. She said she'd give it a whirl if I let her get on gravel... yeah right. Sorry, you'll just have to enjoy the ride... and not the drive.

Keep at it... it'll smooth out with practice.

 

Oh yeah, just don't fill up the spaces in the car with people who konw how to drive stick just yet. They will more than likely commment on the jerky ride....I experienced this the hard way, but had to remind them that while I'm driving a $30k+ car they all love, they are stuck driving mid 90s civics, and integras.

 

Stay on less-busy roads at first until you get your confidence up. It won't take long. Mostly, just drive.

The one exception is starting from a dead stop on an incline, especially a steep one. It can be tricky to avoid rolling back, especially if there is another vehicle right on your tail. For this situation you really should learn how to use the parking brake to prevent rollback on a hill. in a nutshell:
- engage the parking brake
- push in the clutch
- shift into 1st
- keeping 1 hand on the parking brake, release the footbrake.

The car should now be stationary, held in place by the parking brake. Now, start to let out the clutch and give it gas just as you would from any stop. You'll be able to feel the car's weight transfer so that instead of keeping the car from rolling backwards, now the parking brake is keeping it from rolling forwards. At this point you can release the parking brake and accelerate normally.

I learned this trick very early since my very first drive with a stick resulted in me being stuck at the top of a steep freeway exit ramp in rush hour. After three green lights I'd managed to roll back far enough so that you couldn't fit a pencil between my bumper and the car behind. Plus there was now a major traffic jam extending from my exit. My "teacher" exhorted me to use the parking brake but at this point I was flustered enough that we had to switch seats. She demonstrated the parking-brake trick and it has saved me many times since.

 

that reminds me of a funny experience i had with my mom back in 99 when she tested a 5-speed subaru impreza RS--my first car. Anyways, she took it out and after grinding the gears, she finally got a handle of it...until we came to a steep, steep hill. She ketp rolling, and rolling, and rolling back. Then a car came right behind us....I stept out of the car and told him to please move back since my mom is having troubles driving a stick. At this pt. there was like 3-4 cars behind us and they all moved back...LOL...you should have seen it...haha

Finally a cop car came along and saw what we were trying to do. he gets out of his car and tells me my mom that he will take it back to the dealer. i was sitting in the passanger seat and i remember him doing the e-break trick. man did we look like fools!!


thanks again!


btw: i bought the automatic

 

One of my best friends has a similar, but even funnier story. When waving at the car behind him to back up because he knew he was going to be doing some rolling, the lady threw her car into reverse and backed up, smacking right into the car behind her!

 

I've had my 8 for 4 months now and this is my first stick car. I'm lucky if I can keep the revs around 2000 when starting from a stop. I don't know how you do it at 1000-1500rpms. I still have trouble going from 1st to 2nd too, without jerking around. Other than that, I'm fine. I even let a friend drive my 8 and he had major trouble between 1st and 2nd also. I know it can be done smoothly by letting off the clutch a little slower, but would it be the gear ratios between 1st and 2nd that cause the jerking?

 

Practice, practice and practice. You're doing just fine. My salesman taught me how to drive a stick (no double entendres). I've had my 8 for almost a year, and now I drive like a soccer mom in a suburban, but only when I want to . Remember that the pressure on the clutc should equal the pressure your're putting on the gas.

 

I'm bad at getting in and out of a parking space at an incline. I seem to over rev, at least in my opinion. I've only been driving stick for as long as I've had my 8, which is about 1.5 months now. I hope to learn how to do this smoother, and without rolling back. Otherwise I think I'm ok. Shifts are smooth, but like mjd I need to rev to at least 2k rpm to get her going.

 

I remember when I drove my first stick-shift. It was an Acura Integra. I get in to start up the car. Man, how should've I have known that you had to put in the clutch as you turn the key? :p I was struggling with that for a few minutes! :D

 

best way i felt that work for me to start from start is just wearing thinner tread shoes or no shoes at all for that matter that way you can feel the clutch+the accelerator.

 

I agree with the shoe idea. I wear my adidas running shoes to get a good feel on the clutch and when I want to performance drive. I wear my casual thick sole shoes when I go to work and you just can't feel the pedals the same.

 

as far as shoes to wear, many nhra dragsters and scca/performance racing drivers wear really soft soled shoes for the best operation. some because they feel the pedal better, others because flexibility helps to double clutch the pedals. i sometimes use my wrestling shoes, they are basically the exact same thing as the pros use. if you can get your hands on some that would help you to get a feel for the pedals better, then later you can try regular shoes. when i learned, it only took me a week to get it down without stalling the ole rx7, and i was 15! you should be fine, just keep at it and dont get intimidated.

 

I must be getting old!! Everyone learning to drive sticks on Civics, RX-7s, etc... ;-)

I learned on my dad's 1972 Ford Truck!! (could barely see over the damn hood even) His theory was, "if I could drive that, I could drive anything" lol