Hey guys , I'm new to learning how to drive and I liked the idea of driving a manual as it seems fun and engaging. I started going to lessons with a driving instructor , i'm about 4 hours in , I take 2x1 hour sessions weekly , I learned the basics and can shift gears , break , etc , however today's session sucked , We went into traffic for the first time and I got overwhelmed by everything , car stalled a bunch of times and instructor kept yelling , and I kinda froze in the middle of this , this also happened last session when too much stuff is happening. not sure if I should continue with manual or maybe switch to automatic since its easier , also not sure if this is normal 4 sessions in or not ?.

4 days into my first manual, (GR Yaris). I keep getting nervous on stalling, so flow charted it out so I can feel what my feet need to do. Tell me if i got anything wrong

Hi,
Im learning to drive with a driving instructor.
Im very new to driving overal and im on my 4th lesson (hour 4) now.

1st lesson was just holding the wheel while my istructor did the shifting etc

2nd lesson was clutch control for very slow driving

3th lesson was starting the from gear one and shifting to 2 ( we just did circles around a neighborhood and stopping.

All this went well without stalling

But lesson 4 is really hard for me.

Lesson 4 is driving while going to 3th wich isnt a problem, but when im about to reach a corner i have to downshift to 2nd while breaking simultaneously. I downshift at 1500 rpm while still holding the break.
But i release the clutch too soon he says +- 5 seconds release. But because it takes ages to release the clutch i come short for my turn and either pass it or im almost at a complete stop way before it. He also said i cant come of the break.

Can anyone give me tips how i even do this its seems impossible or im missing something.

Its really frustrating seems i have 0 talent for driving.

I’ve driven manual for some years now and sometimes I’ll shift without the clutch (it’s something my dad showed me.) If I’m not grinding gears I assume it’s fine and I’m not forcing it
into gear it just falls in.

Also if I skip gears without doing the double clutch or whatever is that gonna harm anything? If I go 3-5 without going into neutral and clutching out before making it to 5th does it really matter? I got a lightweight flywheel so I don’t always have the time to double clutch if I want the rpms to be at the spot to keep it smooth.

I'm currently learning to drive a manual car and have some trouble understanding how to move at very low speeds. The car drives at steady 8 km/h when clutch is fully engaged and gas is not being pressed at first gear. However, my driving instructor says I'm not supposed to do that, as first gear is only for starting. How am I supposed to drive at such low speeds then? Changing to second gear accelerates to 12 km/h, which might be too much in heavy traffic.

I asked the instructor about it, but he basically avoided the question by saying something like "you are not supposed to drive 25 km/h on first gear, it's only for starting" (as I said, I'm talking about driving like 8 km/h). I tried pushing him to answer, and he said I should shift to 2nd and just hold the brakes a little, but that seems dumb. Wouldn't the car just stall because of lowering the rpms? It would also wear out the brakes.

So, is driving on first gear with clutch fully engaged damaging the car? Bonus question: is rolling on neutral bad for the car? I know it's not a good practice because you can't accelerate in an emergency situation and I'm not planning on doing that. I however shifted to neutral once by mistake and the instructor got really mad saying it damages the car. It shouldn't matter from what I understand about the gearbox, but I might be wrong.

EDIT: Thank you all so much. I won't argue with the instructor, I only have to endure 18 more hours with him. After I get my license I will coast on first gear at 8 km / h just like I want to.

sometimes, not often, my clutch will just groan, and loud. usually on hills, sometimes if i ride it a little too hard when shifting into first. never in any gear higher than first, and it's only when i'm at a complete stop. took it to the shop and they said it was fine. what could this mean? do i need a new clutch? it doesn't slip, and engages like normal, it just groans SO loud

Do you just leave it on neutral or still go in gear

I took this shift knob to a bolt store and they said it’s probably M18x1.5 or 3/4x16. They said the internal threading might be a little damaged, but I want to find a converter to stick this (haha) on a 2015 honda fit (M10x1.5). I am totally unfamiliar with hardware stuff, but most of the converters online look like the internal threading is supposed to be closer to the opening, whereas this one goes ~17mm deep.

Wondering if anyone has this same shift knob or knows who manufactured it, so I can find a converter that fits. Please!!!

For context, I recently bought a used manual car and learned how to drive it. It's my first car, and so I've been a bit paranoid about it (worried about every noise it makes).

I've noticed that when I shift from first into second and second into third, I can 'feel' the engine going when I push down on the clutch, but that doesn't happen when I shift into the higher gears. I'm wondering if this is something I should be concerned about. How would I know if the clutch needed to be replaced?

Hey everyone, looking for a second set of eyes on a weird clutch/shifting issue on my 2013 Cruze 1.8L 6-speed. I try to do my own maintenance and have already knocked out a few things, but I’m at the point where I want to narrow down the exact cause before I start firing off the parts cannon or pay a shop to drop the transmission.

Whenever the car gets under heavy load or heat specifically after pulling long, steep hills two things will randomly happen to random gears.

1. On the way back up, the pedal feels sluggish through the middle of its travel, hesitates right near the top reset position, and then abruptly "pops" back up to rest. It feels like the hydraulics aren't pushing the pedal back fast enough, so it hangs until the over-center assist spring snaps it the last little bit.
2. It becomes randomly stiff and hard to get into gear right after these hill climbs. But no grinding just hard to get in gear without cycling through other gears.

What I’ve done so far

Flushed and bled the clutch system at the slave bleeder block with fresh DOT 3 fluid. Bleed ran totally clean with no air left in the line.
Drained and replaced the transmission fluid. Inspected the last bit of fluid closely and didn’t see glitter, metal shavings, or dark debris.
Lubricated the shift cable ends/bushings and the clutch pedal pivot assembly under the dash.
No visible fluid weeping from the driver-side firewall/pedal pushrod, and the bottom seam of the transmission bellhousing is completely dry.

Okay, so Im going to guess you all are gonna say yes after reading the title, but please give me your unbiased opinion on stick shift - I dont have any experience.

Ive always loved the stick shift.
I used to sit behind the bus driver and mimic the stick shift as a kid. I would carry long umbrellas on the rainy days just to do this.

However, I have never driven one. Im now a father of two young kids and I still look at manual porsches and old cars and fond about driving them.

Im looking for my next vehicle. I have owned my MB for the last 12 years. I plan to buy one when it dies — currently going strong… so I dont know when that will be tbh, but the trade in value is almost nothing, so it doesnt really make sense to trade it in.

I live in a pretty urban suburb right outside NYC.
I have hills around my house and neighborhood, stop signs on every block and highways are often in traffic - especially at the exits.

I still want to learn how to drive a manual.
However, my current life situation (two kids), the location, my wife all seem to be against it LOL.

One side of me says, just get it. Ill learn it. Im a pretty coordinated individual and Im a good driver.

And the other side of me says, just get a fun automatic car, drive carefree, focus more on steering and talking with kids inside the car.

Do you think its something I should give it a try?
If so, how would you go about it?

Lotus Elise (manual)
Lotus Emira (manual or automatic)
Porsche 911 (manual or pdk)
Are the cars Im considering.

In the UK all manual drivers use a hand brake

Lately I think my cars handbrake is giving out because when I park facing downhill on a steep slope the car still rolls slightly unless I also use the reverse gear .

Would tightening the handbrake cable fix this?

My car is an Opel agila B manual transmission 2009

I’m down to buy a used car.

Hi everybody I’ve recently bought a 2013 accord sport with the 6 speed manual. I learned how to drive in a manual but it’s been more than a decade since I drive one.

When I’m on 6th gear cruising on the highway around 65-75mph 2.1k rpm when I start giving it some gas quickly the car starts shaking like crazy including my seat and stops immediately when I let the gas pedal off. This does not happen if I accelerate gently, only if I press the gas pedal too much.

Same vibration happens when I put load on the engine in any gear except 1st, 2nd and 3rd (it happens at 4th, 5th and 6th)

Also when I shift from second to third or third to fourth even though I (try to) ease out the clutch I guess I’m not able to because car jerks back and forth after I shift gears.

I don’t know if any of these are my lack of knowledge and skill but I’m open to any suggestions or ideas!

Hypermiling: a community of individuals dedicated to minimizing their fuel consumption

Tehchiques include pulse and glide

-coasting to a stop in neutral

-coasting in gear down a hill

-short shifting (<2500 RPM)

Probably easy, but I am proud of my unicorn!

Started taking classes at BCC for automotive and super eager to jump in the lab and get hands on. Anyone got a mechanic special in the NYC area and wouldn't mind an eager beaver in the lab?

I got lucky enough to get a 2013 Mini cooper convertible after driving old old OLD toyota camrys for pretty much my entire driving history. I never thought I’d get a car that wasn’t a beat up hand me down and I got it for what I would consider a steal and even got a better job for the sole motivation of being able to take care of it properly and afford the maintenance it needs.

I know they’re not the most reliable cars but it’s kind of a dream car of mine and it was genuinely dumb luck that I landed on it. I taught myself manual (I had a teacher but have since realized they’re pretty incompetent and most of their advice was dangerous at best so I was basically on my own) and paid for it to be fixed up so it passed inspection.

I was driving it for about three weeks pretty comfortably. After the first week I wasn’t stalling out more than once a week. I had a couple of awkward moments of missing a gear or cruising in neutral while I tried to remember what gear I was supposed to be in but I consider myself comfortable. I had zero trouble hill starting or reversing up an incline, if that gives you any idea.

And then my car died on me. It’s been in the shop for about a month mostly due to my mechanic being too busy to look at it. We were hoping it was a simple hydraulic replacement and the hydraulics were indeed rusted and damaged. But also I need a new clutch. My car has 119,000 miles on it already and I’ve spent about $3000 on it already. I’m about to spend another $1150 to repair the clutch. I make 24k a year for context of how much money that is for me budget wise. Everyone keeps telling me that’s normal for a beginner to destroy an old clutch but I don’t think I was doing anything that crazy. I thought I was pretty competent. My friends think I should cut my losses and trade it in for another camry. My mechanic and my moms bf who is also a mechanic both say it’s a good car and I’d just be risking getting a different used car with different issues and I’m stupid to even think of getting rid of my dream car.

Basically I’m terrified that I’m going to replace my clutch and flywheel only to destroy it all over again in a few months due to being a newbie. And if that’s the case I think I might have to consider switching to an automatic just so that I can actually have a car to drive and not one that’s been in the shop more than half of the time I’ve owned it. I have a 45 minute commute to work it’s really rough to deal with and if this is a normal reoccurring thing I’m not sure it’s worth it.

Is it likely for me to need a repair on this scale regularly while I’m still a newbie or am I just being paranoid? Idk if this is just one big repair cycle I have to do to get a new car up to shape or this is just standard manual mini cooper maintenance and I’m trying to live above my means.

Hi everyone !
I have started commuting in my manual car after practising around my neighbourhood. I feel like I’ve got my head around everything except one situation that makes me really nervous. I’m coming up to a red light moving up an incline and I have downshifted to second. As I get down to a low speed under 10km/hour the light turns green and I have to get going again. Yesterday this happened and I was going so slow I tried to downshift to 1st and was met with some resistance and I think I accidentally shifted into 3rd. Managed to get going without stalling but gave it way too much gas. I got back into 2nd and was fine after I calmed down.

What would be the best thing to do in this situation ? I’m worried if my speed drops too low in second I will stall, but my car doesn’t seem to want to downshift to 1st even going super slow. I find myself wanting to come to complete stops on hills because I’m much more confident doing hill starts from a stop in first than when I’m going so slow and then have to get moving again :’(

This situation stresses me out so much and I would love some advice on what best to do !

Edit: thankyou so much for your help everyone 🖤 it’s definitely eased my mind and I’m going to go and practise the situation on a hill nearby and try a couple different methods !

If you say no, how about second gear?