I'm having big problems moving off fast enough with a manual, what am I doing wrong?

[easy62]

Having a manual transmission is one of the best anti theft devices to have because most people don’t know how to drive a manual.

[Gatopescado]

Originally Posted by fumbling

This is where you're doing it wrong. When the light turns green, you start releasing the clutch smoothly and at the same time take your foot off the brake and step on the gas smoothly. You do not release the clutch and wait for the biting point (there's another word for it but escapes me at this time) to take your foot off the brake, you take your right foot off the brake at the instant you step on the clutch and immediately step on the gas pedal.

Then with experience that will come very quickly, you will sense when the clutch "bites" as your left foot continues to pull back and your right foot gives it more gas to go.

Correct! This post is on point. And don't keep your foot on the clutch during the red light. You'll wear out the throw-out bearing.

[blktoptrvl]

Originally Posted by Erikeric1

I'm having some problems with clutch control in traffic. Basically I'm releasing the clutch too slow, sometimes when I'm at a traffic light it turns red right as I start moving so it's pretty bad. If I have understood correctely there are several different ways to start moving, (either you rev the engine first and then release the clutch or get to the biting point first and then rev the engine). I'm using the technique where you get to the biting point first and then rev the engine, problem is that it takes me a very long time to reach the biting point. The other technique sounds pretty ineffective because then you have to use the hand brake in hills and small elevations.

This is how I do it in a situation when I'm approaching a red traffic light and move off when it's green: I press the clutch fully in and apply the brakes, I hold the brakes and clutch fully in. When it turns green I start releasing the clutch very slowly, when I feel like I'm at the biting point I release the brakes and start to apply gas and then I fully release the clutch.

The thing is that it feels like it takes me an eternity to reach the biting point. Are you supposed to release the clutch fast until you reach the biting point and then start releasing it slowly? I've watched some Youtube vidoes and they're like "Just release the clutch super slow and you will never stall yada yada yada", but when I do that I miss the green lights.

After driving a few years (or very long months), you should become very familiar with EXACTLY where the clutch starts to engage. My personal method is to release the clutch quickly, but not like side stepping it, until engagement and then basically apply as much travel to the accelerator and I do to release the clutch from the engagement point.

After you get use to this, you can transfer to any other manual transmission car and within a few minutes find the sweet spot.

One thing you might want to try is to "balance the car on the clutch"... on a slight hill using only the clutch, keep the car from moving forward or backward until you learn the balance - but you need to be cautious and aware that this is a damaging (accelerated wear) process for the clutch - especially if it turns out you are bad at this - I wouldn't do it too often.

[raveabouttoast]

Originally Posted by Erikeric1

Basically I'm releasing the clutch too slow, sometimes when I'm at a traffic light it turns red right as I start moving so it's pretty bad.

You are being WAAAAAY too cautious. Find an empty parking lot and learn to bring the clutch up the engagement point quickly. From there, you start adding gas and make the car move. The whole process takes a second or two at most. Stalling isn't the end of the world. So practice. Stall out a few times, chirp the tires a few times, and then adjust until you can take off at a normal speed.

Originally Posted by rstevens62

If you really cant get the hang of getting going, you also can try starting out in second gear.

How is this helpful at all? Starting in 2nd gear requires more feathering of the clutch and takes even longer than starting in first.

[easy62]

My older brother drove a manual and didn’t use the clutch sometimes because he knew the shift points by the sound of the engine and new when to shift into a higher gear.

[gunslinger256]

the way I do it in one of my cars is.... as soon as I release the brake, my clutch foot is coming up quickly to the biting point. By the time the left foot gets to the biting point, my right foot is stepping on the gas.

As the left foot rises, the right foot presses down. You've got the mechanics down, you just have to get the muscle memory down with repeated stop and go drills in a parking lot.

When I move to another car, I always have to re calibrate my clutch foot.

[CWestcott98]

You should be revving and releasing the clutch at the same time, I don't know who told you to rev and then release but that's how you squeal your tires. Just practice giving a little gas and letting go of the clutch and you'll get there Best of Luck!