Learning to drive a stick

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by AlaskaAma

So, if you can drive a stick, what are your best tips? How can I find that sweet spot between stalling out and shooting forward (or backward) uncomfortably fast? Any fun stories about how you learned this dying art?

Here you go
//www.city-data.com/forum/autom...ve-manual.html

Originally Posted by Dopo

I've heard many people saying that they struggle to learn how to drive a manual.
Well, recently I taught my two little kids how to drive manual, so I know this works.

- Go to an empty flat parking lot and start the car
- Forget about the accelerator, you are only going to use the clutch (left foot) and brake (right foot)
- Press the clutch and the brake, put the car in 1st gear
- Let go off the brake, now the car is in neutral (clutch pressed)

You have to be able to get the car going only using the clutch
- Pull the clutch out slowly to the middle point
- Car will act like is going to die, hold the clutch there until the car is moving
- Pull clutch all the way out

Do that about 100 times and by then, you'll be 90% done learning how to drive a manual.

[AlaskaAma]

So it's been almost three weeks, and I'm feeling pretty confident in my abilities. The advice about learning to get started without touching the accelerator at all really helped! I got used to doing that and have (almost) not stalled since. Slight inclines aren't a problem anymore, either, and I've gotten a feel for shifting smoothly and knowing when to downshift.

I appreciate the tips and the encouragement! I may actually get a manual on purpose next time I'm car shopping. :-D

[James Bond 007]

Now the trick is to find a really, really steep hill and try going up it, after being stopped at a stop light while on the hill, going upward.