DjElucid

So I picked up my car on thursday, first MT car. Driven my friend's a couple of times. I'm having trouble starting up. Either I have to do it really slow...which I don't or that my cars kinda jerks where I have to switch to 2nd to get smooth again. Any advice on how to get it started smooth and quick? What is exactly happening when the car is jerking on starting up. How bad is it for the car? Will I need a new clutch by next year?

HELP!!!

Thanks!

fdl

What do you mean you have to switch to 2nd to get it smooth again?

gregor

Hmm...the clutch is slipping, which is the shudder you're feeling.
A little more gas and a lighter touch and letting the clutch out a tad faster might help.

PS if you're squealing the tires, that's probably letting of the clutch too fast

Brad

I think that with practice, you'll get the feel of it. I've owned only manual shift cars--5 or so--and I had no problem adapting to my single TSX test drive. It didn't jerk for me.

Jerking problems suggest to me the clutch release isn't enough. If it's sputtering with a different type of jerk, then you're not giving it enough gas.

Lung Fu Mo Shi

My problem when learning to drive an MT was letting the clutch out too fast with very little gas. The car jerks back and forth a bit.

My suggestion would be to get the "feel" of the engagement point of the clutch and give it a touch more gas.

Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it.

And, the car I learned on was a '90 Honda Accord. Had that car for 7 years and 120,000 miles. The clutch had to be replaced at 90,000. No worries.

Count Blah

I'm also an MT newbie and have experienced that kind of jerking in 1st a few times. Not pleasant at all. Giving it more gas seems to help.

Speaking of starting in first, my friend gave me MT lessons on his car. He said "it's all in the clutch", not giving it any gas until you're already rolling forward with the clutch all the way out. This didn't work out all too well in the TSX, making it real easy to stall. I find I have to give it more gas, or else I have to start out REAL slow.

DjElucid

hey guys, thanks for all the advice. Will practice more tomorrow on my way to work!

Thanks again!

jcg878

I'm glad to hear that people are switching to MTs - I don't think that's toooo common. I wussed out and switched to an AT (sick of traffic). Speaking of which, there is no secret to starting up in 1st gear other than practicing it - and be sure to do that before you get stuck on the Schuykill Expressway at 5pm on Friday! Then when you feel confident, make you way over to Manayunk...

ClutchPerformer

DJ, try this:

1. Constant pressure on the gas (rev to ~2000 rpm).
2. Let out the clutch slowly and smoothly (not being smooth is what causes the jerks).

Once you get the hang of this, do the same thing but don't rev as high. I usually go to about 1000 - 1500. See if you can get someone who knows what they're doing to ride with you and give you some tips. Maybe someone from your work? Keep asking questions, and good luck.

Stash

that is what i did to get used to it.......

burn a little clutch by reving it more and slowly droping your revs to where you can smoothly take off without killing the clutch by having the revs to high

DjElucid

getting a little better day by day. Thing is that when it is jerking...I let out of the clutch and put more gas into it, and it would continue to jerk like that even when I let the clutch out until I shift to 2nd. It's no nasty, I hate it...I feel like I'm hurting my car. And in traffic if I have my foot on the gas going like 5-10 mph and I decide to suddenly step on it (still in first), I get the same jerkiness too. sigh.... just keep on trying.

rb1

The best way to do this is get familiar with your clutch engagement point.



Go find a level, empty parking lot. Practice letting the clutch out very slowly in 1st gear without applying any gas. This will teach you exactly where the clutch starts to engage, the most critical element of driving a MT smoothly. Once you can do this smoothly, the rest is easy.

The idea is to let out the clutch in such a way so that the RPM's for the next gear and vehicle speed exactly match (or are very close) to the engine RPM when the clutch passes this same engagement point. You'll end up at this "target RPM" after the shift no matter how badly you shift anyway -- the question is whether the car motion has to drag the engine speed up or down (through the transmission and clutch of course) or not. If you clutch and shift accurately, it doesn't have to do this and everything is smooth. Otherwise, you get lurching and jerking.

It's just a timing thing. When you push in the clutch and let up on the gas, the engine RPM's start to fall while you are shifting into the next gear. The trick is to let up on the clutch at the "right" time, neither too soon nor too late.

DjElucid

I've been pushing on the gas a little as I'm letting go on the clutch to match my RPMs to make a smooth transition. Is that safe, to be gasing a little and releasing the clutch at the same time?

wiz

Yes it's safe, it's called "riding the clutch". This is not great for your clutch, but it's not necessarily bad either. You really have to ride the clutch a lot when you are on a hill to keep the car from rolling into the guy who is behind you.

I would suggest going to a parking lot one night and working on your take offs and try to find one with a hill so you can work on that as well. Not every takeoff is going to be smooth (I've been driving a manual for 10 years and I still have a few rough takeoffs from time to time). Just keep practicing, you'll get it.